Dorm fish?

Question

Just moved into my dorm and I thought some fish would be great in my room. I got a one gallon bowl and three goldfish, but they all died within four days. Did this happen because I had to drive the fish to my dorm (just an hour and a half away) or because the bowl was overcrowded? Any tips and advice?

If I added an air pump to the bowl and only got one goldfish, would that work?

P.S. The guy at the pet store said I would be okay with no more than three in a one gallon bowl (mind you, we are talking about the small goldfish, not fantails). So maybe it was just the stress of the move or something else....

Answer 1

Well to tell you the truth probably both causes, a one gallon fish bowl is good for one goldfish or two, but not anymore then that! if you wanted more fish you should of went with a 5 gal. fish tank, and with a air pump! at least if the water would get a little to warm the bubbles would help stablize the tempture some what, they may have gotten way to hot too on the trip, or if you had the air on in your car they may have gotten to cold! and they could of also died because someone washed the fish bowl at one time before you got it, with soap and that's a big no, no! it kills fish! and seeing you had them in your room at the dorm, sprays of all kinds can kill your fish in them small area's, air fresher sprays etc.

Most likely it was you had to many in the fish bowl! I've always did my tanks by the volume of water the tank holds, it should be 1 fish per 3 gals of water, but you have to go by size of the fish too. I had 2 - 16 inches long Oscars in a 55 gallon tank and a few ground feeders and glass cleaners ( but they were of good size too or the Oscars would try to eat them) and they lived in that 55 gallon tank for over 10 years, and I taught them to get hand feed by coming up out of the tank about 4 inches! it was really cool for people to watch!

So yeah, you need to watch how many fish your putting into a certain size tank! If you want to get goldfish again, get a 5 gallon tank and 2 - 3 would be fine in that size! if the goldfish seem to be growing to much for the tank, give them away and start over with small ones again or you will have to keep getting bigger tanks eventually to keep them from dieing. by keeping them in too small of a tank will slow there growth , but it also shortens there life span too!

Answer 2

This happened because your bowl was overcrowded. No fish belong in a bowl, but especially goldfish. One goldfish alone needs a minimum of 10 gallons of water and this amount will increase with the size of the fish. If you must have a bowl, and it should be a minimum of 1 gallon, you can try a betta. You will need to change the water at least twice a week, because of filtration issues, but a betta is your only option.

Answer 3

Probably from ammonia poisoning. A gallon bowl isn't enough room for one fish. I would advise you to get a larger tank with a filter. All fish need a filter even a Betta. Each goldfish should have at least 10 gallons of water each due to the massive amount of waste they put out.

Answer 4

In my opinion these bowls should be forbidden, it's a shame that this employee told you such a thing, on that you can see how ignorant they really are
here is a basic care sheet on a goldfish as well as the myth about goldfish in a bowl
http://www.firsttankguide.net/goldfish.php
http://www0.epinions.com/content_3185614980

If you really want to keep a fish, get yourself at least a 2.5 gallon tank with filter and heater and a live plant and you can keep a betta in there with a few shrimps
Just do partial waterchanges of 25% weekly with a gravel siphon and feed him 6 days a week, twice a day with 3 pellets at each feeding, fast him for the 7th day, that way you prevent constipation
and you could feed him once or twice a week with frozen bloodworms as a treat


Hope that helps
Good luck


EB

Answer 5

Oh, im sorry your fish had passed away so quickly. Take a sample of water to the pet store that you filled the tank with so they can see if anything was wrong with the water. Or else i think a 1 gallon tank for 3 fish is just a tiny bit crowded. Also if you got the goldfish from different tanks in the pet store, maybe they cant be with each other. [maybe 2 goldfish from the same tank in the pet store for a 1 gallon tank would be good.]

Hope i helped!
Gina <333

Answer 6

I would definitely consider buying a Betta fish instead of goldfish. They are much prettier and are easier to keep alive. My Betta lives in a large square vase, some colorful rocks, and a bamboo plant. The bamboo keeps the water super clean and clear and also adds to the decoration, and your little fishy can hide in its roots. You can purchase bamboo at petco or petsmart for a few dollars. I've had mine for about a year now and he is doing great! Plus I only have to change his water once a week :) Good luck!!

Answer 7

Before getting fish for your dorm, do a little more research. Borrow an up-to-date book on keeping aquariums or go to www.aquariumfish.net

Also, only use tap water that is the right temperature for your fish and add the amount of water conditioner that the container recommends. Water conditioner is so important because it removes chlorine.

Answer 8

Gold fish need 10 gallons each as juveniles and 20+ each as adults. A 1 gallon is so small, even a single male betta would be crowded.
This tank, with a small heater would be good for a betta...
http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441776985&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302030056&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302023693&bmUID=1187570275615&itemNo=42&Nao=24&In=Fish&N=2030056&Ne=2
The picture is pure fantasy...
For about $60 you could get a complete kit with a 14 gallon tank at Wal-Mart, this large would give you a few interesting options.
http://www.hagen.com/pdf/aquatic/bag.pdf
http://www2.tetra.de/tet_internet_import/import_data/The%20fascination%20of%20aquariums_GB_2006_T062048.pdf
Here's two good free books.