Why am I unsuccessful at keeping Goldfish alive?

Question

I have had so many goldfish and within two months...they go belly up...what am I doing wrong?

Answer 1

You may have over fed them. What is more likely is that they died on their own. Goldfish only live fore a few months at a time. They may have lived rich full golden lives. IT is just that they aren't built to live. Don't take it hard, just get a longer living pet, and before buying, ask how to take care of it.

Answer 2

i've kept goldfish for several years. heres some tips. dont my the common feeder goldfish that go for $0.25 these fish get monsterly huge. do not buy into the "the fish will only grow to the size of its tank, i've had experience with this, its not true (i'm talking about them getting 10"+ in even a 20 gallon tank, which would be like a human crammed in a bathroom)

try and get a fancy goldfish, or a much smaller breed, they cost $1 and up

that being said, please get at least a 20 gallon tank, not just for the fish to have swimming room, but the bigger the fish, and the less the room, the quicker the water will get putrid.

purchase a filter and an airator, water may also need to be cycled (meaning the water does not have the appropiate benneficial bacteria needed to support fish life)

also if you have city water (or anything besides well water) you must buy dechlorinator otherwise the fish will die (chlorine is actually harmful, especially when your a fish)

for more info on cycling a tank, as well as other questions, visit aquariumadvice.com, go to the forums, and they'll readily answer any questions

if you'd like, i'd really encourage smaller tropical fish, (neons and other tetras) a heater will be required though. remember, goldfish cannot live in bowls it will die quickly, they need an oxygenated, filtered enviroment. hope this helps

Answer 3

Well, I could never keep goldfish, but i got some guppies, and they are so healthy! Try getting some of those. They dont need heaters, and have a high immune system, so they adjust to new water well. It might be something in the water, or it might be the place you got them. Goldfish dont seem to adjust well to new water or places, it could be that youre not doing anything wrong, and (usually in my case) the fish die, just because they cant handle the stress. My opinion would be getting guppies. If you want anymore help just let me know!

Answer 4

Goldfish are not the easy fish to keep that people are misled to believe they are. Goldfish are very difficult fish to keep. All fish have certain requirements that make their environment safe and healthy. Goldfish are the same, but with extra considerations because of ammonia levels from extreme feces output. You need to know about properly cycling of the water before ever adding fish, learning how to choose the proper size tank for the amount of goldfish you have, knowing what the ratio rule for goldfish to water is, knowing how to choose the right size filter and what filters are the best, knowing how to do proper water changes and tank maintenance, proper feeding, etc. There is a lot to know and I would suggest that you thoroughly read up on keeping goldfish before getting any more. Here are a few quick tips:
No bowls. Goldfish need a minimum of 10 gallons of water per fish up to 4 inches, 20 gallons per fish up to 8 inches and a lot more after that.
For goldfish, you do not choose a filter based on the size of aquarium the box says it's good for. You choose a filter, at least partially, based on the gallons of water per hour (gph) it pumps. For example, if you have a 10 gallon tank, the filter should pump 100 gph. For a 20 gallon tank, 200 gph, etc. Then you need to know about mechanical filtration, chemical filtration and biological filtration and choose a filter(s) that does the best job of these three needs for the size of tank you have.
When cycling your tank, please consider a fishless cycle vs. a cycle with fish. The cycle with fish is less expensive, but takes longer. The fishless cycle is more expensive, but is faster and does not kill fish.
It is better to underfeed a goldfish rather than overfeed. Goldfish only need to be fed once daily and only a small pinch. They can survive several days without food. If you bloat them, they can get swim bladder disease and could die. They also need to be fed veggies and fruits such as dark green lettuces (no iceberg), spinach, boiled chopped eggs, fresh or frozen shelled peas, broccoli flowers, oranges, grapes, kiwis, chopped earthworms, brine shrimp, krill, bloodworms, etc. Their flake or pellet food should be soaked prior to feeding to prevent bloating.
Learn how to identify and treat diseases before getting any goldfish.
Choose fancy goldfish over the slim-bodied goldfish. While the fancies can still grow quite large, they won't get as large as the slim-bodied goldies.
Goldfish are very social and they are much happier when there are two or more, thus, a minimum of a 20 gallon tank is usually the best starter size tank.
Read as many different articles on this site and learn as much as you can before getting more fish. It will tell you all you need to know.

Answer 5

Do you have a strong filter? Test the water for ammonia and nitrites? Use any chemicals in the water? Have 10 gallons per 3 inches of goldfish?

Answer 6

First off bowls are never a good idea, most the time they only last a couple months in bowls. They're dirty fish they need some kinda of filter. I recommend at least a 10 gallon tank, a filter and put some food in the tank and give it a few days to get all filtered before you put the fish in. I saw that one person said they're only supposed to last a few months, very untrue. I've had mine for at least 5 years.

Answer 7

either get normal goldfish((not the kind that is fed to other animals) and make sure they have a filtered tank...goldfish((unlike beta)) dont go to the surface to breathe...so they need clean filtered water..if you get a good fish from a good store..they should live to be from 3-20 years..maybe ask the store person which ones last longest...Good luck!

Answer 8

Take it from an expert on goldfish, DON'T FEED THE AMOUNT OF FOOD THAT THE LABEL SAYS!!! And this will not hurt them (I'm a vet, I know this kinda stuff) just put a pinch in their bowl once a day. Also make sure that your not using salt water, because that also kills them.

Answer 9

maybe u just fed too much or too less amount of food or maybe even the wrong kind of food. And don't buy those really cheap goldfishes, they die very very soon. Besides, don't forget to read the label.

Answer 10

maybe you should get a book! it could be any number of things, from water clenliness, floating the bag before you add the fish to make it the same temperature, overfeeding, disease, .....or maybe you've just been unlucky!!! xx

ps someone said that goldfish only live for months at a time, thats not true. thay can live up to around 20 years

Answer 11

hello i work at jack (petstore) and glod fish are not the hardiest fish(easiest to keep alive) but the gold/orange color ones are more healthy than the silver color ones... gold fish do not need a heater in there tank or a filter just make sure youchange about 20 % of there water about once every 2 weeks. let the water sit out 24 hours before adding it to the tank to make sure the chlorine is out. when you but a fish the pet store should have little book lets on talking care of a gold fish sak for one there are alot of helpfull hints inside of them.