Buying a goldfish

[User]

 

[Leedsbusdriver]

Should have just chucked a ping pong ball into a goldfish bowl.

 

[PhilDawson8270]

They are right though. Goldfish should have far more space than they are given. They are really not ideal fish for small tanks.

 

[KneesUp]

We've just bought four platys and four shrimp.

It went along similar lines except we'd told the kid we'd get some fish, so instead of leaving I just connected my wallet to their till until it had downloaded all the money.

The shrimp food is the best - you have to give one pellet per five shrimp. Each pellet is like a grain of cous cous. The smallest pot they had contains 50g, or to put it another way, although it cost me a fiver to feed the shrimp (which we only got to clear up the excess fish food) my school age child will inherit enough shrimp food for her grandchildren to use.

 

[Profpointy]

Having had a garden pond some years back I was glad to give away more than a 100 of them over the years. It wasn't a big bond, but they certainly seemed to thrive !

Sadly the heron visited some years later and ate the lot that remained

It's all very well saying they grown to 30cm or whatever, but that's after a decade or two, by which time you can get a bigger pond, or move them to a pond.

 

[KneesUp]

Having had a garden pond some years back I was glad to give away more than a 100 of them over the years. It wasn't a big bond, but they certainly seemed to thrive !

The fish obviously had enough of a bond

 

[Profpointy]

The fish obviously had enough of a bond

bah !

 

[RoubaixCube]

There's being helpful, then there's being too helpful. Its none their business where you are going to put the tank. So long as the basic requirements are met and you have the correct accessories/equipment to look after the fish properly and know what to feed them and when to feed them then nothing else matters.

You should go back there and speak to the manager and tell them it would of been better if they just handed you a little print out with a few bits of advice and tips on how to look after the goldfish rather then waste your time by going through their checklist and being all intrusive. Its bound to put a lot of people off. You can buy cigs and alcohol without being interrogated by the cashier most of the time unless you look underage.

To put it rather bluntly -- "If I wanted your advice, I'd ask for it. Thanks" (now hand them over)

 

[coffeejo]

There's being helpful, then there's being too helpful. Its none their business where you are going to put the tank. So long as the basic requirements are met and you have the correct accessories/equipment to look after the fish properly and know what to feed them and when to feed them then nothing else matters.

You should go back there and speak to the manager and tell them it would of been better if they just handed you a little print out with a few bits of advice and tips on how to look after the goldfish rather then waste your time by going through their checklist and being all intrusive. Its bound to put a lot of people off. You can buy cigs and alcohol without being interrogated by the cashier most of the time unless you look underage.

To put it rather bluntly -- "If I wanted your advice, I'd ask for it. Thanks" (now hand them over)

Really? I know absolutely nothing about fish and have never seen the point of a pet you can't cuddle but I'd argue that all animals deserve a good home, and that far too many are sold by breeders or shops with absolutely no concerns about the life it will have.

 

[Tanis8472]

Really? I know absolutely nothing about fish and have never seen the point of a pet you can't cuddle but I'd argue that all animals deserve a good home, and that far too many are sold by breeders or shops with absolutely no concerns about the life it will have.

I would llove this type of tank. Too much costr wise to keep for me at moment though

 

[numbnuts]

Cold water fish i.e. goldfish crap more than the tropical ones so she's right you do need a good filter

 

[midlife]

Go to the nearest fair and win at hoop la

Shaun

 

[RoubaixCube]

Really? I know absolutely nothing about fish and have never seen the point of a pet you can't cuddle but I'd argue that all animals deserve a good home, and that far too many are sold by breeders or shops with absolutely no concerns about the life it will have.

I cant argue with that but that would only apply (in my opinion) if i was buying a pet that would have some value if it was used for breeding, cats, dogs, chinchillas, birds & to a lesser extent reptiles.

I dont think there is any random average joe who has all the equipment let alone the patience to breed goldfish and sell them on. There is just no market for it and most unwanted goldfish either end up in other people's ponds, local rivers, poured down the gutter or flushed down the loo and end up god knows elsewhere. To get the profit margins high enough to be worth it, you'd need to be shifting hundreds of them if not thousands and thats just never going to happen.

Alternatively, I have heard of fish breeders who have an established business approaching pet shops and selling their fish to the shop but thats something else entirely.

 

[Pale Rider]

Go to the nearest fair and win at hoop la

Shaun

I recall Ken Livingstone banning goldfish in bags at fairs held on land owned by the Greater London Council.

Proving he has a sense of humour, he also said goldfish would be given free travel on the tube.

 

[stephec]

I keep tropical fish, Discus, and years ago used to keep goldfish.

As @numbnuts says goldfish create a lot of waste and need more space, the external filter I had on a 3' tank was rated for the next size up of tank, but with six large goldfish it would still need a thorough clean out at least once a fortnight.

With the set up you have it might be better suited to small tropicals such as neons if you add a small heater.