# 3 Gold Fishes in a Bowl



## GintongIsda (Apr 27, 2009)

Hi Everyone,

Very new here, and very novice aquarium keeper - the truth is I think we have 3 gold fishes because of their color (kinda gold) got them for about 3 weeks now, weekly changing water, daily feeding flakes and they are doing happily well. Got very excited, bought an 8 gallon biorb which we think a good upgrade from the old soup bowl. Opened the biorb box, read through manual -- boy it's daunting! Manual says this and that... stabilize the water for 24 hours, yada, yada. We thought Alpha, Beta and Gamma (the fishes) can move in right away, but looks like they have to wait for a bit until we set the thing from A to Z. 

Now I read though many sites plants are good. Where to get them anyways? We're from Oshawa, know any place good to get? What plants are good for our fishes and their 8 gal soon to be home?

Appreciate help in advance


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## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

That 8 gallon biorb would be okay for a betta but your goldfish will out grow that in no time flat. 
Goldfish can grow large. You will need a larger aquarium to house them. Read here about goldfish: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldfish


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## GintongIsda (Apr 27, 2009)

Thanks for quick response. They're now about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inch in size including the tails. How long do you think we can keep them in the 8 biorb? We thought 8 gal is good enough compared to around 2 liters bowl where they are right now. And how do we know when to give them more space? Is there a rule of thumb sort of how many fish in gallons of water?


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## bluekrissyspikes (Apr 16, 2009)

well, goldfish really need about 20g for the first one and 10g for every extra one added to the tank as a bare minimum. we(hobbiests) try not to guess on when it will be good to upgrade because the fish can become very sick if not kept in reasonable sized tanks. it is best to upgrade to the minimum requirement as soon as possible, but ideally the tank is bought first, then cycled and later the fish are chosen according to compatability with the tank size and set up planned. sooo...i would not want to wait at all to upgrade if i were in your shoes. you should check out your local classified adds(craigslist, kijiji, used(town name)) for a tank that is a good price. i'd also go for a 55 if i could, since it's longer and gives more space. depending on the care provided and breed of goldfish they can grow quite quickly. i had 6 goldies i bought as feeders at about half an inch long. i fed three times a day as much as they could eat in 2 minutes(since babies need to eat more often than adults, just like with any animal), did large weekly water changes(goldfish are one of the messiest fish you can get) and within five months i had 6 goldies ranging from 4 to seven inches.


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## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

As far as a planted tank you would be limited to tough easy to grow plants like 
_Anubias_ 
http://s301.photobucket.com/albums/nn61/Calmer_2008/?action=view&current=Anubiasbarterivnana.jpg
_Java Fern_ 
http://s301.photobucket.com/albums/nn61/Calmer_2008/?action=view&current=Microsorumpteropus2.png
and maybe _Cryptocorne Wendtii_ http://s301.photobucket.com/albums/nn61/Calmer_2008/?action=view&current=Cryptocorynewendtii-1.jpg
because goldfish like to eat the softer plants. These are easy plants to grow with a good light source. Unfortunately the 10w light that came with the 8 gallon biorb is not enough to sustain plants. All plants help consume the toxins from fish excrement that accumulates in the water. Bacteria will also consume water toxins as well. Water changes are still needed of course. 
You can use the 8 gallon biorb for a short time untill the goldfish out grow it. Then you will have to buy a 50 or 60 gallon aquarium later on with a filter, light, gravel and a stand. Or you can take back the 8 gallon biorb to the store and buy a 50-60 gal. aquarium with the necessary accessories now so you will be set for when the fish get larger.
Check out this link 
http://www.fishtanksdirect.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=423
The people who show the 6 goldfish in the picture in the link should be ...
Well you can fill in the blanks


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## bluekrissyspikes (Apr 16, 2009)

just for referance








http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00470/GB_BIGGEST_Goldfish_470456a.jpg
http://cellar.org/2002/recordgoldfish.jpg
those are fancy goldfish. 'plain' or comet goldfish get even bigger than that.


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

Wow, I've seen gold fish all my life. But never one that big! Usually they don't live that long as their genetics gets the better of them.

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## GintongIsda (Apr 27, 2009)

Thank you all so much. I guess we jumped in without responsible researching. I guess fishes don't get respect prospective pet keeper, unlike other pets. From experience, I personally thought, how hard can it be to keep a fish while you can grab a bowl, put a little water, throw in some pebbles, a fake plant and a plastic castle and feed them colored flakes? No wonder our first Betta died in less than a year -- and we thought the guy sure made a good, happy life -- well at least better than the canister it came with from Walmart. 

Biorb sure made an unrealistic marketing representation -- the box it came with has photo displaying 3 gold fishes and 8 minnow-like fishes. Certainly fooling people like us without any fish keeping know how. Anyways, reading the brochure further, it says 1 fish for the first month and max of 3. I guess we will still keep it. If not for anything, it would be good for betta when the trio get a bigger home. 

And they get wonderfully humongous like that? What about the common goldfishes like what we have? Can they get ginormous as well? I read they can live up to 20 years given good conditions. Awesome!

Thank you, Calmer, for the plants tips. They look wonderful. We'll try to get them. They will sure look terrific.


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## conix67 (Jul 27, 2008)

No not every gold fish will get that large, but I never kept them long enough to see how large they grow. Definitely you won't see them in that size within a year 

Anyway, I started with few gold fishes as well, in a bowl which was a center piece on each table at some party. I thought I was giving them more breathing space when I gave them 3gallon tank from Walmart, but they didn't live long enough there. Later I learned they died of ammonia poisoning. 

I did not believe a single gold fish requires 20G! but now I do. 

People keep Betta fishes successfully for years in the Betta bowl. However, this will require water changes (partial) every few days, and minimum feeding to control waste. Even though they will live, I cannot see them living happily in that tiny bowl...

I like gold fishes, because they are cute, but I don't keep them myself anymore. Their tank gets pretty boring, since you can't put much else in it. I like planted tanks and Gold fishes do not coexist with live plants... fake plants and ornaments can collect ugly algae over time and will require frequent cleaning. can't add cleanup crews to keep them clean either.


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## bluekrissyspikes (Apr 16, 2009)

there are a few things you cab mix with goldies. malaysian trumpet snails make good clean up crews. some minnow type fish can live in colder water as well, white cloud mountain minnows and rosey reds come to mind and should be okay with the small goldfish. regular goldfish get enormous too, i just didn't see any pics on my quick search. it depends on water conditions, genetics and diet. your goldies will appreciate a few peas now and then, and some shrimp pellets or blackworms as treats. an 8g bio-orb is perfect for a betta as long as it has a filter running.
don't feel bad about not researching first. my first tank was a disaster.


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## GintongIsda (Apr 27, 2009)

Thanks for encouraging news conix67. If they still keep small for a little while like a year, it will give us more time to really know if we can be good fish keepers and perhaps aquatic plants keepers too before we get too excited and buy large tanks. 

Thanks for the tips bluekrissyspikes. Are the we supposed to feed the peas with pods or only the seeds and are they supposed to be fresh or cooked?  Malaysian trumpets are cute little things too -- something to look forward by the time all the guys moved in the biorb.
 now it gets me a little bit confused about how to move them in, what do you think is the best way to do -- the biorb says only 1 fish for the first month -- it didn't say why. We have 3 small goldfishes, so will it be better for the 2 guys to stay in the small bowl they are right now and continue the way we were treating them, or defy the biorb instruction and move in 3 of them at once? What is best?


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## bluekrissyspikes (Apr 16, 2009)

they say that so that the 'tank' has time to start cycling before adding fish. if you need info on cycling, just google nitrogen cycle. it's important that you do a lot of water changes during the cycling so they don't get ammonia burns/poisoning. i really wouldn't wait too long to get a bigger tank, a month maybe two but definately not a year. you can find em for really cheap used, especially if you live in a descent sized city. they will not grow as fast if you keep them in the bio-orb but they will be getting stunted while they are in there. stunting can really harm the fish.
the peas should be skinned and cooked. just grab the cooked pea and pinch the skin, the inside should pop out. 
does the bowl have a filter? i would probably just add them all to the bio-orb and do daily 50% water changes while i start looking for a bigger tank. one more thing to worry about with the orb shape is if the fish will be able to get enough oxygene. the surface area is pretty slim compared to over all water volume so it makes it hard to keep it oxygenated.


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## GintongIsda (Apr 27, 2009)

Definitely a lot more to learn. FAQ of biorb shows why the need to just add 1 fish the first month. We'll see how it goes. Picture of biorb 8 is the round one on the left from the attached photo. The tank has special filters with foam and activated carbon cartridge that needs changing between 4 to 8 week -- I guess depending on how many fishes it keeps. It also has biological filtration provided by pebbles looking ceramic media that comes with it. Air pump and lighting provided also.

Stunted...well, I am very tempted to stunt them not in a cruel way, but in a good way like chihuahuas or bonsai and keep them forever cute . Is that what will happen or worse?


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

chihuahuas are animals bred to be small. 

Bonsai are plants that can take the punishment. 

fish, goldfish are carp and I've seen them 2 feet long.
you can't stunt an animal not meant to be small. Think of yourself being crammed in a lets say... 5 foot by 5 foot bathroom from your childhood and being expected to remain small and cute. You won't flourish, you won't thrive and you probably won't be happy either. Put two more kids in there and things will get nasty real fast.

Tanks are relatively cheap. get a larger one, get it cycled without fish and put your new friends in there.


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

Very nice tank. Now I see why you'd buy one. 
I am not sure how to put this. So I going to say it straight. Your fishs' life depends on the availability of electricity. Once the power goes out. They will begin to suffocate in no time. I'd give them 3 - 5 hours, but definately won't last through the night. I wish people would stop manufacturing these death trap tanks. Sorry Anna, I wish there is a better way to put this, but I kind of want to you take it seriously, if you are really into fish.
Also, as sunstar said, stunting a fish is not a good thing. I can't say if they suffer any pain as there's been talk about this topic from both end of the spectrum. But one thing I do know though, they live a much shorter life span. And the smart ones, commit suicide by jumping out of the tank.
Alot of people don't really care as they are only a gold fish. But on a moral level, it's just not right to treat another living thing like that. Just my opinion.

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## GintongIsda (Apr 27, 2009)

Looks like we really made a poor decision on getting the trio, then made another by getting biorb to house them. Poor guys but we are not sure whether we really are into fish  I guess that's the thing. We thought they are cute, biorb no fuss to keep them, but  

Well guys, thank you all for advise, we'll see how it goes in a month. To fish or not to fish, that is the question...


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## Tropicana (Feb 15, 2009)

it would be a decent home for a Betta though, also they have the ability to breath air occasionally so if the power goes out your not totally out of luck."

I would swap them for a Betta if thats possible.


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

every tank has a level of maintanance. research is the key to making tour maintanance as little as possible.


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## bluekrissyspikes (Apr 16, 2009)

Tropicana said:


> it would be a decent home for a Betta though, also they have the ability to breath air occasionally so if the power goes out your not totally out of luck."
> 
> I would swap them for a Betta if thats possible.


i have to agree with that advice. maybe take them back and get a nice betta, then if you enjoy him still in a few months or however long and you want to get a big tank do it then. a betta would be quite happy in there


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## GintongIsda (Apr 27, 2009)

That sounds like a very good plan. We'll keep on looking for a real nice betta or a pair - perhaps we can we keep a pair Can't stop dreamin' now, can I?

Thank you all for advise... keep on swimming


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

you can't keep a pair in that.

males will kill each other. Females will do the same. They'll fight for dominance. Bettas, or Siamese Fighting Fish are extremely agressive.

To make a group of betta, you need at least 6. All roughly the same age and size. And even then it doesn't work out. I have 6 girls, but they are related. Mother and Daughters. I tried 6 unrelated and they were locked in combat. Not pretty. I removed them all and put them in seperate tanks or containers.

Male + Female Pairs won't work either. Males will chase the female around and attack and kill her. Females could also serve the male damage too. Depends on their personality. The only time you put a male in with a female and that is to breed them. Breeding is complex and can be scary too. Any female betta who I have spawned has come out with significant damage. 

The bettas seen in stores can't really be housed together. I'd strongly advise against it.


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## GintongIsda (Apr 27, 2009)

they need heating too according to bettafish.com -- well, that we can get and fit the orb. What's their life span? Are they not bored alone?


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## Sunstar (Jul 29, 2008)

not really bored alone. there are things you can do to amuse them. I keep two on my desk. Actually side by side but with paper between. I remove that and they flare at each other until I put it back. 

or I give them a mirror, add decorations from time to time near them. Something to look at. They often suggest rearranging their tank so they can explore. bettas are intellegent creatures. I keep live plants in my tanks and I guess I "play" with mine. I have 19 betta and a spawn right now; I do try to give everyone time. 


You could possibly put another species of fish with the betta, however, they are agressive and can kill other fish and inverts. I have seen them kill platy that ended up with them through jumps.

They are a species who seem to prefer a solitary life. Boredom, yes they can suffer that. One of their past times is to bite the slag out of their own tails....at least Pion did that, but hten again, that could signify a few things. That is why the other tank is next to him. Distracts him. 

Lifespan... 2 - 3 years give or take? 

One thing to consider is not having sharp plastic things in the tank with them. ANything that can snare a pair of stockings, can rip the hell out of their tails. Their ability to regenerate is impressive, but we don't wish them any discomfort. 

If you are interested in bettas. ultimatebettas.com is an amazing forum. All sorts of info. If you choose bettas, make sure you research them well. I was never keen on bettas until I got one...than another...than another....they have SO much personality. They are not as much a pet as a friend and part of the family.

Edit: 1 male betta in that tank would be amazingly happy with the space and freedom.


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## GintongIsda (Apr 27, 2009)

Good... Betta it is, once the guys get good new home


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## GintongIsda (Apr 27, 2009)

*Hypothetical -- setting-up a 100G secondhand outfit*

Exploring, what would it take to reset-up/set-up a second hand 100G tank? Does it need the whole works? I mean cycling and the whole thing?


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## bluekrissyspikes (Apr 16, 2009)

it will probably need to be cycled unless it's still running and has a source of amonia in it. if you are thinking of this for the goldies you can just throw them it once you have the tank cleaned out. it will cycle fairly easily with the small goldies in it. just don't add a whole whack of fish at once. did you buy a 100g? that's pretty sweet. your fishies will love it and you could add a few more fishies to it as well.


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## GintongIsda (Apr 27, 2009)

Pondered, thought, dreamt, slept on the idea about it and this nice looking one at kijiji is very tempting: what do you think? The tank has fishes in it, but of course transporting it, we need to drain and reset the tank.

http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-pets-acc...front-Aquarium-w-Oak-Stand-W0QQAdIdZ112837679


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## bluekrissyspikes (Apr 16, 2009)

looks like a nice tank to me, i love the corner/bowfront designed tanks.  good filter too. looks empty in the first pic but some of the other ones look a bit over populated.


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