Goldfish Longevity??!

twinkletoes

Hi there, our kids have a typical sized goldfish bowl from local pet shop, use RO water, dont over feed etc, change the water once a week, yet their fish don't seem to last longer than 6 weeks or so? There are two in the bowl. Is this typical longevity under these conditions? Are we doing something terribly wrong? maybe two is too much in a regular bowl? Any feedback appreciated. Thanks.

Cherry Blossom

100 litres is the minimum size of tank for one goldfish, 150 litres for two. A goldfishes lifespan is around 20 years. Even with 5 or 6 water changes a day they would still not last long in a bowl.

twinkletoes

Cherry Blossom wrote: »

100 litres is the minimum size of tank for one goldfish, 150 litres for two. A goldfishes lifespan is around 20 years. Even with 5 or 6 water changes a day they would still not last long in a bowl.

Ok, Thanks, didnt realise that :-(

Knine

Yep the bowl is the problem. If the kids really want to keep fish you could get a little 60 litre tank with a filter etc & get a small shoal of White Cloud Mountain Minnow. I have some that are now 7 years old.

Another idea would be a Betta Male ( Siamese Fighting Fish) very interesting characters. These would need a tank of at least 30 litres, preferably 60. They need a heater as well as a filter.

seamus

Yeah, goldfish require more care than people traditionally give them. Was at Weston airport last weekend where they had a fairground set up and one of the stalls had goldfish as a prize in containers no bigger than a tub of butter. They'd all be dead by the end of the day.

kylith

Sadly, the above are right. Goldfish are really pond fish. They can live for 20 years and grow to a foot long.

Some cling on for months in bowls, but in the end the combination of cramped space and polluted water (they poo a lot) get them.

I second the Betta idea, or some male guppies, those will need a heater. White Cloud Minnows are great if you want an unheated tank. But please make sure you at least get a tank with a filter.

And never believe what the staff in a pet shop tell you: most of them know little about fish and care less as long as they can sell you another fish when this one dies.

And please, don't feel too bad. It's a mistake most of us have made.

twinkletoes

Thanks everyone for all the replies- great info and advice. Really appreciate it!

Roger Hassenforder

twinkletoes wrote: »

Hi there, our kids have a typical sized goldfish bowl from local pet shop, use RO water, dont over feed etc, change the water once a week, yet their fish don't seem to last longer than 6 weeks or so? There are two in the bowl. Is this typical longevity under these conditions? Are we doing something terribly wrong? maybe two is too much in a regular bowl? Any feedback appreciated. Thanks.

Not a goldfish expert by any means, but why are you using RO water?

RO removes essential minerals an aquatic animal needs, are you replacing these with mineral supplements? If not, this may be the source of your woes...

mymo

We had goldfish growing up, in tanks and a pond as they got bigger, most won at the fair, but all lived a few years minimum. One black white and orange one lived 26 years, until a neighbor sprayed weed killer and wind blew it to pond and killed all the fish, youngest in the pond at that stage was around 14-15 years old, and they'd been frozen in ice in winter a couple of times. They get big too, most over 6 inches, some more, even in the tank they got to 3 inches before moving to the pond. We only ever used tap water left to stand, my youngest brother was fond of filling the bath and letting them out for exercise

CruelCoin

twinkletoes wrote: »

Hi there, our kids have a typical sized goldfish bowl from local pet shop, use RO water, dont over feed etc, change the water once a week, yet their fish don't seem to last longer than 6 weeks or so? There are two in the bowl. Is this typical longevity under these conditions? Are we doing something terribly wrong? maybe two is too much in a regular bowl? Any feedback appreciated. Thanks.

Adult goldfish compared to what you buy in the shop.

http://dlgdxii3fgupk.cloudfront.net/myaquariumclub.com/images/fbfiles/images/image-623e05343011ea5e4538f8668b92e485_v_1407155404.jpg

The fish put out Ammonia though their feces. This is poisonous in even tiny amounts (1 part per million), and without a properly functioning filter that breaks this chemical down, it will kill your fish. Once a week water changes can't keep that reading at zero.

RO water is also dangerous. It is unstable and prone to fluctuations.
If you're using it to avoid chlorine, use a additive to make tap-water safe, or just put water into a bucket and leave it overnight. Chlorine is a gas, and overnight it will evaporate out of the water.