Goldfish (or other) freshwater basics?

[kalanamak]

What do I need to get for a simple, non-aerated fishbowl for educational purposes.

?

One goldfish, a snail, string of plant, a bit of gravel in the bottom and food?

 

Anything else? Any suggestions. I want this simple and easy to care for. I keep things alive very well.

[WishboneDawn]

No goldfish if that's the setup you want! Goldfish are big, dirty fish and need at least 10 gallons of clean, oxygen-rich, filtered water each. I know people put them in bowls all the time but it's a cruel life for a goldfish and would defeat the educational aspect in terms of proper environment and humane treatment. The environment you described would be fine for a Beta fish (aka: Siamese Fighting fish). Smaller fish like guppies would be okay as well but Betas are really interesting and have a lot of unique qualities that make them interesting. They need special food as well since they're carnivores but most pet stores sell dried bloodworms for them.

 

I'd also find a few good websites for research and join a Beta-owners email list. I used to belong to a goldfish owners list that was invaluable when our fish came down with some illness or I needed to know how much of a water change to do.

[sixpence1978]

:iagree:

I would say the exact same thing. A goldfish is a little bowl just doesn't work. I even had 1 goldfish in a 5 gallon filtered tank, and that thing still managed to need a lot of care to keep it clean.

 

I've had Bettas before and they are beautiful and live just fine by themselves in a typical fish bowl.

[kalanamak]

:iagree:

I would say the exact same thing. A goldfish is a little bowl just doesn't work. I even had 1 goldfish in a 5 gallon filtered tank, and that thing still managed to need a lot of care to keep it clean.

 

I've had Bettas before and they are beautiful and live just fine by themselves in a typical fish bowl.

 

Wow, once again I think my mother must have been a little on the super-human side, as we had a large, potbellied bowl with one little goldfish, a water snail, a couple strands of green and not much else in it that was always, always PERFECT and shiny when I was growing up. This was when I was 10-15 or so, so it isn't a small child's recollection. I have a hard time thinking my mother cleaned it more than once a week, but I'm betting it got a complete scrub every Tuesday (my mother worked on the absolutely invariable weekly sched of cleaning) or so. I could handle a complete scrub once a week. Would that do it? I would not overfeed.

[kalanamak]

No goldfish if that's the setup you want! Goldfish are big, dirty fish and need at least 10 gallons of clean, oxygen-rich, filtered water each. I know people put them in bowls all the time but it's a cruel life for a goldfish

 

Not to nitpik, but how would one know a goldfish is unhappy? (I know very little about fish).

 

Googling around, something called a White Cloud, which is rather less showy than a Betta is mentioned as a bowl fish. Anyone have these?

[Suzanne in ABQ]

The rule of thumb I've learned from my fish store salesperson is 1 gallon of water for every two inches of goldfish. This is a general rule, and a lot depends on the health of the fish. My friend has a very large goldfish (about 5-6 inches) in a very small tank (2 gallons). He's lived for at least 4 years (as long as I've known my friend).

 

I kept a goldfish in a bowl for years when I was a teenager. I cleaned the bowl, and replaced the water about once a week. I always let the fresh water sit out for a day before changing it, so it would be the same temperature. I would net the fish, and put it in the bucket of fresh water. Swish the rocks around and wipe down the bowl before dumping the old water down the toilet. Gently pour the fresh water into the bowl (with the fish, I think, but that was a long time ago. I may have poured half, netted the fish back into the bowl, then gently added the rest of the water. I just don't remember). That fish lived so long, I got bored of it and gave it to a friend. It still lived for a couple years after that. I lost track after awhile. :)

 

I don't know what the snail would add to the mix, but it may muck things up. I've never kept a snail.

 

I never have live plants either, so I don't know what that would do.

 

I've heard that fish bowls don't work well at high altitude, but I grew up in Albuquerque, which is a mile high, and had no trouble with my goldfish bowl.

 

A goldfish in a largish bowl should be fine. They make a special additive that you put in the water at the time you change it, that helps keep fish healthy. It coats their skin, and keeps them from getting ick. (I'm not sure if goldfish get ick, but I used to use it with my other fresh water fish when I kept an aquarium).

 

Have fun!

[King Alfred Academy]

We have betas (in separate bowls, of course) and we have plants in our bowls. They, the fish, really like weaving in and out and staying put between them. They are very easy to care for IF you don't mind cleaning their bowls every couple of weeks.

[keptwoman]

No goldfish if that's the setup you want! Goldfish are big, dirty fish and need at least 10 gallons of clean, oxygen-rich, filtered water each. I know people put them in bowls all the time but it's a cruel life for a goldfish and would defeat the educational aspect in terms of proper environment and humane treatment. The environment you described would be fine for a Beta fish (aka: Siamese Fighting fish). Smaller fish like guppies would be okay as well but Betas are really interesting and have a lot of unique qualities that make them interesting. They need special food as well since they're carnivores but most pet stores sell dried bloodworms for them.

 

I'd also find a few good websites for research and join a Beta-owners email list. I used to belong to a goldfish owners list that was invaluable when our fish came down with some illness or I needed to know how much of a water change to do.

I know nothing about Betas but I do absolutely agree with the information about goldfish. They need lots of space to swim about and a bowl is not ideal. We have a large filtered goldfish pond and it takes a reasonable amount of my time keeping it healthy and clean. I wouldn't consider a goldfish to be a low maintenance fish.

[WishboneDawn]

Not to nitpik, but how would one know a goldfish is unhappy? (I know very little about fish).

?

 

I'm not quite sure but we do know what the minimum required for a goldfish to thrive generally is and that's the situation I outlined in my first post. You likely can keep a goldfish in a bowl and keep it relatively healthy but I'm not sure why you'd (I mean that generally, not you specifically :)) really choose to when armed with better information. Besides, if this is about education then how cool would it be to really learn about keeping goldfish or whatever fish you choose and make the best environment you can for it?

 

I had a goldfish in a bowl when I was a teenager too and it lived for a fairly long time. Still, now that I know better I'll do better.

 

If you're interested here's a basic goldfish primer:

 

If your interested in a goldfish then a basic ten gallon tank will do. Marbles instead of gravel are best for the bottom (some goldfish can get the gravel stuck in their mouths - but having something on the bottom is good as it increases surface area for ). A good filter but no heater since goldfish are basically carp and as such fine in cold water. A plant or two for cover to reduce stress. 30% water change every week. No need to ever completely dump the tank or scrub it as the water is a culture in itself and whenever you dump it all and scrub the tank you kill that culture and have to start over. I never even scraped more then one surface clean of algae - the algae makes for a healthier environment and goldfish will eat it (will eat anything in fact).

 

And now I've got a hankering to drag out our aquarium and get some fish. :D

[WishboneDawn]

 

I don't know what the snail would add to the mix, but it may muck things up. I've never kept a snail.

 

 

Snails add more snails. :) They can be a pain in the butt when they reproduced their little hearts out.

[kalanamak]

Snails add more snails. :) They can be a pain in the butt when they reproduced their little hearts out.

 

My mother's was a solo, and once in a while would climb out of the water and put down some eggs....that never hatched. Is it an old wive's tale that they "clean" the inside of the glass?

[MBH]

Is it an old wive's tale that they "clean" the inside of the glass?

 

No. Snails will clean the algae off the glass. However, they can really take over your tank if they reproduce. That is why I recommend you only have one snail.

[MBH]

Both guppies and white clouds are tropical fish and will need a heater, filter, and air pump. Thus, they are not a good choice for a small fish bowl. A betta may be put in a fish bowl without an air pump, but will not thrive as well as it would with one. If you are looking at putting a goldfish in a fish bowl, I would make sure it is the kind that stays under 6 inches. The fish bowl would have to be around a gallon or two, and you will need an air pump. No heater. No filter as long as you change the water every week or so. If you really want your goldfish to flourish, however, a 10 gallon tank with a filter and air pump would be ideal.

 

Hope that helps!

[kalanamak]

Okay, then it seems like a betta is it. Now then, I've only seen these in little tiny perfectly circular bowls (in dentist offices, etc) with very chunky and bright rocks in the bottom, no other life. Do they *need* a confined space? Can they have a plant? Will they hate a snail?

[WishboneDawn]

A plant is good because it can give a fish some cover and reduce stress. I don't think you need to bother with a snail. You'll be wiping down the sides a bit anyway when you do water changes so you'll take care of the algae.

 

Just remember, if your on town water you must either get an additive to de-chlorinate the water or let it sit out for 24 hours. Also, never use soap. If you need to clean you bowl scrub it with a bit of aquarium or epsom salts and use paper towels to avoid towels that might have detergent residue.

 

Here's an excellent site with lots of articles of Beta care - Healthy Beta.

[Ellie]

DON'T GET SNAILS!!! They are bi-s*xual or something--they don't need another snail to have more snails. Pretty soon you'll be up to your ears in snails. Ack. If you just have a bowl that you're cleaning fairly regularly, you don't need a snail.

 

We've kept goldfish in unaerated fish bowls for ages, and they did just fine. Ditto with bettas. Just make sure there's lots of air surface (so there's more air in the water).

 

Life plants are fun but not mandatory. Rinse them when you get them home to be sure there are no little snails lurking. :-o

 

The rule of thumb we use for water/fish-size ratio is 6 inches of fish per gallon.

[MBH]

Bettas do not *need* a confined space. In fact, they will live much longer if not in a confined space. People see the betta tanks that are the size of a coffee mug, and think they're cute. That is not cute. That is simply torture to bettas.

Edited April 26, 2009 by MBH

[WishboneDawn]

Bettas do not *need* a confined space. In fact, they will live much longer if not in a confined space. People see the betta tanks that are the size of a coffee mug, and think they're cute. That is not cute. That is simply torture to bettas.

 

Agreed. I remember walking into a pet store with a line up of bettas in mason jars on a shelf. Poor things. One was dead and half of the rest had fin rot. People hear "stress" in reference to fish and think of it in human terms, just psychological discomfort or something. But stress in fish leads directly to disease and illness.

 

I think the best question to always ask before getting a pet is, "Can I ensure I can give this animal an environment it will thrive in?" Not just something good enough but something that will enrich it's life and yours.

 

I remember concern a few years ago about bettas being sold in vases with plants the line being that the fish fertilizes the water while the plants feeds the fish. Nevermind that Bettas are carnivores I guess. I hope that's not still going on.

[MBH]

People hear "stress" in reference to fish and think of it in human terms, just psychological discomfort or something. But stress in fish leads directly to disease and illness.

Yes. When a fish is stressed, its immune system becomes weak and the fish is very prone to disease. That is why a fish can live so much longer if you give it a healthy environment.

 

To answer the rest of your questions, Kalanamak, a betta would be fine with a plant. Any sort that does well in moderate to low light should be fine.

 

Bettas will be fine with snails, but as Wishbone said, you will not need a snail just for the sole purpose of keeping the bowl clean. Either way, a snail will be a great tankmate for your betta.

 

Have fun!

[kalanamak]

Have fun!

 

DRummmmrolllll. One more question. Male or female? I prefer the less fancy of the two if they both keep as well.

[Ellie]

DRummmmrolllll. One more question. Male or female? I prefer the less fancy of the two if they both keep as well.

I don't think it matters. However, females are not found as frequently as males.

[MBH]

Males have the brightest colors and longest fins. Females have short fins, and duller colors. Both should keep about the same. One more thing. Females are more expensive than males. Weird, huh? :blink: