I just got a goldfish and naturally I bought a goldfish bowl to put it in, however...?

Question

I have been reading up on answers and it seems as though everything everyone has said about goldsifh is that they don't live long in a bowl!! I had no idea! SInce when is the goldfish bowl wrong? So anyways now what am I supposed to do? I have never even owned a fish before so how much is this 10 gallon thing I am supposed to buy and what else do I need with it...like a filter? I have no idea what I am doing, but I don't want ths fish to die so please help me. Be very specific, please!

Would it be ok if I just changed the water in the fish bowl everyday?

Answer 1

Goldfish need a minimum of 10 gallons PER baby/juvenile fat fancy goldfish, and a minimum of 20 gallons PER baby/juvenile commet/common/shubunkin goldfish. Adults need a minimum of 50 gallons PER goldfish. Goldfish excrete ALOT of ammonia and need heavy filtration. Plus if treated correctly they have a lifespan of 40 yrs.

Changing the water in that torture chamber (bowl) is stressful for the fish, yet you have to until you get a tank because the ammonia the fish excretes is burning his gills.

10 gallon tank- 9-10 dollars
filter- 20-30 dollars (always go a step higher then the recommended filter size for the size tank because goldfish excrete so much ammonia. The filter will oxygenate the water too)
I wouldnt put gravel in it because goldfish pick through the gravel and they can get a piece stuck in their throat. I have no gravel in my 35 gallon native tank and it is easy for me to suck up the fish poop with the siphon.

Even with your goldfish in a 10 gallon tank, you will need to do weekly 30 percent water changes, never go past 50 percent in a tank tho because you dont want to kill the nitrifying bacteria.

Answer 2

The number one reason Goldies end up dead is overcrowding or too small of a tank. (I take that back -it's probably bowls. They only last a year or so in a bowl) Goldfish need at least 10 gallons per fish, you can take a stroll around the internet- everyone will tell you the same thing, some might even suggest more room. The reason for this is they produce a lot of waste and they grow very quickly. If you keep them in anything smaller then you will stunt their growth= dead fish. (Goldfish do not "grow to the size of the container" they are slowly killed by improper conditions)

I would suggest getting a twenty gallon then you can eventually get your baby a friend. You should buy a filter for a forty gallon- this will keep the water crystal clear. This may seem like overkill now but imagine your fish 7" -that's how big they will be. My baby is about 9" long- she's beautiful.

If you just want one fish then I would say the smallest I would go is a fifteen gallon. They need at least 10 but a 7" fish in a 10 gallon is really crowded.
Setting up the tank: Once you have the tank, filter and gravel then wash everything off with running water- no chemicals, no soap! Set up the tank however you like with decorations and then fill. Fill the filter and let it run. You normally should wait to add fish- since you al;ready have one then you can put him in.

What goes on in there: Your tank will have to go through the Nitrogen cycle also referred to as simply Cycling. This means that you have a sterile environment that is not suitable to maintain life. The fish need bacteria- you have very little. As your tank grows this bacteria the chemicals in your water are going to fluctuate a lot. The chemicals in the water are what kills fish. You should do 25% water changes every 3-5 days. If you can afford a testing kit then get one.

Proper water changes: You know the bacteria I mentioned- whenever you do a water change you have to preserve that bacteria. You should never remove more than 1/3 of the water. You can rinse plants, but use the same temp water- not hot. For gravel get a siphon or simply stir it up when you are changing the water. This will remove the large debris. If you drink your tap water then you don't have to add chemicals- your fish will be fine (when the water is pushed through the tap O2 nuetralizes the chlorine). They sell water conditioner, it also removes chlorine and adds aloe for their slime coat- it is an option. Do not use spring water- this stuff is missing the metals to help maintain a healthy tank. People who use spring water see a lot more fluctuation in water chemistry.

Feeding: You only need to feed your fish once a day. If you are feeding flakes then feed them below the surface. This will prevent them from gulping air at the surface. (this behavior leads to swimbladder problems)

After the tank has cycled you can reduce water changes to once a week or two.

Goldfish are cold water. You can not add tropical fish. This includes algae eaters. Your goldies will eat the algae- they need to eat the algae. If you don't have a lot of growth in your tank then you should supplement their diet once or twice a week with shelled peas.

Goldfish will dig up and eat live plants- it is very high maintenance. I would suggest starting with fake plants. Get a beautiful piece of drift wood to add design elements. Your fish will seem very small at first in their big home. Be pateient- give them time.They will grow and fill the tank nicely. If you are impatient, you can always buy a large goldie. Normally a dealer in the area will carry them- the asian restaurants always need big beautiful fish- I'm not joking that is really their marget segment in most areas. They normally cost 25-75 dollars for a large fish.

If you buy a ten gallon expect to pay $25 for tank and hood. A filter will run about $20. The filter is very important- get the largest one you can afford. Bio-wheels I have found to be the best. An air pump isn't necessary- the filter will move the water at the surface allowing O2 to dissolve in.

If you buy a fifteen or twenty gallon expect to pay $35-45 dollars. Shop around you can find good deals.

Why bowls are bad- You can not create a healthy ecosystem ina bowl. Goldfish are too large they will overwhelm the small amount of bacteria that it can support. If you are constantly changing the water then you are causing a lot of stress and will likely kill the fish. If you manage to keep him a live he will keep growing. He will probably end up larger than the bowl.

Hope all this helps. enjoy your new baby.

Answer 3

you have to have a proper tank. goldfish bowls, especially the round domes, can let the sunlight in and acts like a underwater greenhouse and has those effects, leading that it will warm up and since goldfish are only fresh water fishes, they will die. 1st time trying a goldfish?? well, first you have to change the water 1 a month and definately a filter. goldfish uses alot of oxygen and leaves loads of amonia behind. leave the filter running always. then get some gravel, otherwise the fish poop will always show, and the fish will constantly try to eat it. try marbles, thats a beta absorber and i have it. anyway, get plants aswell, they are way healthier than plastic plants and when the fish are hungry in between meals they can have a snack. oh, btw, feed the fish 2 times a day. but small portions. about 1 pinch each meal per fish. dont put lights over it and dont touch the fish with your hands. well, good luck with the fish and keep them alive.

Answer 4

A bowl will render your goldfish ineffective in approximately 3 years. Goldfish exchange into 12 inches, a bowl.....yeah suitable. Goldfish develop at a value of a a million/2 inch each 3 months After 2 plus years, mine are actually 6 inches long in my ten gallon and could desire to be transferred to my new 30 gal long tank, keep in mind, goldfish do no longer require intensity, they want length for darting around the tank. lower back to the bowl, can they dart around of course ? on no account. and that they want air from a stone and you need to shop the tempurature below seventy six levels or they'll go through with the aid of huffing on the waters floor. What no person tells you right here is the will for many stuff, a ph tester, an ammonia tester, a nitrite tester, a nitrate tester, a water conditioner, a thermometer, a place to hide whilst they could desire to kick back out of your sight, a mild source, gravel, a clear out pre-crammed with micro organism that transforms nitrates etc.

Answer 5

goldfish don't necessarily live longer in tanks. it's just that they're really dirty fish. they cause nitrate&nitrite buildup in the water alot quicker-and that uses up aLOT of oxygen in the bowl. it's actually a gradual suffocation.
if you are really wanting to keep goldfish, you were right in wanting a bigger tank. they won't dirty the water up as quickly, plus in a bigger tank, you can use a filter system so you don't have to change the water as frequently. and trust me, you dont want to have to change that bowl water everyday. plus, fish are really sensitive about the water temperature. all it takes is one day of the new water being to warm or cold, and your fish could develop ich (short for a really long disease) and die.
so get a 10gal to start with. they're not big, but big enough for a beginner. walmart has a great startup kit with everything you need except rocks.
1. everything you put in the aquarium needs to be rinsed first: gravel, any figurines, and the tank itself.
2. fill the tank up with water that's very slightly cool to the touch. add some "start up" or anything that says, "for use in new aquariums, or water changes-anything that gets rid of chlorine. if it's got a thing called stress-coat in it as well, get that one.) now put the filter on-it should have instructions on the box. read carefully! then let the water run with the filter for @48hrs.
3. now you're ready for fish! tropical ones are the best, i think. you can have 1in. of fish for every 1gal. of water. i'd suggest starting off with 5 or 6 fish, since they're gonna grow a little. but don't put the fish right in the water when you get them. leave them in their bags and place them on the top of the water for @20min. that way the water in the bag becomes the same temp. as the tank water.
4. let the little guys go and remember it might take them awhile to get used to a big tank. don't tap the glass or anything dumb like that. also, don't overfeed them. fish only need to be fed @4x per week. and only feed them what they can eat in 5min. this will keep the water from getting dirty and waste building up.
****extra things to remember*****
the water needs to be 72-76 degrees. get a thermometer that sticks to the tank so you can monitor it and buy a heater if you need to.
sometimes you have nitrate buildup, or hard/soft water, or a ph balance that's off. all these things can affect the health of your fish. buy some test strips at any pet store that test for 6-7 things at a time and check your water twice a month to make sure everything's ok.
if you want, get an air pump, some tubing, and a carbon thing to stick at end of tube to make bubbles in the water. not only is this pretty, but the extra aeration will make sure there's enough oxygen in the tank.
hope this helps! sorry it's so long but fish are so awesome to keep, if you do it right. good luck!

Answer 6

A filter is a good idea but you still need to change the water quite often - I only ever had one goldfish and it lived quite healthily until the cat knocked the bowl off the table. Goldfish are best off in a pond where some of them can outlive the owner.

Answer 7

if he lives 6 months in a bowl even with you changing the water every day I'd be surprised. petsmart sells a 10g gold fish kit with a filter for about 40. he will still out grow that tank though. golds need 2g of water per inch of fish and get between 10 and 15 inches a piece

Answer 8

i have2 turtles and they eat goldfish but small ones so i had to buy another aqwaruame for them the 10 gallon ones in PETCO are 11.00 dollares but here is th part you might not like along with the aquariume you need a filter an air pump, an air pump is nessasery if you want your goldfish to live long and you need a filter and plants but you dont have to have plants but its good they give out air for your fish to breath pluse you need a roof for the aquareume, a light and some food for your fish to eat.
holp this helped!!!!!!!!!!


oh plus if you change the water every day it will die change it every week and there are regulare sized aquarium at petco the aquariume has everything in it and it is 70.00 bukes

Answer 9

my son had a small goldfish in a bowl for a while but i had to clean it once a week. i moved it to a five gallon aquarium and put an algae eater in it and i only have to add water and change the filter once a month. totally up to u

Answer 10

You could keep it in the bowl and do water changes about twice a week. If you get a bigger house for him (or her) it will probably thank you and live longer, but it could live for a long time in just that bowl.