Need help with a goldfish?

Question

How do I stop the water in goldfish bowl going cloudy

Answer 1

You can probably keep the one Goldfish in the small bowl for a short time. I do have to say that I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS!

If you do have to keep your Goldfish in a small bowl for a while the main thing to be concerned about is the ammonia buildup and the oxygen running out. Watch real close for signs that the Goldfish is hanging out up around the top of the water and gulping air. When it does that there is either too much ammonia or not enough oxygen. At that point you need to change the water. NOTE: See "WATER CHANGING" below. It is good idea to put an airstone in your bowl. That will help a great deal in putting oxygen in the bowl.

Fish will only grow as big as their surroundings. The bigger the surroundings the bigger the fish grows. My Goldfish are in an 80 gallon tank and couple of them... the common type... are now about 7 1/2" long and the remainder of them are all about 4-5". Therefore, I STRONGLY recommend that you get at least a small aquarium to house your Goldfish in.


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WATER CHANGING

Watch your water closely. Make sure your water doesn't get too dirty and cloudy looking. Goldfish die so quick because of poor quality water than they do from any other thing. A really good thing to acquire would be an ammonia test kit. The test kit I would strongly recommend you getting is Freshwater Ammonia Test Kit by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals. It is in a yellow and white box. It is the easiest to use. You use drops instead of pills dissolving. Much better and more accurate as well. They are pretty cheap and you could check your water every couple of days or so to see if it is getting too high of an ammonia content. It would be a good idea... especially for the smaller bowl to keep a gallon jug of water sitting out all the time so you can change it frequently.

The water you put in has to be the same temperature as the water you took out. It can vary by two degrees but you should try not to vary more than that. A sudden water temperature change can be fatal to your fish. Get a fish thermometer. They are only about $1.59 or so. That way you can make sure your water temperature is the same. By leaving a jug of water sitting out you avoid having to put in stuff to take the chlorine out (you can save some money there) and also if it has sat out overnight it is assured of being the same temperature as the bowl.


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WATER TEMPERATURE

Goldfish do much better in cooler temperatures. They are really a cold water type of fish. While it does not hurt them to be in warmer temperatures they tend to be healthier and happier in the cooler temperatures. It is best to have your fish in a bowl or tank at room temperature unless you are going to be housing other types of tropical fish with them. NOTE see "OTHER FISH YOU CAN HAVE WITH YOUR GOLDFISH" below.


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LIFE SPAN

My friend's mother has a Goldfish that she has kept in a little tiny fish bowl for over 16 years now. It is healthy and happy as can be. She lives in California and when she does water changes she uses bottled water. The fish has never had a sick day in it's life.

I read in a book once that the oldest living Goldfish was 45 years old. I don't know whether to believe that or not, but that's what it said.

I would say the contributing factor to a Goldfishes long life would be not introducing other fish into the tank for sure. That is a sure way to take a chance of bringing disease in. Not over feeding and making sure you keep the tank clean at all times. And by all means to make sure that you put the water in the tank at the exact same temperature as the water in the tank.


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FEEDING

Just about any type of tropical fish food will work for Goldfish. I feed mainly Goldfish food in my tank of Goldfish, however I add the Spirulina Flakes and Algae wafers for the Pleco and the DoJo's though they don't really need it. The more varied the food you feed your fish the better. No one food will supply the total nutrition needed to keep the fish healthy. I have a 50 gallon tank full of GoldFish. They are still my most favorite of all my fish. The healthiest as well. Here's how I feed. Now, many people may not go to the extent that I do as far as feeding my fish and of course it will be your choice what you decide to do, but this is how, what and why I feed the way I do.

1. I feed a flake food first. Goldfish have a tendency toward getting something called Air Bladder Disease (See below). This is where pelleted type food swells in their tummies/bladder and the fish can't balance properly. They will float to the top of your tank upside down and will have a real hard time swimming naturally. Goldfish are real hogs and if you feed pelleted food first they wolf it down before it has a chance to soak up water and swell. Thus it swells inside of them. This is why I feed flake food first. They pig out on that and when I feed the pelleted food they are already pretty full and don't eat as much.

2. You will notice that when you feed at first the fish rush around like sharks in a feeding frenzy grabbing all the food in sight. So, I suggest you feed them a good sized pinch full... say about at least a tablespoon or more (This would depend on the size of your fish. You don't say how big they are.). If they are still rushing around after you feed that amount give them a little more. Give them enough so that they have the appearance of not eating so frantically. At this time then give them a large pinch of pelleted food. You can pre-soak your pelleted food for 10 minutes prior to feeding it if you would like. This is not something that I personally do, but others do do this. It is a way to help stop the Air Bladder Disease.

3. Here is a suggestion that I received from one of the people who visited my web page. Again... this is not something that I have personally done, but it is something that I would like to do sometime in the future.

"Hello. Really like your page. I think that it's pretty neat. Just wanted to make a suggestion about the feeding of goldfish. Did you know that you can also feed them chopped, no-salt added spinach from a can? I used to work in the aquatics section of a pet store when I lived in Texas, and that is what we fed the ornamental goldfish. They don't get dropsy or anything from swallowing too much air when eating, and they love the stuff. Bye."

4. Another thing Goldfish like is Romaine Lettuce. Make sure though that you only buy organically grown lettuce. That will have no preservatives or chemicals on or in it that could be harmful to your fish. Buy one of the clips and hang it on the side of the tank. Watch it closely so that you remove any floating particles right away. Also remove it when it gets to wilting too badly. That way it won't foul your tank. But the little buggers just love it. :)

5. The most IMPORTANT thing is that you do not feed your fish so much food that it sinks to the bottom and just lays there uneaten. You want your fish to have all the food eaten within about 5 minutes time. So, start out feeding a certain amount and if it is eaten real quick then give them a little more. You will have to watch and be the judge of the exact amount of food to feed.

6. It is better to feed a little bit of food several times a day than to feed a whole bunch of food all at once. With my work schedule I am only able to feed at night. On weekends I feed several times during the day. This way the fish are much happier. I know we humans don't like only being able to eat once a day.

7. Lastly, depending on your budget, I would suggest feeding several different types of Goldfish food. Fish, not just Goldfish, but all fish, do much better on a varied diet. No one food on the market is able to supply all of the nutritional needs of your fish. I feed the following foods.

* Wardley Gold Fish Flakes
* Wardley Goldfish Ten - Small floating pellets
* Tetra Pelleted Food - Sinking pellets
* Tetra Dorofin for exotic Goldfish - Sinking mouth size morsels
* O.S.I. Ocean Stars - Floating/sinking star shaped Pellets
* Tetra Gold Medal Growth Food - Sinking mouth size morsels
* Tetra Gold Medal Maintenance Food - Sinking mouth size morsels
* Tetra Gold Medal Color Enhancing Food - Sinking mouth size morsels

All of the above foods are Goldfish foods. I buy a bottle of each of the Tetra Gold Medal foods, pour them into a bowl, mix them up thoroughly and then refill the bottles with the mixture. That way, they get a little bit of all three of those at a time. These three foods are excellent for the fish. I alternate between the pelleted/morsel type foods every day. On weekends they get a little of all of it. This way they get a real balanced diet. Some of my Goldfish are 7 1/2" long and 4-5" around. They are just huge. Don't worry about the Tetra Dorofin being just for exotic Goldfish because all the goldfish love it and it won't hurt them one little bit. It is also a color enhancing food.

Answer 2

I have my goldfish in a bowl right now until I get the tank I bought for it completely cycled. I called the pet store and asked them the same question you are asking me because I was going nuts! They told me to put the flat marble things in the bottom of the bowl and then the poo and other debris will fall under them so the fish can't stir it all up and get the water cloudy. To my surprise it really worked, the water was clear! But even when it is clear you still should be doing partial water changes to a small bowl every other day. Don't get gravel either, I have heard that some goldfish can choke on it. I got my marbles at walmart in the pet section for $1.

Answer 3

Get a bigger tank and buy a filter for it. Goldfish need alot of room to grow an swim. Why do people keep putting goldfish in a bowl? You are over feeding too, that will make the water cloudy very fast.

Answer 4

Number one, I do hope that the fish bowl that you are using is at least a gallon if not a little larger. Smaller bowls are not really used for such fish as gold fish for these fish are considered somewhat a dirty type fish since it does produce alot of waste.

I would suggest cleaning the bowl with partial water changes every couple of days or a complete water change. Just pull the fish with a good bit of the water that was in the bowl to begin with and clean it squeaky clean. After that I would also suggest using bottle drinking water or spring water that you buy from a store and not from one of those fountain refill units that you see. This type of water has no pollutants of any kind that could harm your fish.

You can even purchase a small filter unit to place into your fish bowl to help with the waste production. But, do keep in mind that even with this you need to make sure to do a 20% water change every couple of days to help keep the water clean and free of high levels of amonia.

Also watch the amount of food that you are feeding your fish. If they don't eat it all then it will sink to the bottom of the bowl which will cause the water to break down. I hope that this helps and please feel free to contact me any time.

Answer 5

First of all, goldfish should not be kept in a bowl! They need at least 10 gallons per goldfish, they are very messy! If they are kept in a bowl they need water changes 4 times a week. All fish need filtration to be healthy. When you scrub the gravel and decor, you are killing the bacteria! Always use a water treater to remove chlorine, as letting it sit does not remove chloramine, a toxic chemical bond of chlorine and ammonia. And contrary to popular belief, goldfish will not only grow as big as the tank. Their outsides will not grow, but their insides will and they will eventually die a very painful death! Goldfish can live for 20 years or longer if given care! The record is 43 years! A bigger tank is not that expensive and your fish will be much happier! They can grow up to a foot long.
Plan on cleaning out your fishbowl every two weeks, if not weekly.
Catch your fish with a small net and place it in a smaller secondary bowl full of room-temperature water from the original bowl.
Empty the primary fishbowl into the sink. Catch any rocks or other objects in a strainer as you pour the water out.
Rinse the bowl thoroughly with hot water, scrubbing the sides with a paper towel, if needed.
Pour out the dirty water, and repeat with more hot water. This will help kill germs and bacteria.
Clean your bowl using a chemical cleaner designed specifically for gold-fish bowls. Never use soap or detergent when washing a fishbowl. Ask at the fish store about special chemical cleaners designed to safely clean your bowl .
Rinse the bowl out thoroughly with cold water.
Run cold water over the objects in the strainer (gravel, plastic plants) until they are clean. Return them to the bowl.
Refill the bowl and let the new water sit for 24 hours to allow the chlorine in the tap water to evaporate and to bring the water to room temperature. (if not using water treatment)
Return your fish to the primary bowl.
This should be done at least 4 times a week!

Answer 6

Goldfishes are really hard to take care of. Make sure you have a filter and clean it's tank maybe once or twice a week.

Since you put your goldfish in a bowl, it is recommended that you change it's water every 2-3 days. That way, you will have clean water and oxygen for your goldfish =).

Answer 7

NOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Use that bowl to put your keys in young man. A bowl is not a proper home for any fish.

The basics on goldfish:

They need at least 20g to start with and then 10g per additional fish. Why? They can get to over a foot in length and produce a lot of ammonia. A LOT of ammonia in their waste.

Because of this ammonia, they need a strong filter and an air pump for fresh oxygen. They also need 20-25% of the water vacuumed each week.

Whoever tells you that the goldfish can survive in that....thing....is dead wrong and just continue to spread this wicked torturous myth around. They don't give a damn about your goldie. Please don't listen to them.

Get yourself a good tank. Make sure to clean it weekly. Don't use soap. Soap is bad. Don't forget to use START RIGHT before adding any new water as this takes out harmful chlorine.

Answer 8

The problem with your situation, is that the bowl is too small for the goldfish. Goldfish should never be kept in bowls. You should purchase a tank that is at least 10-20 gallons. They're fairly cheap. Purchase a decent filter, or you can use a UV sterilizer to prevent cloudiness forever. However they're pretty expensive and I personally don't use one. Ensure that your tank is cycled.

Answer 9

Sounds like you do not have a filter in the water, they are not expensive and make like much more pleasant for the fish as it will filter the water and put oxygen which the fish need into the water. For a small sum of money you can have happy fish and a happy owner!

Answer 10

You said bowl not tank, get rid of the bowl & get a tank, anyone who likes fish would never put a fish in a bowl, then fit a filter to the tank, making sure the tank is not placed in sunlight.

Answer 11

get a decent filter for the bowl and make sure you are doing a 10% water change each week this will keep the water clear and healthy