if goldfish bowls are not suitable to keep fish in.. then why do shops sell them and say its ok?

Question

i just bought 2 goldfish and they keep coming to the top as though they are gasping for breath i have a live plant in with them and i also treat the water! i asked a question earlier and people answered saying bowls are no good and will kill the fish. but when i bought the bowl and fish noone mentioned this to me

Answer 1

Hi Linzi,

It's not just the US, we have exactly thing going on here in the UK I'm sorry to say!! It's only Rome that has gone any way near to recognising the plight of these poor creatures by banning bowls from sale in the city. Hopefully this will make prospective Goldfish owner think about their new pets. Goldy happily playing in his sterile, featureless & tiny bowl is an acceptable icon which is ingrained in our collective conciousness even though it is totally inappropriate for any fish & is in reality a living hell & a death sentence.

The majority of pet stores are happy to fuel this fantasy because not many people would buy a Goldfish if they knew the full package included at least a 20 gallon tank with a fitted lid, a good filter, quality substrate, airpump, test kits etc etc to be really happy-& they also thrive on the company of similar tank mates. You would be looking at an outlay of at least £70/$140 to keep your fish happy & healthy.

This is why most outlets think it much better to sell you a bowl for a couple of bucks-then when the dies you constantly replace them. The same goes for all the other 'fun' items-starter tanks, artificially coloured gravels, air operated novelties-all of them are no fun for the poor fish. This may sound like a conspiracy but check any Goldfish site or ask on any forum & you will get the same reply. By the way-your fish will be very pleased you asked about this, best of luck!!

Answer 2

To be quite honest, most of these employees in these pet stores don't have a clue! It's rare to find one that actually knows something useful. The best way to gain knowledge is the get yourself a freshwater aquarium book and a goldfish book.

What they should have told you is that you needed an actual tank with filtration and an air stone or some sort of air source. If you purchased the regular 26 cent goldfish then these are typically either Comets or Common Goldfish and can grow anywhere from 10"-14" in length if kept in the appropriate size aquarium. A bowl is NEVER fine for a goldfish. Both Petsmart and Walmart sell 10 gallon goldfish setups for around $40 which includes the tank, hood, filter, etc. If you're on a tight budget this is probably the way to go and it's much kinder than a bowl. If you can afford a little more then I'd recommend at least a 20 gallon setup.

Contrary to those people who say goldfish are "dirty" and recommend other fish I have found keeping goldfish to be very rewarding. They are entertaining and interactive fish. If properly kept there are no problems.

Answer 3

You may want to add a filter and/or an air pump to oxygenate the water, live plant works well to absorb the nitrate in the water and to generate oxygen, however unless you have many plants, it will not be enough.
Fish bowls are fine for goldfishes that are smaller than 2'' or so, once they outgrow the bowl, you might consider a larger tank, but unless you purchased 2 large goldfishes, you should be ok with the bowl for awhile.
Gold fishes are dirty so they are not recommended fishes as pets. As many ppl mentioned above, they poop alot and often. They are hardier than tropical fishes and much cheaper to replace so that may be the reason why they told you it was ok. They are also used for bait for larger fishes and reptiles
I had 3 goldfishes as a kid n kept them alive for around 8 years. I had them in a 1 gallon bowl for about 3 yrs, then moved them to a 3 gallon tank. I bought a small air pump that had a carbon filter at the tip and worked fine. I vacuumed the gravel and did about a 30% water change every other week.
Aslong as you have a filter and air pump and clean it twice a month using a siphon, they should live for a good time. If that is too much work, you may consider a beta, they are much cleaner fish and don't require as much work.

Answer 4

its all in the pet buisness.
They want you to buy the fish. The fish need to have a place to be put in so why not make a small cheap bowl to put them in? Then people like you and many others buy the fish bowl because its simply more affordable. Then once that fish dies, you go get another one, and another one until you are tired of giving them money. Peopel think goldfish don't live very long but its mainly their fault. Or the pet store persons fault if they don't tell you how to care for it. Whenever you are looking into buying a fish of any other animal you should always do some research before you decide to get it or not. I would suggest that you clean your fish bowl regularly and get de-chlorinizer. I hope your fish get happy and healthy because nobody wants a sad fish. Good luck =)

Answer 5

When I owned my pet store for over 30 years, the only reason we kept those bowls was because of the state fair. When we sold fish from our store it was done correctly setting up the aquarium. Cycling it, and giving correct information for the best possible results. Unfortunately, once a year the state fair had a game where people could win a goldfish ( and some school carnivals still do this). Parents would come streaming in wanting something cheap to keep this fish!! It was maddening. But, it was better than a jar at home.

Answer 6

they arent good for goldfish as goldfish will reach at least 12 inches so you need at least 55 gallons for them.

The reason why they sell goldfish bowls is because....well frankly because they can. Shows like elemo etc... show goldfish in bowls so from a young age, children learn that it is ok to house a goldfish in a bowl. But frankly this is untrue.

Now there is nothing special about goldfish bowls. And frankly it is just fine for a fish that is more suitable like a betta.

So your goldfish will become stunted and die in the long term picture, but most likely die faster due to water quality.

As you cant relly fit a filter into a bowl which is needed with all fishes, and even more so with goldfish.

So if you want goldfish, get a 55 gallon for two with a canister filter. Singled tailed goldfish need even larger as they will rech about 24 inches.

Answer 7

because they want the profit.

Your fish are gasping for air as there is too much carbon dioxide in the water and not enough oxygen. too solve this problem you can keep them in the bowl thats up to you.

You can try installing an air pump this will add adtional oxygen into the water helping the fish to breathe more easyier.
all you need is the smallest pump a bit of airline and an air stone.
Prices -
Pump - £10 each
Airline - £0.60p a meter
Air stone - £0.95p each

have a go this will improve the problem your having trust me!

(Note: go for a quiet air pump otherwise make alot of noise, also buy a non return valve, this is about £1.99 this stops the water returning to the pump if ever turned off and destroying the pump.)

Answer 8

Because they're cheap and so many people think of fish as replaceable decorum rather than pets.

When I worked in a pet shop, I typed up a flyer to hang in my fish room that explained why goldfish were not suited for life in a bowl and the store owner threw a fit and I had to remove it. I argued with him over it for a while. After explaining that if I appeared to be stupid and my customers' fish to die within a week of purchase, they wouldn't be back to buy supplies or more fish from me, he allowed me to put it back up.

You need to find stores with staff members who actually know about the animals/fish they're selling and spend the time educating you rather than simply encouraging you to throw cash their way. The next time you go to a fish store, ask questions that you already know the answers to. If the answers you get back are ridiculous or they can't answer, move along to another store. What they don't know can hurt you.

Answer 9

The pet store just want you money. Well, there goldfish bowl are somehow useful in one way maybe a hospital tank for a sick fish or if you are tying to breed your fish and put them there.

BETTAS: You shouldn't put a betta in a goldfish bowl unless the bowl is bigger than 2.5 gallon or so. If it is, then it is likely you can purchase a betta.

I usually use bowl to quarantine my plants so there won't be snails in my tank.

Answer 10

Its a way to sucker people into the hobby at a low expense. Once their little cutties start dying off, then they sell them the good stuff as a means to prevent future deaths. Its a lot easier to sell someone a 55gal tank with no sale price if their fish are dying, as opposed to some bub walking in off of the street.

Not many people start off doing things right. I went through 4 increasingly larger tanks before I settled on a 90 gallon being the right size for my fish. There was about $800 that I didn't need to spend because I didn't know the real needs of the fish species I purchased.