Goldfishy!

I got a goldfish on Saturday and got a 1 gallon aquarium, the rocks, and a tap water cleaner...
However, the water got cloudy really quickly, and I was wondering if anyone knew how often I should change the water, and what I can do to keep it clear for longer?

I have never had much luck with goldfish, so any tips on how to keep my new baby alive, would be appreciated!

 

P.S. I named him Captain Jack Sparrow, because it's cool.

 

Goldfish oppressor!!

J/K.

Anyways, what kind of pump are you using? Goldfish are filthy little boogers, they dirty up a tank really fast. I would get one live plant and also some snails...maybe even one of those fish that swims and eats along the bottom and glass. Those things will prevent making the water cloudy and also will cut down on algae buildup.

The nice thing about goldfish is that they are surprising low maintainance. You don't really need to clean the tank or change the water that often but you will have to refill it from evaporation.

Also make sure that the PH-levels are healthy. Maybe you need a different type of drops.

Good luck. Goldfish are great.

 

i think one gallon is too small. like cynical_otter said, they are DIRTY. my understanding is that the only fish you can keep in a tank that small is a beta. most of my knowledge is of tropical fish, but my friend has goldfish--3 in a 20 gal, with a couple of other random tropicals.

also, like cynical_otter said, get a catfish. some sort of scavenger. he will eat leftover food, but not poop. you need a decent filter.
you should be able to get a full 10 gal setup (light, filter, tank, etc.) for under $30.

good luck. keep us posted.
peace.
LP

 

also, don't feed cpt. sparrow every day...every 2-3 days is plenty.

 

That is the problem. Goldfish need a lot more room then this. A general rule for Goldfish is around 20 gallons per fish. Once you have the proper size tank just remove and replace 10% or 2 gallons a week. Also if your tap water is high in disolved solids it maybe necessary to use purer water, like distilled or RO water.

 

Thanks for the advice... I don't know if I will be able to afford such a big aquarium though

Blah... fish are more expensive than they seem!

I was thinking of getting a beta fish, actually, so maybe I could use the little aquarium for him instead.

 

I had a beta fish before, by the way, much easier to keep alive than goldfish. My beta lived for years.... I don't think I've ever had a goldfish longer than a few months.

 

one gallon is small for a betta also but would be better then for a goldfish which are active swimmers. I always see people keeping betta's in tiny bowls and I feel sorry for them. They only do that to transport them. Another thing is betta's can be kept with other fish except other male betta's. Not too many people realize this. Goldfish are heavy poopers and need their water changed quite often to avoid nitrate build-up and conditions of lowered disolved oxygen, problems compounded by small bowls/tanks. Then again I am a fish freak. I have 400 gallons of fresh and 1500 gallons of saltwater systems at my place.

 

my sister went through a time when she was trying to keep goldfish
they always died within a few weeks

the first one that died, my sister told my mommy that it was sleeping, cause she didn't want my mom to be mad at her

with the next, my sister's cat knocked the lid off, bastard spat the fishtail back in the bowl

and this one time, we got her two cool looking fish from WalMart that WalMart claimed were compatible, sure enough, by morning, the one ate the other

PS sorry about the lack of advice/little relativity, guess I'm just in a talkative mood, I'm sure you of all peopel can't blame me

 

Yeah my sweet fish perished at sea, already.

I cried.

I would like to try getting a beta fish, but quite frankly, I'm not sure if I should because if this guy died after only a few days, I'm not sure I'm ready for a fish.

They are a lot more work than they seem, because you have to be careful with the water quality so much that it's insane.

I love fish, but because I love fish, maybe I shouldn't have one.

Either way, if anyone has some good advice on what kind of fish might be a better choice, how to go about it, etc. that would be appreciated too. I had a beta that lived for years, so I think I'm fairly good with betas....

Could a beta stay in a little tank like that? I have only ever seen betas in glass bowls, never in tanks.... I was wondering if that's for a reason, or not so much. I don't have a bowl, only this small tank, and I was hoping to use it for something.

 

this guy that posted earlier says no:

 

Hmm okay.

I suppose I should wait on the idea then. I would like to get a fish again someday, but I don't have the money for a big tank right now, and if I get a fish I want to do it right and have enough room for the little guy.

 

by the way, it's cute as hell that you cried for the goldfish

 

I am SO sorry your fishie didn't make it! (((((((((hugs!!!))))))))) My son asked if he could have aquatic frogs late last year and it took us 5 months to be ready... and we're STILL finding out that we're not doing everything right. Fish are way more work than I'd ever thought they could be. And yeah, water parameters are the toughest part.

BUT... once you get the hang of it, it's really not that bad. My son is 10 and cares for 2 African Dwarf Frogs, (Anne Bonny & Blackbeard... he's got a pirate-theme going too!) 3 Oto-Catfish, and 5 Glowlight Tetras almost completely on his own. The tetras get fed once per day, and the frogs & cats every other day. I help him do the water changes and keep an eye on the water parameters with him, but he's doing just fine.

A couple ideas if you decide to try might be...
* make sure you've got all of the ammonia out of the water before you start anything else. We have chlorinated water, and I have to put THREE TIMES as much treatment in as it says on the bottle, just to bring the level to 0!
* Perhaps consider a different fishie? Goldfish are hardy, but supposed to grow up to be rather massive. A couple teeny fish would work so much easier in a 1g.
*And get a packet of Bio-Spira to dump in along with the fish. It helps to do an instant cycling which really REALLY helped us. No muss & fuss about whether or not we'd cycled right

This is the site that was most helpful with all of our newbie questions - http://p076.ezboard.com/bflippersnfins

For a couple ideas in a 1g, how about a ghost or cherry shrimp? They're supposed to be easy to care for, and fun to watch. If you really wanted fish, you could probably do a pair of white clouds. That's probably about it... but I'm definitely NOT an expert on this as we've only had our aquarium up & running for about 6 months now.

love,
mom

 

Thanks homeschoolmama, I will keep all that in mind, and continue to research until I think I'm ready for a fish... like I said, I haven't the money to buy a nicer tank and all of that, so it's probably best I put the fish idea off for a while.

Some people think I'm silly for taking it so seriously but, I'm not about to go through fish like they are toilet paper... they are still living creatures.

As a kid I had a couple that lasted a long time, and my parents always just kept in this little hexagon shaped bowl... I'm not sure what they did otherwise to keep it clean and what not but one of my fishies lasted years.

I would never shove a fish in the bowl they used though.... too tiny.

 

Yeahhh, I get attached to animals way too quickly and easily.

The second I lay eyes on said pet, I'm absolutely in love.

It's actually quite stressful for me, because of course pets will get sick, and eventually die, and I have a really difficult time with this.

My cat is sick right now, and I'm taking him to the vet today, and I cried most all of yesterday because I was so worried for him. :&

 

Betta can be happy in a 10 gallon tank and it would only be about $20-30 to set up with an undergravel filter and pump. For a fresh water small tank I would also recommend a bio-wheel type filter in addition to an undergravel running from a small pump. Fish of all kinds do need a little current to swim against. It keeps their muscles from deteriorating. Also bowls are very bad for most fish, there is no flow and the curvature of the glass leads to eye problems. Some fish that you could look at for a 1 gallon would be a tetra, mollie or guppy. It might support a couple of guppies. Remember to give them a fake plant or two to rest in and feel safe. Unfortunately most small aquariums are not really good at keeping fish and most people that have them just buy new "cheap" fish. You have to be very careful not to overfeed in a small tank like that especially with no filtration. As a general rule the more water that is there the longer it takes for chemical shifts, which are bad for you fish, to occur. Especially build up of phosphate and nitrate. Let me know if I can provide you with any other information. Oh and don't worry I got teased forever for having a "funeral" for one of my favorite fish that I had for 8 years.

 

awh *hug*

I get attached too, but the death thing just doesn't bother me
but if like, they are lost, I get super worried

 

Oh god, the death thing horrifies me, and it's really disturbing because I've had a few loved ones pass away, and got over it fairly quickly and easily... but I'm STILL mourning over my dog's death, 4 years later... and my mouse's death 2 years later.

It's weird.

I'm not like, traumatized, I just think of them a lot, and get a little choked up when I realize I can never see them again.

I've always attached to animals more easily than I ever have any human... it's pathetic.

Or maybe I just like being needed. lol.