Am I killing my goldfish?

Question

I just got a goldfish and the fishbowl is constantly cloudy ... I have to completely replace the water every 2 days. The fish doesn't move much ... I'm afraid it's dying. Any idea what I'm doing wrong? See photo at http://www.flickr.com/photos/wilsonmike/383265651/

Answer 1

GOLDFISH CANNOT LIVE IN BOWLS!!!!!!
Baby-juvenile fancy goldfish NEED 10 gallons PER fish. (orandas, ryukins, fantails, moors, ect)
Baby-juvenile long bodied goldfish NEED 20 gallons PER fish.(comets, shubunkins, feeder goldfish ect)
ADULTS NEED ATLEAST 50 gallons PER fish. They produce copious amounts of ammonia and need ALOT of filtration. Goldfish have primitive gills wich need alot of dissolved oxygen in the water. They need long rectangular tanks because of the surface to gas exchange ratio is higher. All goldfish get 12-15 inches and NONE grow to the size of their environment. The pheramones that the fish excrete and the deteriorating water quality make the outside of the fish stop growing but the insides continue to grow causing inevitable death. GOldfish have a lifespan of 30 + yrs, having them only live to 1-5 is cruel because they are still considered babies. Keeping a goldfish in a bowl is equal to keeping a child in a closet or a large breed dog under the sink cubbard forced to live in urine and feces.

Print out the links i posted and present them to the store that let you buy a goldfish and a bowl.

Answer 2

1. Don't panic. You've made the simple mistake of leaping head first into the hobby.
2. In a bowl without filtration, you're definitely going to have to replace the water at least once a week. Some keepers do very small water changes each day. But, you're right, the water shouldn't be that cloudy within the span of 2 days.
3. When you change the water, remove the gravel and clean it by running boiling water over it while it's lying in a sieve.
4. Feed your goldie only as much as he will consume in 2-3 minutes. It isn't usually that much. Do this twice a day from now on.
5. Consider getting a filter and a small tank instead of a bowl, the conditions are much easier to monitor and the water will not become so cloudy. It's a common misconception that goldfish breathe most of their air at the surface, but it's absolutely not true. As with most fish, goldfish are healthiest when there is oxygen dissolved in the water.
More questions? Email me privately and I'll tell you everything you need to know.

Answer 3

Someone said above that goldfish don't need a filter. Happily others pointed out they do. THey are MESSY fish and need a good filter. The well meaning person above said their bettas don't need a filter, which is true, because bettas are special because can take oxygen from the air and "store" it in their bodies, goldfish can't (they may seem to be doing this, but really they are sucking in the more oxygen rich water from near the surface - as another person mentioned above, they really need oxygen in the water...try using an airstone at least).

Also you need to get the nitrogen cycle going (you will need a filter for this to work). http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/biologicalcycle/a/nitrogencycle.htm

After you set up a new tank with a filter (or clean the one you have now and add a filter), get some beneficial bacteria from your LFS (local fish shop). They, should, know what you are talking about. Nutrafin's "Cycle" is a good one and has easy instructions on what to do. "Microbelift" products are the best IMO, though not as available as Cycle.

Lastly, when you get your new setup going with the beneficial bacteria added in the tank. You should NOT remove all the water from the tank. This just removes the beneficial bacteria and makes you start the process over again. Also after the initial clean to get the water now back to a clean state. Do not completely clean your gravel. When you introduce beneficial bacteria to the tank, they will live on the gravel as well as in your filter. Use a gravel cleaner device to "vacuum" the gravel free of loose dirt and waste.

It usually takes around 1 month for the nitrogen cycle to go though (less adding beneficial bacteria).

Edit: Get a bigger tank please. Big as you can afford. :)

Answer 4

ok... it's not the end of the world as others seem to be implying. Fill the bowl to near the rim with each water change and that will help. Feed far less, only what the fish can eat in 2-3 minutes at the most twice a day. Remove any uneaten food after that time. Understand that a bowl will not support the bacteria that kep the water free of toxins, so the every other day water changes will still be a very good idea. Do this and he will be fine and the water far less cloudy.

Start saving up and plan to get a 10-20 gallon tank soon with a filter for him. He will out grow the bowl pretty soon. Your other option would be to get a fish better suited to a bowl, such as a betta and still follow the above rules, but that fish wouldn't outgrow the bowl.

Best of luck with him! - MM

Answer 5

Yes you are killing the fish. Goldfish need 10 gallons per 3 inches of fish. They need strong filtration. Goldfish produce a large amount of ammonia. This is why your water is getting dirty so fast. The ammonia poisons the fish and eventually kills it. In a cycled tank the beneficial bacteria uses up the ammonia and makes the water less toxic. You need to look up how to cycle a tank, get a bigger tank, and get a test kit for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates. In the meantime, change the water 100% at least once daily, and add dechlor.

Answer 6

It looks like you have the type of rocks that give off alot of dust. This will make the water cloudy. Try changing the rocks to a different kind. Just explain your situation to someone at your local pet store. This happened to us as well and we just changed the type of rocks and the water cleared right up. Having to change the water as often as you are may be affecting your fish.

Answer 7

You don't need a filter system for gold fish, I have betas and they do fine without filters. Overfeeding is one reason for the cloudy water. You can't change the water every two days, you will kill it. Test your water's PH levels. You might need to treat the water. I have well water and my fish do well. If you have city water there are all kinds of chemicals in that. I use a product called Quick Start when I change my water. Make sure the water is luke warm. Try changing the brand of food. I had a problem with my beta tank being cloudy and changed the brand of food and it solved my problem, of course I might not be feeding them as much. You should not have to change the water more than once a week or 10 days.

Good luck

Answer 8

Looks like you're feeding them too much. But if that's not the case there could be a number of issues. Are there too many fish in there? And when you change the water, even if it's cloudy, you should only change 15-20% of it. You could always take your fish bowl (though they should be living in a filtered tank) to a pet store for advice.

Answer 9

i'm constructive that goldfishes do not devour their variety considering they are opportunistic feeders, although i'd be incorrect. I propose not putting the different fishes with that goldfish that killed your different goldfish.

Answer 10

Yeah, that's pretty bad. He's having a urinating problem. That's what that brown flimsy stuff is. He's a little sick and you should buy a different bowl and rocks to put at the bottom, and maybe a sucker fish!