How many 1 inch common goldfish can live in a 2 gallon bowl?
I have about three small goldfish in an about 2 gallon fishbowl, and the tank’s about 8 inch long, 5 inches wide, and 8 inches tall. (not completely accurate, I used my fingers to measure)
The guy at the pet store said that it could hold about 2 or 3 goldfish, but from what I’ve read on Google, it seems like I have to get a 30 gallon fish tank for those tiny little fish??
I don’t really know how to take care of a fish, but I seriously don’t think its right to spend money to buy a fish tank that your goldfish will barely take only a tenth of. But I know I’m supposed to.. (i guess)
And how many times do I have to change their water? I bought this water conditioner thing that makes the water safe for the fish or something and I was wondering if I also have to buy like a filter and stuff like that for a bowl?
Thanks a lot and please dont be mean, I got the goldfish for my 13th birthday yesterday and I JUST ran out to the store with my mom to buy food and a bowl for them.
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til you cant fit anymore
000000
Common goldfish grow 12+ inches and need 55 gallons for just two of them. No goldfish can live in a bowl and will quickly die in these conditions. They need double filtration and large tanks to accommodate their messiness and large size.
Please take the fish back or find them homes to someone who knows what they’re doing. Fish are not a quick, cheap pet. Even small community tanks (10-20gal) can cost over $100 to setup.
Jess – We’re the stupid ones? Goldfish can live 30+ years when properly cared for. In small containers their grow will be stunted and they will die. This shortens their lifespan and they may only reach the age of 2.
none, they get huge. One needs a 20 gallon tank.
People are going to tell you that you can’t keep goldfish in fish bowls. You can. Don’t even read those answers! You don’t need a filter, you don’t need a heater, just a bowl and water. Yes, add the water dechlorinator you got every time you change the water. It removes the chlorine in the water. You can change their water every time it starts to get really murky and stinky. Also, goldfish like frozen brine shrimp as well. Feed them frozen brine shrimp (if you choose) every other day. Be aware! They do produce a lot of waste, so just watch out. Every time you look at your fish, they will be pooping. lol I’m honestly not even kidding. Again, don’t listen to people when they say you need like 25 gallon or ten gallons or whatever for one fish. They are stupid, and I don’t know why they say that. 2 gallons or however big your bowl is is perfect size. And once again, you don’t need a filter or anything like that. I hope I helped! Any more questions? Feel free to email me!
jess obviously has no idea what she is a talking about….
happy belated birthday
think about this. that tank is their home… they spend everyday all day in it… so sure they won’t take up even 1/10 of the tank (for now… they get bigger), but could you image having to spend you WHOLE life in one room because you “don’t even take up 1/10″ of the room?
for now, you might be able to get away with a 10-20gallon tank. however the problem is goldfish are carp. which means they get big and are VERY messy. you need HEAVY filtration and lots of water changes and you’ll need to upgrade your tank size within a year.
honestly, the best option is to return them. I know that they were a gift and you’ll feel bad returning them but is it worth killing them? these fish get between 12″ and 24″ and are really meant for ponds. as these grow you’ll eventually need at LEAST a 75gallon tank for just the three of them
so here is my suggestion to you…
return the goldfish and the bowl and the food. instead get a 2.5gallon tank, a heater and thermometer, a simple sponge filter, a silk plant or two, a gravel siphon, betta pellets, and get a betta
here is pricing:
2.5gallon tank $12 (just an all glass tank… it would be only $10 for a 10gallon if you have the space)
heater (hydor mini heater or walmart has one for mini tanks) $13
thermometer $2
filter $15 (including pump)
silk plants $2
gravel siphon $4
then you have a HEALTHY home for a single male betta and he can live for up to 5-7years as long as you change 25% of the water once a week using the gravel siphon.
BTW, if whoever got you the fish is hurt by you returning them, just explain you looooved the fish, but you learned they required more care than you can give so you wanted exchanged them for something a little easier for you.
Jess has no clue what she is talking about.
Goldfish can get to be 18 inches, how will that fish fit in a bowl? They need big spaces with lots of filtration. They are also very messy fish. The problem with keeping them in a bowl is 1. it will stunt their growth, they cant grow to 18 inches if they tank is 5 inches wide. 2. You probably have no filter, and very little space for benneficial bacteria to build up. Without these 2 things, ammonia and nitrite will build up, and suffocate/burn their insides. Goldfish can live 30 years and get 18 inches, they will be lucky to live 3 months and get 3 inches in a bowl. No fish lives in a bowl.
Try looking at any website, any single website about goldfish, every single one will tell you 30+ gallon tanks. Even petsmart and petco who only care about making money will say you need a 20+ gallon tank. But no jess knows better, not.
Actually live, about zero.
Right now they are small, because they are BABY goldfish. If you take proper care of them they will grow to a foot long and could live for 20 years. If you stuff them in a 2gal bowl they will probably not grow at all and be dead in 6 months (if you take really good care of them), otherwise, maybe a week.
BTW, if they are common goldfish a 30gal is only going to work for maybe a year, yes they do get that big.
Watch this video.
Thats a normal goldfish, just like you have. It’s 18 months old, and 11″ long. It’s not a freak or mutant, thats what goldfish SHOULD grow like.
Some more reading for you.
What should you do right now, keep changing the water, every few days. The water conditiner is good as it will neutralise any chlorine in your tap water, so keep using that. But your bowl has no filtering to process they waste that all fish produce, and goldfish produce a LOT. So YOU have to keep the water fresh by changing it, a LOT.
But long term you will need a much bigger tank for them, if you want them to live a long and healthy life anyway.
I have tried not to be “mean”, just given you the facts. Good luck with your fish.
Ian
In a 2-gallon bowl: None.
Yes, you need a 30-gallon or bigger tank for one or two goldfish. For three, about 50 gallons. Goldfish are only tiny fish when they are babies. An adult common goldfish is about a foot long, although some get considerably bigger. Thus the need for big tanks.
Along with your goldfish supplies, buy a book on how to take care of goldfish. Or check some out of the library.