i jus got a goldfish today .when i put it in my fish bowl it stayed in one place and it moves only sometimes?

Answer 1

Your fish is just getting used to being in a new place.

Your goldfish may be small right now, but realize he's going to get a lot bigger, and a bowl doesn't make a good home for a goldfish (or any fish, really). If yours is a type that has a single tail, he may get 10 inches or more (up to 23 inches!). If its a type with a double tail, it will more likely get 8-14 inches. Goldfish need to be in a real tank with a filter to be healthy. As an adult, your fish will need to have 20-30 gallons at least.

Goldfish produce a lot of waste, and in a small bowl without a filter, you'll need to be changing his water twice a week to keep the levels of ammonia and nitrite down (both of these are toxic to fish). Be careful not to overfeed him either. Only give him what he'll eat in 2-3 minutes, twice a day, even if he looks like he's hungry. Goldfish put on a good act when they're begging for food, and too much isn't good for them.

Answer 2

Hi, As you are probably now aware-Goldfish certainly don't belong in bowls & although some of the answers you have had may seem a little harsh it's only because we are dealing with living creatures here & people often get a little emotional-especially as many pet store employees, who you trust to tell you the truth are only too happy to let you walk out of the store with a totally inappropriate home for your new pet.

To be really happy & live to his full potential your fish will need at least a 20 gallon tank with a filter & lid. The first link tells you why Goldfish hate bowls & the second tells you all about Goldfish care.

Answer 3

Hi -

you didn't say how big your goldfish bowl was - is it one of the small one's you get at the carnival? If so, there's really not much room for a goldfish to move around in them.

Is it a 12 inch Goldfish bowl? A foot high?
That's a bit better, but Goldfish really need a tank with at least one gallon of water. Plus a filter to clean waste out of the water.

Goldfish produce lots of waste every day. In other words, they produce lots of poop - and their water goes bad quickly.

So, you'll need to change about half the water every few days - BUT - if you have City Water - you'll need to Dechlorinate it first. If you don't - Chlorinated Water can kill your Goldfish. If you have well water - you should put an airstone in it before you add it to your tank/bowl. The reason is that well water comes from deep underground - where there is no oxygen. So you need to add oxygen to the water before you put it in the Goldfish Tank/bowl. If you don't, there's a chance your fish may suffocate! We don't want that, do we!

And, just to let you know - when Goldfish get introduced to a new environment, they usually hide for a bit. Do you have any rocks or ornaments in your fish bowl? Or is it bare? If it's bare - he can't hide - so he just sits there frightened. That could be what's going on.

Last March I introduced 12 three inch Goldfish into my backyard pond. As soon I released them, they all dove for cover and hid. I didn't see them for about two weeks! Whenever I came around, they'd hide on me. But once they got used to seeing me - and they learned I was the Food-God, they all started following me when I walked around the pond, swimming alongside me. They even learned to recognize me! I know that because when my friend walked by - he looks a little like me - and I stayed away - they knew he was not me and they stayed away from him.

So, your goldfish is smart - give him time - give him a good home (better than a small fishbowl) and he'll love you.

Good Luck,

Ken

Answer 4

It WILL die in a fishbowl, goldfish do not belong in those. One, they need aeration, and the bowls dont offer enough exchange on top, plus have no filtration to clean all their waste so it will get disgusting and kill the fish fast. And, goldfish get BIG so you obviously did no research before you got this fish. I feel so bad for it. Return it to the store and get another fish before it dies. Poor thing.

Answer 5

Dont worry. There can be many things that made it act like that. I think this is because the goldfish is not used to her new home. It has to get comfortable. Or Maybe its just lonely. She should soon come to normal. ANd dont forget to feed it!!!!

Answer 6

Give him a little time to settle in and he should be fine. He needs to get used to his new surroundings. If he lives get him a friend or two next week.
You didn't use fresh...untreated water did you?
Giggle

Answer 7

he probly just needs a little while to get used to his new home. you can try both raising and decreasing his water temperature to see what makes him comfortable.

Answer 8

Water is too cold.