For 3 fancy goldies, I would recommend a 40 breeder(not a 40 tall) or larger. A 55 would be optimal. You'll see why. Just because the fish are tiny now means nothing. The "inch per gallon" rule is outdated and mostly useless, though it can provide a rough guideline...that is, if you consider the ADULT size of the fish and how wide and tall it is as well.
Everyone makes these mistakes. Just don't listen to fish store employees.
This pic oughta give you an idea of how big your fish can and will get:
http://cellar.org/2002/recordgoldfish.jpg
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current setup:
5.5 gallon low-light planted tank
-nothing....thinking a mini-community.
for reference: my name is Julie
