Feeder Fish as a pet?

Question

My kids wanted to get a pet so I figured a fish would be a nice solution. I ended up starting small... 1 gallon fish tank that has a bubbler thing and a platform on the bottom that is supposed to help keep the tank clean by letting the debris go through, some rocks, a little home and a small plastic plant. The fish they chose was a gold colored feeder fish (I am assuming that is what they are called since it was a total of .16 cents.) My kids, 6 and 4 love this fish. Today it has been acting a bit off. We have had 'her' for about 2 weeks now and I noticed it wasn't wanting to swim, doesn't eat when I put a few flakes in. I siphoned the bottom of tank, and changed some of the water, also cleaned the home and plant. I let the fish sit in another bowl with some of the old and new water for about an hour while the tank ran again so I was sure it was ok for it to go back in. Anyhow now the fish is active, but still not eating, also seems to float a bit with its head down. Any help please?

Thanks for the answers so quick. No i didn't research for a feeder fish. I wish I had and maybe she would be happy. I feel bad that the fish may be suffering and is not what I would intend to let happen in anyway. Which is why I decided to post a question for help on options that I might be able to do without setting up a wall aquarium for my kids.
After the cleaning she is back to the spunky fish self she was at before but didn't eat when I dropped a few flakes in. Wasn't sure if I may have hurt her with the water change or something else might be wrong.
Betta Lover: By reading some similar posts I have found a few links to some nice sites to do some more reading on how to properly take care of a fish. My kids love to take care of her so I hope with a little time and help I might be able to keep her alive.

thanks again for the help and posts from all :)

The water temp might be an issue, thanks for that tip. We live in the North East and out house stays anywhere from 65-70 degrees so I am thinking the tank would be similar. So the temp might be an issue. Thank you will keep an eye on that.

Answer 1

your goldfish in question is more than likely a comet type goldfish, therefore will grow to 12"-14" given the right conditions and TLC, put a ruler next to your 1 gallon bowl and you'll get the size problem here.

he's floating head down because he's probably been overfed and is suffering from constipation and swimbladder problems, swimbladder problems that could also have been brought on by bad water conditions. goldfish are massive pooping fish, each bit of that poop gives off ammonia, and the smaller the tank the more concentrated that is. same goes for old food left rotting in the bottom of the tank, this will boost ammonia levels too. daily water changes would solve this, except a goldfish will suffer from the constantly changing environment, so it's a lose-lose situation.

comet (long bodied) goldfish are best suited to several hundred gallon filtered outdoor pond life than small tanks.

either buy yourself a 20 US gallon filtered tank and get it cycling (going through the nitrogen cycle fishlessly) asap, or return your fish and research fish care a bit more thoroughly! 20 US gallons is the minimum size for a single goldfish, 10 US gallons per goldfish thereafter.

theres a lot more to fishkeeping than you might think!

Answer 2

Honestly that fish is going to die.
It is unhealthy for a goldfish to be in a tank that small. Goldfish are the most waste producing of any of the pet fish and require double the filtration that any other fish would. She's likely dying from amonia poisioning. In a 1 gallon home you should be doing 100% water change because it is too stressful and difficult to cycle a tank that small, so not only is it unhealthy for her but she's also just sitting around in your own waste. With a goldfish you honestly should be changing the water every day to keep her healthy.
Not to mention the fish's growth will be stunted from being in such a small container and eventually will expire when her organs become to large for her body.
Sorry to be so pessimistic but you really didn't research or consider the needs of this poor fish first.
The only healthy thing to do would be to get a 20+ gallon set up, but since you only spent 16 cents on this fish I doubt you're going to make this expense :(

Sorry to hear about your fish.

Answer 3

I agree with others in saying that most "feeder" goldfish end up being comets. I have several goldfish - comets, sarassa and shubunkin (basically all the same fish, just different color patterns). Feeder fish can also be common goldfish, which just basically just have shorter fins and a rounder body than a comet goldfish. Both can get up to 10-12 inches long. Mine are all about 10 inches right now - being a couple years old. In order to keep them healthy and happy - and your tank/pond sparkling clean - you need about 20 gallons per fish with good filtration (I use a Whisper external tank-mounted filter). I feed my fish shrimp pellets once a day and then whole sun-dried baby shrimp about once a week to help with digestion and prevent constipation that goldfish can get.

You really need a larger tank and need to either filter it better or regularly clean the water (weekly if you have such a small tank). Goldfish are also happier with friends, as they are a community fish.

Also, I wouldn't worry too much about water temperature with these fish - they are really hardy. They are cold water fish, requiring water temps. between 48-68 F (which is what mine stays at normally in room temp.) My fish live in an indoor "pond" and do just fine. Most common and comet goldfish are kept outdoors in ponds - where temps. can fluctuate during the day and year - and thrive. They just need room to swim, clean filtered water and the right food.

Answer 4

Does the temperature of the water change even a few degrees each night? If so, that could be your problem. Fish are very susceptible to changes in water Temp. It can affect their eating habits and swimming habits. I had a series of gold fish (the $4-$6 kind) in collage and they would live for about two weeks. One day I bought 2 "feeder" fish and they lived for about 6 months after I bought them. They are good short term pets plus if they are a basic gold color you could always replace the $.16 fish if it happens to die while your kids aren't looking. Best of luck. What's your fishes name by the way?

Answer 5

Sounds like you've already got the answers you needed, but wanted to add - I did this myself when I was younger - bought a $1 worth of feeder goldfish (6) and set them up in a tank. One ended up 9" long. If you take care of them they'll live quite a while.

Answer 6

Feeder fish tend not to last too long, and typically have sicknesses from being in the tank with so many other fish. I recommend getting another fish, such as a betta, if this one passes. Or, if you want to hide it from the kids, you could always go out and buy another feeder. Give her a while and don't pester her too much.. not much you can do otherwise.

Answer 7

feeder fish are usually sick when you get them...and goldfish dont do well in those tiny places... get a betta, it'll do ok in a small place and is more beutiful.