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I have a goldfish bowl a little bit smaller than a basketball, can I keep 2 redcaps in it, & if I can what plants should I put in it & do I need to have to have a filter & if I dont need a filter how often should I clean it & I'v seen pictures of redcaps & their HUGE will mine grow that big? (my redcaps are about 3cm long including the tail, & can I have some basic info on redcaps

Last edited by dude_dude at 05-Jan-2005 22:18

They need tanks 2 feet wide and 4 feet long... Fancy Goldfish CAN NOT live in bowls as they get 8" or so long. When you keep fish in bowls they stunt and die a slow death where their organs fail and their bodies fill with fluid. Get your fish a 50g tank right now, or take it back to the store.

Im not exactly an expert on goldfish, I believe all goldfish grow WAY to big for a bowl. I think the rule is 20 gallons per goldfish (The smaller breeds) and a minumum of 55 gallons. Again, im not an expert and dont have much experience with goldfish, but I believe you might want to consider a betta. If you keep those goldfish in a bowl, they will stunt or over pollute your bowl and die an early pain-staking death.

What does "stunt" mean?

and die a slow death where their organs fail and their bodies fill with fluid

That is one part of stunting, and also their insides basically outgrow their outsides... It is very sad to seee, they get really bulgyy and stretched out looking

Goldies are wonderful pets, but if you can't keep them the way they need to be kept, it will only be painful for you when they fall ill and die. They have a lifespan of about 15 years on average if well kept, so it is definitely worth it to put the effort in

Behold, Bruce the giant red oranda. He is a real beaut, and a fine example that Goldfish are NOT Bowlfish

Hi Dude

Read this and hopefully it will help you to understand.

[link=http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art3503.asp]http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art3503.asp" style="COLOR: #C000C0[/link]

Are you new to fishkeeping or have you kept a filtered tank before? If not, do you know about new tank syndrome and the nitrogen cycle? Some of that is discussed in the above link on the Myth of Goldfish Bowls.

If you have not yet learned about the nitrogen cycle - the secret behind the real aquarium science - please read and ask questions. We'd love to help.

[link=http://www.fishprofiles.net/faq/begin-cycling.asp]http://www.fishprofiles.net/faq/begin-cycling.asp" style="COLOR: #C000C0[/link]

Unfortunately, your fish won't do well at all in a goldfish bowl. With water changes every other day or even every day, one may survive a bowl for a few years at best. Most die in less than 6 months and they die needlessly and painfully. There is no such thing as a small goldfish. They all get to a minimum of 8 inches and some grow as big as 2ft. The bare minimum space per goldfish to start would be 20 gallons for one and 10 for each thereafter. However, this is only good while they are young and around 2 inches. They grow fast and therefore many will tell you that even 60 gallons eventually is too small for 2-3 mature goldfish. They can be wonderful pets living 10-20 years with proper care. Hopefully, you can see that 6 months is mere childhood for a goldfish - not a good time to lose its life.

Hope this all helps!

Diane

it can work. u can really put a fish into anything but not suggested. now the tank size u put your fish IN IS YOUR BUSINESS. many people forget that! anyway the bowl could work but a tank would be better.

It is one thing to put a fish in a bowl, as a matter of "one's personal business" IF they have all of the facts about nitrogen cycle, stunting, and alternatives based on studies performed by experts. Much has been written by authors like Richard Hesse, Dr. Edward J. Noga (professor of aquatic medicine), Dr. Neville Carrington, Peter Burgess, Deiter Untergasser, Dr. Erik Johnson (renouned koivet), among many other experienced hobbyists right here on this site.

Once "dude" grasps all of this information, he can certainly do as he pleases. Most reasonable people understand the damage caused by ammonia, nitrites and even high nitrate levels and the resulting dive in pH. Goldfish tail fins shred, get bloodied with varicose vein appearance, and their overall health deteriorates quickly in low water quality. Many will attest that goldfish can be a challenge in the best of water quality, and for this reason, are actually not considered a beginner fish, contrary to popular belief.

I have a hard time keeping the nitrate level below 40ppm on a 36 gallon bowfront with two fancy goldfish (ryukin and oranda) with a 30% weekly water change. When that nitrate creeps up, it starts to show as the veins swell in their tail fins.

Its one thing to subject a fish to suffering when one doesn't know any better. It's quite different to know about the nitrogen cycle and cycling toxins, then to subject a fish to those things in a tiny bowl.

By the way....we can keep any human being alive in small closet with barely enough room to move. We can pump in real clean air, feed the person 3 times a day, give them a bucket to crap in and suck it out once or twice a week. In fact, a human can probably live like this for years. But it wouldn't take long for them to begin to break down mentally and physically from lack of stimulation - something all of the fish experts urge us to ensure with our fish.

I hope dude reads the information and comes back with any questions he has. I hope he takes the high road to good fishkeeping practices.

Last edited by Cory_Di at 12-Jan-2005 18:32

dude_dude, i would really suggest getting something larger for your fish. don't make the same mistake so many of us have in the past- keeping goldfish in bowls will only make them ill in the long run.

even saving up for a cheap 10 gallon tank to house your single fish for a little while would be better, if you can't afford a 29-55 gallon tank right now.

the average person has no idea that goldfish grow to 8" and can live to 30 years, because goldfish are the stereotypical "bowl fish", and it's no wonder they don't live long or grow big in that type of condition.

if you can't afford an aquarium, take it back to the store and say you're moving away, and don't have anyong who will take it off your hands.

THANX (ALOT)