New fish owner and had some questions about gold fish.?

Your fish are going to die... You can't keep goldfish in a tank that small...

Congratulations on your new pet .Now how long do you want it to live for as a 5 gallon tank stocks a Betta fish .

A Fancy Goldfish should have 20-30 gallons with double filtration and a cycled tank .

A Common Goldfish can start in a 30 gallon tank but will need a 55 gallon then a 75 gallon tank or a pond and will need double filtration and a cycled tank .

You need to take the Goldfish back .

Welcome to the confusing and contradictory world of fishkeeping! You've literally dove in the deep end and been handed some very poor info by whoever sold you that set up.

Goldfish are huge messy fish that I actually do NOT recommend for beginners. If you have the receipt, take them back and have words with the manager for their staff giving out poor (if any) advice on your set up.

Once the tank is empty of fish, you can safely read up on the nitrogen cycle without having to watch anything die, painfully and slowly. The cycle is something EVERY tank goes through whether you mean it to or not. It's the process in which good nitrifying bacteria grow in your filter and substrate - once there's a big enough colony they will keep your water quality healthy (albeit with regular partial water changes).

It takes time for this colony to build up, the ONLY short cut is by cloning the filter from an already running and established tank. For the colony to build up properly it takes WEEKS from scratch. It's a bit of chemistry exam is fishkeeping!

At lot of people will have said your tank is overstocked, this is correct. A lot of people will have said your tank can only stock a Betta, a single one, this is correct. (There are a very small selection of other fish you COULD keep in there, but they are more fragile and best left for experts).

Fishkeeping is not something to do spontaneously, this is something you've just found out the hard way!

I might come off as a jerk but your fishes are bound to die. Why you may ask. It's because of couple of reasons. I'll list the two most important.

-You haven't cycled your tank before putting your fishes in. Have you?

-No matter a what size your goldfish stands now, a 5 gallon is too small even for a single goldfish considering they need 30+ gallon for a single fancy goldfish, and 55+ gallon for a single common goldfish.

See that haze in your tank? Right. Your tank ph level, have you tested it? Nope? Expected. That's what most new owners do. Same mistakes over and over again.

Yes, there are tabs to clarify water, but if you have a filter on you shouldn't need them. Make sure you don't overfeed your fish & get a couple more for company. check your filter and if you need to use tabs, use them with caution. What kind of water did you put in the tank to begin with? That maybe where the problem started. Be careful of city water as it usually has chlorine (bleach) in it to disinfect. Goldfish are easy to keep, but I know there are bottom feeder fish that clean out the effluent that might accumulate. You could add a little fresh water & see if it clears up to, or check your filter to make sure it is clean. As with any pet, t takes maintenance. God luck!

you have a seriously overstocked tank. if your goldfish are common goldfish then they need at least 200 gallons and if they are fancy goldfish then they need at least 50 gallons.

the cloudy water is caused by a bacteria bloom. normally happens in tanks that have not been cycled.

A 5 gallon tank is way too small for even one goldfish. They excrete tremendous amounts or ammonia. They need at least a 30 gallon aquarium. Please get him a larger tank or trade him in for a betta.