Thread: Weddings

I happened upon your advice for the woman getting married, and was glad to be more informed regarding goldfish. I love all animals and living things, but had no idea that goldfish cannot thrive in bowls, and the suffering they go through. Thanks so much: this is not well-known at all...

Originally Posted by kira

Sorry to rant a bit and a little late but please no goldfish unless you have a pond for them afterward. They are severely abused animals. They are extremely messy and if kept properly grow very large. Fancy goldfish with the round bodies and interesting tails need around 30gallons to themselves to grow properly with weekly water changes of 25%. Common goldfish would require at least a 55gallon for one fish but likely that wouldn't be enough requiring constant water changes to keep the nitrates down. Really they should be ponds only. In any smaller area or without enough water changes the fish will stunt which means they poison themselves with their waste products and a hormone they release. Their bodies do not grow properly, stress is placed on their internal organs, and they die of illnesses within a couple years. Goldfish can live 50+ years. Even the fancy ones should live around 30 if properly cared for. How many goldfish do you know have lived that long? They die because they are tortured to death in improper conditions. Putting a goldfish in a bowl or small tank for it's life is like making a rottweiler puppy grow up in the crate sized for my shiba (max of 20lbs fully grown).

If you want to do the fish idea try some guppies, bettas, or other gouramis which don't get as large and the last few can breathe air so could live in bowls or small tanks with no filtration. Even for temporary use putting anything but a labyrinth fish in a bowl without an airstone means they are slowly suffocating as they use up the oxygen in the water. Anything but a beta or gourami (labyrinth fish) gulping at the surface means the fish is suffocating and desperate for air. With gouramis you could even color coordinate since they come in a wide range of blues, reds, oranges, and silvers. Pearls are a bit more expensive but sparkle like they are covered in diamonds. Afterward they can happily live out their full lifespan of 3-5years in a 10-20gallon aquarium which plenty of people have or are willing to buy for a colorful fish.