# Need help with dying goldfish



## Uselessname2185 (May 28, 2006)

Me and my girlfriend have a couple of goldfish. But for some reason my girlfriend has lost 2 goldfish in the past month, each of them only lasting about 2 weeks. The guy at the store said all goldfish need is a bowl. We got a 1 gallon tank that has an air pump. Do goldfish really need just a bowl or do they need filters and airpumps? Should water be conditioned?


----------



## violet (Mar 17, 2006)

The guy at the store was wrong. Even the smallest goldfish need a real tank with a good filter and water conditioer. Little goldfish should have several gallons of water each. 2 really little ones might be okay in a 10 gallon tank briefly but they grow fast. So buying a 10G only to need a 20G in a few months is a waste of money. Of all the fish commonly sold, goldies are probably the most misunderstood and poorly treated fish. The guy at the pet store needs a slap up the side of the head and if you're in the mood, discuss his awful advice with the manager (who may also not care).

sorry,
violet


----------



## SueM (Jan 23, 2004)

http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/care.html


----------



## garfieldnfish (Jan 18, 2005)

Goldfish rule is 15 gal for the first and 10 gal for each additional one. So you get a 29 gal, with weekly water changes you may get away with a 20 gal but 29 would be better.
In a 1 gal your fish died from either lack of oxygen or ammonia poisoning. That is how I started in this hobby. A 2.5 gal and 2 goldfish. They are still alive but in a 29 gal now with a rubberlip pleco to keep the algae in check. Great set up.


----------



## FishGuy1564 (Oct 18, 2005)

I don't believe in keeping goldfish in bowls. How can a fish that is so much bigger than many other fish be put in a smaller tank than many fish that are so much smaller than many other fish?


----------



## Gourami Swami (Jul 4, 2006)

goldfish are big slobs. They consume massive amouts of food and oxygen, and create massive amounts of waste. They could've suffocated, been poisoned, or been stressed by the lack of space. I feel so bad for all the goldfish kept in bowls because they are mistreated. There is a long article on goldfish care in the july 2006 issue of _aquarium fish magazine_ that is pretty useful. Also, I think you could get away with a 20 gal. I have a large goldie and two miniature koi in one and they are happy.


----------



## MarineFish (Mar 6, 2006)

miniature koi??? if ya don't mind could you tell me what that is exactly????


----------



## Niki2105 (Apr 12, 2005)

I would also like to know what a "Miniature Koi" was. I have never heard of such a thing and when I looked it up I havent come up with any information on them.


----------



## Cichlid Man (Jan 19, 2005)

Probably a stunted koi.


----------



## Guest (Nov 4, 2006)

dude, the pet store keeper dont know crap!!!!!!!you need a good-sized tank, a filter, a pump, rocks, decors,a hood/lid, declhorinator,fish food, algae drops or tablets, and if you want ur fish to recover from/prevent cuts, get stress coat.what petstore?i no walmart and petsmart or petco supply all these products!u shouldnt keep any fish in a bowl!


----------



## Guest (Nov 4, 2006)

lol, i think that this pet store man needs a butt beatin' .thats what i would do, then run 2 the manager, and demand a refund on those dead fish!if the manager dont care, then kick his butt too.!


----------



## glitterfish (Nov 9, 2006)

Yeah you can never trust a pet shop employee. They only care about selling fish, not about how theyre treated unfortunetely.


----------



## Zoe (Feb 26, 2006)

Not at all pet store employees are worthless, but a lot of them are. Any animals needs to be researched beforehand, no matter who tells you about it.


----------



## PlatyLady (Oct 27, 2006)

the only fish that could possibly be kept in a bowl is a single betta! Two goldfish should never be shoved into the common fishbowl! The rule of thumb my father always used when he had a goldfish tank was at least 10 gallons for every one goldfish, and I think that's even a bit small...


----------



## igauresh (Nov 28, 2006)

So the cliche about the goldfish in a bowl is so not true? I believed it for quite sometime and maybe it is the same reason why my fish does not last that long. And on that note, I might have saved them if people selling fishes are a bit more responsible.


----------



## Guest (Jan 16, 2007)

yep.pet stores
lie.


----------



## fraser27 (Jan 14, 2007)

my mum has goldfish in a bowl with an airpump and shes had them for years and everything being fine!


----------



## Osiris (Jan 18, 2005)

guess better late then never


----------



## Buggy (Oct 17, 2006)

Things may seem fine on the outside but what you can't see is what it's doing to the fish on the inside. Thats why we have research experts that spend many years and millions of dollars studying fish so we can determine the effects on the fish and learn their proper care. A human might survive in a 6' x 6' cell with only a small window and one meal a day for many years but that doesn't mean it's good for him.


----------



## fraser27 (Jan 14, 2007)

true!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Guest (Feb 25, 2007)

i dont use the rule of thumb. i have 10 fish in a 30 gallon, and they have been fine for over 2 years!theyve grown a little though................


----------



## Willow (Mar 20, 2005)

Yes, they might be OK for a couple years, but you're going to have very big problems with that set-up SOON. 10 goldies is way too many for a 30 gallon, since they make so much waste, the water quality is most likely very bad (do you have a test kit? If so, what are your parameters?), and bad water quality will shorten your fishes lifespans seriously. So, they may look healthy, but they might not actually BE healthy. Plus, fancy goldies will get to be about 8 inches long---each---and comets can get to be a foot long easily, so eventually your fish won't even be able to swim in there, if they don't die from the bad water quality first. You will, at some point, either have to get a larger tank (fancy goldfish should have at least 10 gallons each, comets need a lot more), or you'll have to find a new home for some of them.


----------



## Guest (Feb 28, 2007)

when they get too big, ill buy them a bigger one.theyre fine for now, though. im buying a kit 2marrow, since i just recieved money from my dad.


----------

