I have a 29 gal tank and two small goldfish. I currently have a black moor and a red/black oranda. After my tank is fully cycled, we would like to add another goldie to our fishie family. I have a couple options in mind, and would like your input as to which might be the best addition. Also, if you have any extraordinary experiences with any of the breeds. Thank You!

Red cap (or other coloration) Oranda
Pearlscale
Panda Butterfly/telescope/moor


Also, if i have three goldies and end up having an algae problem, would the addition of a bristle-nose pleco be entirely too much for the tank to handle? I am very thorough about cleanings and i now have a quite capable filter. I am also in the process of procuring a large tank (55-75 gal) so i will be able to move them into a larger home as they grow larger.

In my opinion, you would be fine with 3 goldies and one BN pleco if you kept up on waterchanges and had good enough filtration. Any of the fish you listed would be suitable with the ones you have, just make sure the poor sighted ones (moors, telescopes) can get their share of food since you have an oranda.

I think you should stay with what you have till you can get a bigger tank.

What are the sizes of your present fish? Also, would you be buying a fish of the same size as the current ones?

I would wait for a bigger tank before adding another goldfish. But for now, your 2 goldies will have plenty of room to enjoy. With 9 extra gallons (10g per fish rule) you could definitely add a pleco or snail to take care of algae problems though.

The size of your fish right now have alot ofimportance in your decision making here.I had three Oranda babies in a 29 gal,but as they grew,and they grew fast,it just wawsn't enough space and they had to be moved into a 40 gallon Breeder tank as my one Oranda got to be 10 + inches.
If your fish are small,you can get away with three,depending on maintainance and strength of filter,etc.,but I wouldn't consider it if you won't be able to upgrade any time soon.

mine are pretty small. their total length is probably somewhere between 2.5 and 3". tail and all. and i am going to be getting a big tank soon. at least 55 gal.

I would say with small fish like that, you could add another fancy goldfish, particularly since you are planning to upgrade.

How long have you had your current fish, and where are you in the cycling?

i've had them 19 days, and i don't exactly know where i am in the cycle. i do water changes daily-every other day, so my levels are always low. i am still reading .25 ppm ammonia and nitrite, about 15ppm nitrate... i'm hoping i am near the end

I think that with such frequent water changes, it may actualy take longer for the cycle to start. I "think" that you should try less frequent changes but I am not sure. When I started my tanks I did 1 every other day and gradualy made them less and less frequent.

However, you should wait for other opinions on this.