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so now I'm not a responsible fish keeper?

I don't really care because I'm not a big fan of goldfish

natch.

"Ok I'm not saying that everyone is wrong,but only fancy goldfish need big tanks or ponds.When I was like 9(I'm 23 now) my dad bought me 2 feeder goldfish and a bowl that was only about 1.5 gallons.I kept it at my Grandma's house.We did 100% water changes every friday.Those 2 goldfish lived for 8 years in that bowl and never grew more than 3 inches each.So as far as the myth goes that goldfish can't live in bowls I say it's Bull.I do tell people that it's not a good idea,but 8 years of life for 2 fish that only cost my father $1.00 was pretty good.I do agree however that any type of fancy goldfish or koi need a large tank or pond"

So, only fancy goldfish and koi need a big tank? Funny, because those feeder fish are supposed to reach 2 feet! A 2 foot fish does not deserve a 1.5 gallon bowl.


"For those who didn't understand what was said...GOLDFISH CANNOT LIVE IN BOWLS!!!! "

No, you said only fancy GF and koi need big tanks. Somehow those cheapie feeder GF (the ones that grow into 2 foot monsters) were excluded. That is what everyone is getting upset over. We arent upset that you made a mistake as a young kid. We are upset that you are trying to say that they did ok in that bowl, that you are somehow trying to justify it by saying they lived a long time. When in reality, 8 years is nothing for a fish that can live from anywhere to 20-40 years and attain a length of 2 feet.




Last edited by katieb at 26-Nov-2004 19:15

I'll do graffiti,
If you sing to me in French.

Yep -- the only fish I'd consider keeping in a bowl is an air-breathing betta or gourami, and even then I'd have to make sure the water kept properly warm (which isn't easy).

Sure, your goldfish actually survived for a long time -- but you have no way of knowing how uncomfortable, or downright painful, life in that bowl may have been for them. When I was 8, I kept an anole lizard for about a year in a shoebox with stocking mesh over the top and fed it entirely on mealworms, with virtually no exposure to the Sun (although I did at least know enough to give it sprinkled water drops to drink). It lived (and then I compounded my sins by letting it go UNDER the house, where it still couldn't get sunlight) -- but it was surely miserable during the entire period, and I still feel guilty about it four decades later. The mere fact that it survived is certainly no reason to say, or even imply, that it might be tolerable to keep animals like that.

I think a better way of saying it is that goldfish can stay alive in bowls. But then again humans can stay alive in a broom closet for 12 years (a case that came out of the united states) or need I say that hundrends can stay alive (for the most part) in the bottom of a sailing ship.

Just because it stays alive doesn't mean it's living and thriving. Just keeping something alive isnt' enough IMHO.

^_^
[link=H2g2]http://hitchhikers.movies.go.com/upgrade.html" style="COLOR: #EB4288[/link] 2005 Don't Leave Home Without it[/font]

what i thought was odd was guppy-man's self-defensive response of typing out in all caps. Since all caps is considered yelling in the online world, it was actually he who turned it into a flamewar. There is, of course, hypocrisy in his connotations in that the fishbowl myth is "bull" but that feeders lived ok in the bowl. He did state that "fancy goldfish or koi" need ponds, but the truth is that even feeders will grow way too large for a bowl.

I am actually currently writing an essay against keeping pet fish in bowls or small containers, and a post like that only validates the fact that people need to be informed.

and ok, the fish died of a broken bowl, not stunting or poisoning or stress or any of the other horrible things they endured for 8 years, but what about the fact that if they were in a pond their pond wouldn't have just "broken" and killed them? even a 10g tank is no easy thing to knock over. the overall tone of that first post was to say that goldfish CAN live in bowls for a "long time" but it takes the tone of almost encouraging it. Perhaps you didn't mean to do that, but if you carefull re-read it, you will see that it could very easily be taken as a defense for fish bowls.

"but 8 years of life for 2 fish that only cost my father $1.00 was pretty good"
quality over quantity. always. those 8 years were never a good thing, but it was all you knew at the time. this kind of phrasing passes it off as a good idea without pointing out that it was a huge mistake.

"Goldfish grow no matter what size of tank they are in" was proven wrong in the original post in which he said the goldies only got to about 3" in the bowl.

You are, of course, encouraged to share your experiences and views, but please be a little more careful about how you present them. Many of us have tried out things that aren't best for our fish or done similar things in our childhood but make sure you point it out immediately and keep the point clear that it was a huge mistake and should never be repeated when there are so many better options available. And of course, please note those references when you want to inform us of new information like a 6" feeder goldfish. Lots of crazy things are posted on the web that try to pass for fact, but the truth is that many people are misinformed.

Another point in that is that we need to be able to KNOW which feeder is this fabled 6" variety instead of the 1' plus monsters many of us have seen in ponds. If we cannot tell which is which, then there is still always the risk of keeping the wrong fish in the wrong tank. Personal experience is not fact after all.

The pottery that growls!

I just say"you learn by your mistakes"..

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I know human beings and fish can co-exist peacefully.

This thread is just rife with confusion. Basically all we need to know is that goldfish should not be kept in bowls, period. Ponds are best for these fish.
*Prepares to shamelessly plug his thread*

If you want to set yourself straight with goldfish, check out [link=this]http://fishprofiles.com/files/forums/General%20Freshwater/50563.html" style="COLOR: #808080[/link] post. It contains all that the beginning aquarist needs to know about goldies.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

They were probably the betagoldies! They don't need much room.

They were probably the betagoldies! They don't need much room.

I'm not sure that I'm familiar with "betagoldies", Larry. And actually, I highly doubt there is such a thing. ALL goldfish have the potential to get large. There are no if's, and's, or but's about it. They are members of the carp family .

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They shade the glow of it with their mossy-misty costumes,
They wear masks of silk, porcelain, brass, and silver,
So as not to mislead with their own, ordinary faces.

with todays knowledge on goldfish stunting, why do companies and stores still sell "goldfish bowls"?

Because it's good money. Most people don't know any better.

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They shade the glow of it with their mossy-misty costumes,
They wear masks of silk, porcelain, brass, and silver,
So as not to mislead with their own, ordinary faces.

Instead of asking why not do a web search for yourselves.There is a type of goldfish that does stay small.One site I found had a woman who had a few of these fish in a outdoor pond with koi.It says on there that they have been in this pond for 15 years and they are 5 inches each.Look before you say there is no goldfish that stays small.Live and Learn!!!!!! There are also many,many,many,many,many sites that say that goldfish do not stunt.They will grow and grow and grow.So if you kept a fish in a bowl it doesn't stay small because it's in a bowl.It will continue to grow until it is just too big for the bowl.And during my research for those nasty people on this site that don't care about giving information,just hounding everyone that screwed up in the past,I have found that only 20% of all koi reach more than 2 feet,and only 5% of "feeder" goldfish reach more than 1 and a half feet.I have spent hours reading online and books at the library and lfs.
I can't believe you people out there made such a big deal about this in the first place.I worded things wrong as some people have pointed out to you.Golfish cannot live in bowls! I know this,you know this,and most people older than 10 years old know this.I'm not the one suggesting to go buy a goldfish and put it in a bowl.Go to petco.com.They show a goldfish in a bowl.Go email the large pet companies that show kids that it is ok to put goldfish in bowls.AS far as the"I don't care about goldfish" thing that I said,I am sorry for that.I didn't mean that they are a worthless fish.I meant that I am more into tropical fish.Goldfish are very beautiful fish,and if I ever own a house I would LOVE to buy a big pond kit and have koi and maybe other types of goldfish.So for everyone that understood that this was a mistake I made as a child I thank You!! For everyone who jumped on me for mis- wording my first post and for making a mistake as a kid(as I'm sure you guys were all perfect) Go Dive in a Bowl!!!!

I have been following this thread, but have not posted earlier. I think it is time to just quit reading and posting. I do not believe anything will be resolved on this thread, just continued hard feelings.