Gold fish - no tank

[goldfish1]

Hi everyone,

This is a bit odd - I went to a party yesterday which involved challenges / tasks for teams. One of the tasks was to buy an office pet for £1. Most people bought cuddly toys or oddities but one group bought a goldfish.

I was mortified as they had no plan what they were going to do with it, as no one already had a tank. I've kept goldfish and tropical fish all my life, so I offered to take it home. I dont have a tank for it yet as I'm at work.

My question is how long can I realistically keep it in a bowl before getting it a tank? can it be transferred straight to a tank or do I have to let the tank settle? I'm worried it will jump out of the bowl and that it isn't ideal for it to be in there anyway.

Any advice would be appreciated. I feel responsible for it now and am really annoyed with the people who bought it! I can get a tank this evening after work at a push.

thanks

 

[FlameTetra333]

You should get at least a 20 gallon tank with an aquaclear filter. Contrary to popular belief, goldfish are really hard pets to take care of. The water has to be 68-72F, if I'm not mistaken. Try to get a filter that is meant for 2x the size tank as the one you have. Ex. a 40 gallon filter for a 20 gallon tank, because goldfish make 2x poop than a regular fish.

Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong. I'm just a kid, and I don't even have a goldfish.

 

[ValRasbora]

flame, you are right.

You must cycle a tank before you put the goldfish in. The easiest way to do this is go to a friend / pet store and ask for some gravel from one of their established tanks. The gravel has bacteria in it that will convert the fish's toxic wastes into less-toxic waste. (read up on cycling. That is a VERY simple explanation)

Until you find AT LEAST a 20 gallon (per goldfish,) you can buy a clear rubbermaid container. Some breeders use these temporarily for fry, and they are by far better than a bowl. You should also try getting a filter on the rubbermaid.

Good luck, and I hope your new goldie goes well!

 

[Thyra]

Try one of the thrift stores for a larger container - just be sure it wasn't just for reptiles because they aren't made to fill with water (so I've been told) You need not panic. Even if you kept it in what gets sold as a gold fish bowl for a week or two, you could at least find out if it is going to live - you could have a ten cent feeder fish and I wouldn't want to be investing in a 20g tank with all the trimmings unless this is something that you are going to continue if this fish isn't a fairly permanent participant. Just clean and change water every few days until you make some decisions.

 

[goldfish1]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks so much for your replies. When I got home he was looking pretty sad but was still alive and ok.

I got a tank, I'm not sure what size it is but it's quite big, not the smallest they had. The shop person said we could have three gold fish in it, so should be fine. It had two types of solution with it to reduce the stress levels and ammonia from the fish in the water. I let it run for an hour or so and then put the fish in. He seems a lot happier and lasted the night, he was swimming around loads this morning. Hopefully he will be fine!

I guess I tried my best whatever happens. It's ridiculous that people went out and bought a live animal without giving any thought to what would happen to it!

They said at the shop to take a water sample in on Sunday to check the PH, and then maybe we can get him a friend.

I feel quite attached now!

Thanks for all your help.

 

[OrangeCones]

I got a tank, I'm not sure what size it is but it's quite big, not the smallest they had.

Measure each side in inches, multiply the three numbers together, then divide by 213. That will tell you the gallons the tank holds. It is important to know so you can use the correct amount of medicaitions if you need to use them in the future.

They said at the shop to take a water sample in on Sunday to check the PH, and then maybe we can get him a friend.

Testing your pH will not be helpful. You need them to test the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels. If you can, get your own test kit, as doing a fish-in cycle of the tank will be stressful physically on the goldfish, and knowing your readings will help you help him stay healthy.

PLEASE do NOT get him a 'friend' until the tank has completed cycling. It will just add to the ammonia level of the tank and not a good idea to put another fish through the stress of a fish-in cycle.

 

[FlameTetra333]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks so much for your replies. When I got home he was looking pretty sad but was still alive and ok.

I got a tank, I'm not sure what size it is but it's quite big, not the smallest they had. The shop person said we could have three gold fish in it, so should be fine. It had two types of solution with it to reduce the stress levels and ammonia from the fish in the water. I let it run for an hour or so and then put the fish in. He seems a lot happier and lasted the night, he was swimming around loads this morning. Hopefully he will be fine!

I guess I tried my best whatever happens. It's ridiculous that people went out and bought a live animal without giving any thought to what would happen to it!

They said at the shop to take a water sample in on Sunday to check the PH, and then maybe we can get him a friend.

I feel quite attached now!

Thanks for all your help.

So now I'm betting your goldfish may be a bit lonely. You might want to try getting some White Cloud Mountain Minnows for it.

 

[OrangeCones]

So now I'm betting your goldfish may be a bit lonely. You might want to try getting some White Cloud Mountain Minnows for it.

While the minnows would be ok in the same type of environment that goldfish need, goldfish do not get 'lonely.'

I would still recommend that the OP wait to have the tank cycled, and only if the tank provided is large enough for tankmates, before adding any more fish.