How To Do Just About Everything
By eHow Pets Editor
Wash a Goldfish Bowl
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Because goldfish are a cold-water species, they don't need a heated tank. If you're one of those people who love the classic look of a fishbowl, read on.
Catch your fish with a small net and place it in a smaller secondary bowl full of room-temperature water from the original bowl.
Rinse the bowl thoroughly with hot water, scrubbing the sides with a paper towel, if needed.
Pour out the dirty water, and repeat with more hot water. This will help kill germs and bacteria.
Run cold water over the objects in the strainer (gravel, plastic plants) until they are clean. Return them to the bowl.
Refill the bowl and let the new water sit for 24 hours to allow the chlorine in the tap water to evaporate and to bring the water to room temperature.
Return your fish to the primary bowl.
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Comments
jenndc31 said
on 6/23/2008 Any information is greatly appreciated here, my 2 boys 7 and 11 won 2 goldfish at the fair and we have them in a fishbowl right now, too expensive to buy tank and filter etc, so anything would be helpful! thanks
mwdragondk said
on 12/3/2006 bowls should never be used to home a fish!!! its cruel! you require a filter only 10% water change regulary and you must use some thing to remove chlorine!!!
Anonymous said
on 8/8/2006 Make sure your fish is in a safe place while you clean out your bowl. My little brothers fish was very energetic when we were changing his water and it landed on the oven.
Anonymous said
on 7/22/2006 Have you ever noticed how much and how quickly a goldfish poops? Feed it now and out comes its string of poop in a matter of seconds. You cannot keep a goldfish in a bowl for sanitary and health reasons. In order to keep it in a bowl, the water must be clean, and since it poops so much, you would need to clean the water every day. This is harmful to the fish's coating and stresses him out like mad!
Since goldfish are large fish, putting him in a bowl stunts natural growth. Either way, you lose. Get at least a 20 gallon tank for two goldfish and a good filter, or don't get a goldfish at all. If you want to have a fishbowl, buy at least a one-gallon and a Betta (Siamese fighting fish). These guys are well-suited for the bowl and breathe from the surface.
Anonymous said
on 2/25/2006 First of all, goldfish should not be kept in a bowl! They need at least 10 gallons per goldfish, they are very messy! If they are kept in a bowl they need water changes 4 times a week. All fish need filtration to be healthy. When you scrub the gravel and decor, you are killing the bacteria! Always use a water treater to remove chlorine, as letting it sit does not remove chloramine, a toxic chemical bond of chlorine and ammonia. And contrary to popular belief, goldfish will not only grow as big as the tank. Their outsides will not grow, but their insides will and they will eventually die a very painful death! Goldfish can live for 20 years or longer if given care! The record is 43 years! A bigger tank is not that expensive and your fish will be much happier! They can grow up to a foot long.