Anyone keep goldfish?

[Maz]

The kids just asked permission to bring home a goldfish from a friend who no longer wants to keep it. I agreed. It currently lives in a placcy bowl with a bit of gravel (oh, and some water).

Any goldfish keepers out there? Do I need a fish tank + filters etc? Get another fish or 3 to keep it company?

waddayareckon?

 

[dan_bo]

In my limited experience carp tend to grow in accordance with thier accomodation.

Keep 'em in a teacup.

 

[johnnyh]

they will grow to a size whatever, if looked after correctly can last years. They only don't reach a certain size if the accommodation is too small and they die through environmental conditions... and you don't wanna be a fish killer do you

My lads oldest one was about 6 when it decided to float. Poor old Bob RIP Him and Dizzy ended up in a 60ltr tank with filters, lights and 3 or four tankmates... and I thought I was getting a cheap pet!!!

Keep 'em in a small environment and they won't last long, same if you don't do regular 1/3rd water changes etc...

 

[bonj2]

i've had a load living in the cistern for bout 6 months.

 

[Maz]

i've had a load living in the cistern for bout 6 months.

when the bloke in the petshop said 'put em in a tank of water', that wasn't exactly what he had in mind.

 

[Mr Pig]

Had a large tropical tank years ago. Eventually I discovered that keeping fish was very boring ;0)

 

[ArDee]

i've had a load living in the cistern for bout 6 months.

Bob Flowerdew recommends keeping one or two in your water butt as organic control for gnat larvae

 

[Cranky]

My daughter was given a goldfish and plastic tank by her friend for her 7th birthday. It soon died because we had no filters or oxygenating plants, or any idea really. Then, of course, it had to be replaced so we bought a pair and a larger, glass tank with pump, filter etc. After a short time she lost interest in looking after them but we would have to replace one whenever it died. Daughter is now 15 and I'm still looking after the remaining one now, which is about 6 years old, and a right pain in the a*se it is, too! I'm waiting for it to die really but I have a feeling it's going to live a long life. Be warned.

 

[MrGrumpy]

The kids just asked permission to bring home a goldfish from a friend who no longer wants to keep it. I agreed. It currently lives in a placcy bowl with a bit of gravel (oh, and some water).

Any goldfish keepers out there? Do I need a fish tank + filters etc? Get another fish or 3 to keep it company?

waddayareckon?

yer ours started of as a couple of goldfish in a small bowl, given to us free and before you know it 6-7 yrs down the line, they are still here in a big tank with filters they seem to be hardy fellas as they don`t get the water changes they are meant to get which is bad I know.

 

[Arch]

We had a couple for some time, in a plastic bowl, with some gravel and a chunk of that pondweed stuff. Fred died quite quickly, and was replaced by Fred 2, who also died. Maisie outlived them both, and went on to be about 5 or 6 I think. We cleaned the bowl out everyso often, by scooping Maisie out in a ladle into a holding tank (an old marg tub) and giving it all a good wash (including the gravel) with clean water. Note: when you do this, keep a hand firmly over the ladle. They wriggle a lot!

 

[Bokonon]

I was once the custodian of a house mate's goldfish whilst he was out of the country for 9 months. Basicly I'd chuck in some fish food when I remembered and then scrape the algae off the sides of the tank when I could no longer see the fish. I'd then remove and replace some of the water once the algae had settled and rinse out the pump. The fish survived and my housemate then put it in a friend's pond as soon as he returned. I used to have all manner of dreams about the fish dying as a result of my neglect and then having to explain to my housemate.

 

[vernon]

Bob Flowerdew recommends keeping one or two in your water butt as organic control for gnat larvae

I remember seeing that done as a kid. It's also how I got my first goldfish

 

[vernon]

When I was an undergraduate, one of my housemates won a couple of goldfish at the anuual fair on Woodhouse Moor in Leeds. As our bath was unuseable for its intended purpose because of flaking enamle. We kept the fish in the bath for a couple of years. They grew considerably and were around seven inches long when we rehomed them when we moved on.

Our landlord was not too happy with the fish in the bath until we asked him for a new bath. He had a quick change of mind about his fish eviction order.

 

[Maz]

When I was an undergraduate, one of my housemates won a couple of goldfish at the anuual fair on Woodhouse Moor in Leeds. As our bath was unuseable for its intended purpose because of flaking enamle. We kept the fish in the bath for a couple of years. They grew considerably and were around seven inches long when we rehomed them when we moved on.

Our landlord was not too happy with the fish in the bath until we asked him for a new bath. He had a quick change of mind about his fish eviction order.

What a cool story!

 

[swee'pea99]

I was once the custodian of a house mate's goldfish whilst he was out of the country for 9 months. Basicly I'd chuck in some fish food when I remembered and then scrape the algae off the sides of the tank when I could no longer see the fish. I'd then remove and replace some of the water once the algae had settled and rinse out the pump. The fish survived and my housemate then put it in a friend's pond as soon as he returned. I used to have all manner of dreams about the fish dying as a result of my neglect and then having to explain to my housemate.

Blimey. Goldfish all look the same. Couldn't you have saved all the bother by flushing them then replacing them just before he got back?