Budget Buster: Goldfish & Goldfish Bowls, UPDATE

[loveysbydesign]

We used to get goldfish and had them in a tank..they kept dying!
We switched to Mickey Head Mollies....they do require a heater in the tank thought....BUT now we have the opposite problem they keep having babies! Plus goldfish poop alot more then other fish so the tank gets dirtier faster. I keep giving the babies to friends who have tanks! The money I spent for the small heater was well worth it to know we have fish that will survive a long time...plus we get so excited when they have their babies! We have a 6 gallon tank and it's great.
Here's a great deal on a tank from Walmart that has 5 star reviews!
$29.00
97 Cent Shipping
Tetra Aquarium Starter Kit, 5 Gallons
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=12177653

 

[OceanAnnie]

Thanks guys. I went by Wal-Mart. I had a system in hand and walked almost to the register but turned around and put it back. I don't have a lot of luck in this department. Even as a kid. So I better see how they do for a week or more. One of them does look a little shocky and sluggish to me now. I think I did everything I could! I let the water get to room temperature, but it wasn't the room they were in and I think the water was a little cooler. I just bought more tablets so I could keep the water clean and I got the glass pebble things.

Dawson5, the tablets are supposed to rid the water of any metals and impurities. Drop one tablet in the water and let it fizz. Once it has dissolved the water is ready for the fish, but I let it get to room temp. too. The product is called, "Bowl Buddies", and it runs something like $2.75 a box.

Loveysbydesign, thanks for the link. That system does look good. I'm bookmarking the links.

I hope the little guys don't die. My DD told the fish, "Bye-bye fishies, see you when I get home!". Ugh.

 

[libinatorsmom]

We bought a Beta Fish and have it in an ole fashion fish bowl... we have had the same fish "bubbles" for over a year now!!!! Incredible... I change the water about every 2 weeks... I do used bottled water for him... Its been great and I am amazed... i will never buy a gold fish again and so thankful to the guy at Petco that talked me into the Beta fish!!!

 

[dizneechic]

We tried the goldfish route too... several fish and trips to get ones that made it though the night we did ok and our 3 lasted a year. Two died within a week of eachother from what we think was blight and then we had a lone fish for several months after until he finally died. We had a 10 gallon tank for them that was great... we now use it for hermit crabs.

 

[tlh0726]

We started with 3 fan tail goldfish ( one all gold, one all black. and one tri colored) in a 5 gal hexagon tank. The tri color one developed a bubble on it's head within a few days. Went to fishy heaven. The other two were fine.
A few months later DD won a goldfish (carp shaped) at the local fireman's carnival. Dumped him in and all was fine. He turned from Orange with black fins, to all orange, to all white.
Suckers grew like crazy. Totally outgrew the tank.
Year later we have now upgraded to a 44 gal half hexagon tank that fits in a corner. Same 3 goldish, plus 3 new fan tail ones (gold and white, white and black, and a tri color)
I vacuum the stones once a week, take out about 6 gallons of the water when doing this. Wipe down the walls of the inside of the tank with a plastic scrubby thing, and wipe down the plants with the same scrubby. Fill it back up with water (we are on well water)
Change the filter pad once every 3 weeks (rinse it off every week when cleaning)
No heater.
We feed them every morning (the cat sits on the back of the couch and watches them while they do their feeding frenzy)
The orginial 3 are as big as my fist.
The white and black one is ugly. He has two big black bulging eyes, and a white/transparent body with 2 spots that are barely black. Seems the only part on him that is growing is his eyes.

 

[fakereadhed]

After reading all these posts, I think neglect must be the answer to goldfish success. Not only do we feed "Dorothy" small amounts and clean the bowl weekly, we don't use any tablets. Scoop her into a paper cup, rinse out the bowl, fill it up with tapwater and dump her back in. Still thriving 9 months and counting!

 

[SandrA9810]

You can usually find a 10 gal tank on freecycle, or in the paper for a couple bucks. During my high school years I had several fresh water ventures. And when I met kari, she was on a nemo venture. After moving to Orlando, we never set the tanks back up. (i found a local pet shop with salt water tanks, and the owner said I could keep the fish there till I established our tanks again. No less than two weeks later the store was closed and no sign of what happened to the fish... guess it was a good thing, too expensive). Eventually i donated all my fish tank stuff. The salt water tank is sitting in the corner empty waiting to be loved again.

Beta fish are really easy to care for. And if you give them a good size tank of their own, their fins grow out so beautifully. 10 gal tanks are also easier to care for, and easier to buy for. Generally smaller tanks are kinda all-in-one deals which makes it harder to buy for. You should get a light hood, it'll help keep the temps warm, and a small filter to hang on the back. I also think the drops are easier to use and cheaper than the tabs.

When I first filled the tank, I bought two 2-gal water jugs (the kind with the spout on the front). And I kept reusing the same jugs, just cut a bigger hole in the top for vacuuming the bottom. And then filled with tap water, and added the drops in. I never changed more than half the water, and usually with a good spray off, you can use your filter for a few weeks at a time. And gravel is a dirt keeper, eventually I got rid of it all.

It does take time. But so does any other hobby. And with a larger tank, the easier it is to maintain. Large enough with enough variety of fish and you can have a self sustaining tank (well almost).

Sucky plecos are great... they love cucumbers... and they can go with almost any other fish, but be careful, these things

 

[NikiM20]

Nothing to add about care that hasn't already been said, but this reminded me of our purchase last summer of a cute $5 baby turtle (red eared slider) at a flea market in South Carolina. He's cute as can be but he has turned into a money pit!

Ha!! We have 1 of those too. Princess now resides in a 20 gallon tank with a rock filter/ waterfall / dock. She also has 4 algea eaters with her. Cheap pets turn into the most expensive ones.

 

[Sarah_Rose]

For goldfish, it's not recommended that you keep them in a tank smaller than 10 gallons per fish. They are just incredibly messy.

I've been keeping fish (both freshwater and saltwater) since I was 8 years old, and I've made every mistake in the book over the years. The main thing I have learned, though, is that if you buy the biggest tank that you can reasonably afford, it will save you money in the long run. Like PPs have suggested, look on Freecycle and Craigslist, or at thrift shops to try to find a deal. If you can't find anything used, and things are looking dire in your little bowl, I'd recommend an Eclipse tank - the biowheel and filter are all built into the light hood and it requires minimum maintenance. You can buy an Eclipse 6 gallon for about $50 at Petsmart and it will keep your fish alive for a few years until you need to upgrade. As a PP mentioned, goldfish will not outgrow their tank.... but a life in a too-small tank is a miserable time for a goldfish. They will stay small, but in the same way that a bonzai tree will stay small. The goldfish will never be truly healthy. Buying a larger tank and a good quality filter (I swear by the Aquaclear brand) will save you so much headache, and you won't be spending tons of money on water treatment chemicals because you will only need to do minimal amounts of maintenance on the tank. Also, I recommend the AquaPlus brand of water treatment chemicals. You just need a capful for every 10 gallons, and a bottle will last for years. The stuff has been around FOREVER, and I've used it in every freshwater tank I've ever owned.

Avoid undergravel filters. They are cheap, but a pain to clean and almost worse than no filter at all. You'll still end up doing regular water changes.

Seriously, I have a 46 gallon tank right now that I haven't cleaned in over a year. I just top up the water every 2 weeks when it gets low. However, it looks perfectly clean, has no algae growth, and all the fish are healthy. The secret? Live plants, a good filter, and a large volume of water. I bought the tank for $10 at a yard sale 13 years ago. Added a $30 filter and a heater, and it's all set.

Fish-keeping can be as easy or as difficult as you make it, but contrary to popular belief, it's actually much easier if you go bigger rather than smaller. The larger volume of water makes the tank much more forgiving to mistakes.

 

[OceanAnnie]

I forgot to tell you guys, my DH got an aquarium about a week ago. I walked into the room and there they were, happy as clams swimming in a nice large tank. He got them a the filtration system and a light. They are getting big. And best of all, no constant cleaning!! My gosh. I guess he saw I needed a break.

I asked him how much it cost and he smiled and told me, not too much. That was the perfect answer. I didn't really want to know. It was so sweet of him to get it. I didn't know what to get, other than something somewhat reasonable. He knew what to get.

Not budget, I'm sure. But great for the fish and my sanity.

So all's well that ends well.

 

[kidshop]

I bought this tank for my classroom http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3635102 . I got 3 goldfish back in the summer of '07. One died the following summer, and another last summer. I still have one left. Even with the filter, I change half the water once a week and all water once a month when changing the filter. Filters aren't particularly cheap either! I am getting tired of the routine. I figured this last goldfish doesn't have long left. Then another teacher asked me to "fish-sit" over Christmas break since she was having a problem with her tank and she had one lone survivor. Now we've officially adopted this fish, so it looks like I won't be done with fish anytime soon. Good luck!

My tank is like this but I think it is 1 1.2 gallons. It's supposed to hold 2 1/2 total inches of fish, and 2 goldfish have never made it...one would die rather soon and the survivor lived a long time! I had one that lived over 3 years. Ryan our current fish is over a year and he is close to 2 1/2 inches long. we have a bubbling filter and I only feed every other day at most. I add water as the level goes down. I do not change the filter every month, maybe three times a year. He has rocks and fake plants. He seems happy.

 

[mamalle]

least you have your goldfish... mine are all missing including my Koi from my fishpond in the front.. Im so sad. One of my goldfish was as big as my Koi and we had him for years.. not sure where they all went- its a mystery.. Im thinking its that white egret that has been rooming around the front yard this past week but wow all of them including the tiny ones?

 

[grumpyvet]

I have two tanks of goldfish. I got a bit over the top scientific with them and cycling, and measuring...it is amazing how much waste the buggers produce. Your fish start dying as the waste breaks down and making ammonia. Eventually with frequent water changes to keep toxins low enough for the fish to survive, your tank develops the correct bacteria to turn ammonia into nitrite, then the right bacteria to turn nitrite into nitrate...which while not great, is easier for them.

Okay, I know, TMI. You see--turned into a bit of a passion for me.


I follow the 10 gallon per goldfish rule, have my tanks cycled so my ammonia and nitrites are always zero, change 20% of the water every week with a gravel vacuuming and treated water. I wipe down the algae as needed.

I feed about every other day, pelleted diet, 3-4 pellets per fish.

SO, how old are my fish? I have two that are over 10 years and the others are between 3 and 7.

Crazy, huh? My tanks are 60 gallons and 40 gallons, and I have a total of 6 fish in all that space. They are HUGE though.

If anyone wants to get super into goldfish....a great site for info on cycling and the like is Koko's Goldfish world.

I have never kept tropicals, but I understand that they are much less maintainance.

Okay, off my goldfish soap box. All I should have said, is HURRAH for your tank and your husband's purchase!!

 

[pixiewings71]

For goldfish, it's not recommended that you keep them in a tank smaller than 10 gallons per fish. They are just incredibly messy.

I've been keeping fish (both freshwater and saltwater) since I was 8 years old, and I've made every mistake in the book over the years. The main thing I have learned, though, is that if you buy the biggest tank that you can reasonably afford, it will save you money in the long run. Like PPs have suggested, look on Freecycle and Craigslist, or at thrift shops to try to find a deal. If you can't find anything used, and things are looking dire in your little bowl, I'd recommend an Eclipse tank - the biowheel and filter are all built into the light hood and it requires minimum maintenance. You can buy an Eclipse 6 gallon for about $50 at Petsmart and it will keep your fish alive for a few years until you need to upgrade. As a PP mentioned, goldfish will not outgrow their tank.... but a life in a too-small tank is a miserable time for a goldfish. They will stay small, but in the same way that a bonzai tree will stay small. The goldfish will never be truly healthy. Buying a larger tank and a good quality filter (I swear by the Aquaclear brand) will save you so much headache, and you won't be spending tons of money on water treatment chemicals because you will only need to do minimal amounts of maintenance on the tank. Also, I recommend the AquaPlus brand of water treatment chemicals. You just need a capful for every 10 gallons, and a bottle will last for years. The stuff has been around FOREVER, and I've used it in every freshwater tank I've ever owned.

Avoid undergravel filters. They are cheap, but a pain to clean and almost worse than no filter at all. You'll still end up doing regular water changes.

Seriously, I have a 46 gallon tank right now that I haven't cleaned in over a year. I just top up the water every 2 weeks when it gets low. However, it looks perfectly clean, has no algae growth, and all the fish are healthy. The secret? Live plants, a good filter, and a large volume of water. I bought the tank for $10 at a yard sale 13 years ago. Added a $30 filter and a heater, and it's all set.

Fish-keeping can be as easy or as difficult as you make it, but contrary to popular belief, it's actually much easier if you go bigger rather than smaller. The larger volume of water makes the tank much more forgiving to mistakes.

We have a 75 gallon freshwater right now, it's tropical and planted. We haven't done a water change in ages either, we just top it off when it needs it. The fish are healthy, they've all been in there for about 3 years now. Definitely agree that live plants and a good filter help! I started with goldfish and moved up from there.

I forgot to tell you guys, my DH got an aquarium about a week ago. I walked into the room and there they were, happy as clams swimming in a nice large tank. He got them a the filtration system and a light. They are getting big. And best of all, no constant cleaning!! My gosh. I guess he saw I needed a break.

I asked him how much it cost and he smiled and told me, not too much. That was the perfect answer. I didn't really want to know. It was so sweet of him to get it. I didn't know what to get, other than something somewhat reasonable. He knew what to get.

Not budget, I'm sure. But great for the fish and my sanity.

So all's well that ends well.

YAY! I'm glad the fishies like their new home.

I have two tanks of goldfish. I got a bit over the top scientific with them and cycling, and measuring...it is amazing how much waste the buggers produce. Your fish start dying as the waste breaks down and making ammonia. Eventually with frequent water changes to keep toxins low enough for the fish to survive, your tank develops the correct bacteria to turn ammonia into nitrite, then the right bacteria to turn nitrite into nitrate...which while not great, is easier for them.

Okay, I know, TMI. You see--turned into a bit of a passion for me.


I follow the 10 gallon per goldfish rule, have my tanks cycled so my ammonia and nitrites are always zero, change 20% of the water every week with a gravel vacuuming and treated water. I wipe down the algae as needed.

I feed about every other day, pelleted diet, 3-4 pellets per fish.

SO, how old are my fish? I have two that are over 10 years and the others are between 3 and 7.

Crazy, huh? My tanks are 60 gallons and 40 gallons, and I have a total of 6 fish in all that space. They are HUGE though.

If anyone wants to get super into goldfish....a great site for info on cycling and the like is Koko's Goldfish world.

I have never kept tropicals, but I understand that they are much less maintainance.

Okay, off my goldfish soap box. All I should have said, is HURRAH for your tank and your husband's purchase!!

WOW!!! That's awesome!!!! Congrats on having a great system set up!