Goldfish!

[Nomi]

Hello fellow people-type things!

I'm home sick and bored out of my mind, so I decided to make a light and fluffy topic about goldfish (because I'm so crazy like that).

So... anyone wish to chat about goldfish? Really, anything pertaining to goldfish is A-OK (yes, even the snack).

Anyone want to show of pictures of their goldfish?
Anyone want to discuss goldfish care/aquariums/feeding/ect?
Anyone want to ask questions about goldfish?
Anyone want to tell us the story of when their oranda goldfish defeated the evil sock overlord and returned peace to the people of the dryer?

 

[denisenh]

i took one of our goldfish to the vet in a tupperware shaker once. it fit in the cup holder of the car.

 

[Nomi]

Interesting. Why did it go to the vet?

 

[mickeyboat]

Well, when I was in college I had 2 goldfish, Alex and Andi, in a small bowl in my dorm room. They were dirty and smelly and it was hard to keep their bowl clean. My dad said they "died" when I was gone for the summer.

As for goldfish crackers, don't get the color-changing ones. They leave a nasty residue on little kids' fingers.

Denae

 

[denisenh]

it had a plastic pellet stuck in its mouth and it was unable to eat. i couldn't bear to watch it starve. the vet accused me of fish abuse, like i gave the fish the plastic pellet on purpose.

 

[Nomi]

I'm very sorry to hear about your goldfish mickeyboat, but I can probably tell you why they died. Goldfish need a minimum of 10 gallons per fish with a filter of at least 100x GPH. In the right conditions goldfish can live 10-20 years.

I never even knew goldfish snack came in changing colors! Strange.

 

[MOREMICKEYFORME]

Santa got my son a goldfish for Christmas!!!
It was Santa's personal goldfish, but he was too busy to take care of him (making toys and everything), so he brought it into my son's bedroom and placed it on his shelf and left a very nice note explaining that he held out the list of names of good boys and girls and Flippy the Fish chose to stay with my son...
My son was wide eyed and thrilled to know that Flippy chose him and Santa was IN his bedroom!!!

 

[Nomi]

it had a plastic pellet stuck in its mouth and it was unable to eat. i couldn't bear to watch it starve. the vet accused me of fish abuse, like i gave the fish the plastic pellet on purpose.

Oh dear. My goldfish at the shop have a tank with a finer gravel substrate than I'd like, and I'm always worried they'll suck one up when combing the tank.

 

[Nomi]

Santa got my son a goldfish for Christmas!!!
It was Santa's personal goldfish, but he was too busy to take care of him (making toys and everything), so he brought it into my son's bedroom and placed it on his shelf and left a very nice note explaining that he held out the list of names of good boys and girls and Flippy the Fish chose to stay with my son...
My son was wide eyed and thrilled to know that Flippy chose him and Santa was IN his bedroom!!!

Aw, thats awesome! What sort of tank setup does Flippy live in? What type of goldfish is he?

 

[denisenh]

Oh dear. My goldfish at the shop have a tank with a finer gravel substrate than I'd like, and I'm always worried they'll suck one up when combing the tank.

well, i hope that doesn't happen. i was mortified to be accused of abusing a fish.

 

[Nomi]

well, i hope that doesn't happen. i was mortified to be accused of abusing a fish.

That is odd though, most goldfish keepers run into this problem with finer gravel substrates (which is why most switch to bare bottom tanks. I would if I could but my fish live in the shop tank and the gravel is there to stay). It hardly constitutes as abuse, it's not like your keeping the fish in a bowl or a 3 gallon tank or anything. Perhaps that vet doesn't get many goldfish in.

 

[denisenh]

That is odd though, most goldfish keepers run into this problem with finer gravel substrates (which is why most switch to bare bottom tanks. I would if I could but my fish live in the shop tank and the gravel is there to stay). It hardly constitutes as abuse, it's not like your keeping the fish in a bowl or a 3 gallon tank or anything. Perhaps that vet doesn't get many goldfish in.

yes, perhaps not. he was sensitive to the needs of the fish though, and was concerned about the amount of anesthesia required in order to provide for a good experience as he removed the pellet with a pair of small forceps.

i had to leave the fish there (its name was Goldie...i had to be a quick thinker when asked during registration. it didn't have a name until that second but they never knew, tee hee) but i only got billed just under $20.

(i paid 79 cents for the fish and i SWEAR i have no idea where the plastic pellet came from)

 

[tazdev3225]

My DD won a goldfish at a carnival. We gave it to my other DD's future inlaws because we don't have fish at home. It lived for 2 years and I swear it was on steroids. It grew to be about 6 inches and started eating their fancier tropical fish. Unfortunately their DGS unplugged the tank when he was a baby and all the pretty fish died.

 

[Nomi]

My DD won a goldfish at a carnival. We gave it to my other DD's future inlaws because we don't have fish at home. It lived for 2 years and I swear it was on steroids. It grew to be about 6 inches and started eating their fancier tropical fish. Unfortunately their DGS unplugged the tank when he was a baby and all the pretty fish died.

So sorry it only lived 2 years.

Well, most fancy goldfish get 10 inches long, and single tailed types (commons and comets) easily get over 15 inches while full grown, though, so 6 inches long at only 2 years old sounds normal, perhaps a bit under normal.

And yes, goldfish and tropical fish are not the best tank-mates.

 

[clarabelle]

Nomi
What about outside goldfish?

How warm does it have to be to have them in an outside pond?

Do you have to have a filter system?

 

[Nomi]

Nomi
What about outside goldfish?

How warm does it have to be to have them in an outside pond?

Do you have to have a filter system?

Goldfish can survive in quite low temperatures, some keepers allowing the outdoor goldfish to stay in the pond over winter even if ice forms on the pond. Others transfer the goldfish inside for the winter. Ideally goldfish thrive at temperatures between 60 - 80 degrees F, 75 degrees being a good temperature. (too fast temperature changes can cause stress or, on the other hand, cause the goldfish to breed.)

Yes, you do need a filter, even in ponds.

 

[kacaju]

I have very few tropical fish left and once they die then i am going back to my fancy goldfish!! I have a 40 gallon tank

 

[Nomi]

I have very few tropical fish left and once they die then i am going back to my fancy goldfish!! I have a 40 gallon tank

Awesome! Any idea what type of goldfish you are going to get?

Just curious, but does anyone on the disboards breed and/or show goldfish?

 

[dislal]

I want to know why people use goldfish as centerpieces at wedding receptions?

My cousin got married a year and a half ago and we brought home the fish in the center piece. and it is still alive.

 

[kacaju]

no clue. In the past I go to the pet store and pick out a few of the unusual ones. Pretty colored ones. Whatever strikes my fancy at the time.
I do really love the chocolate brown ones, so i always try to find one of them!!