Bubble Eye GoldFish, Fantail, Or Betta?

[taxidermynerd]

I've had fish die, but as a responsible fish owner I need to do everything in my power to keep that from happening. Have I had unfortunate accidents and losses? Yes. I've had fish died because a tank crashed, I've had 1 fish die from repeated bouts of ick, no matter how vigorously I treated him. I've had fish die because my father turned up the heater to over a hundred degrees without realizing (old temperamental heater from when my dad had fish). Fish die, and sometimes it happens, but if fish are dying at a rapid rate something is going on.

I have pearl gourami in my 40 gallon right now who I know is at least 3 years old. I have numerous generations of platys living in my 40 gallon. Of my 3 glofish, 1 is the child of the other two, who I raised from the time she was as big as a grain of rice. All these wonderful things only happened because I take proper care of my tanks.

I dropped 20 dollars on a test kit and it's the best money I've ever spent on my fish. A siphon is like 5 dollars and a 5 gallon bucket is 3 dollars. They're easy purchases, even walmart and meijers have them.

I carefully consider every fish I bring into my home and where I get them from. Even the babies that result from my platys breeding, I take out only as many babies as I can house, and raise them until they are big enough to rejoin to the community. I don't take on more than I can handle. I know my limit, do you know yours?

By bringing these lives into my home, I take full responsibility for them. And that goes for any life- be it avian, canine, human or otherwise. A life is a life is a life.

 

[Mizzely]

Intergalactic fish tank theme !!

I named an entire fish tank after Star trek characters at one point never even considered making the TANK space themed. Dang!!

 

[Mizzely]

Another thing is a lot of people don't realize you can't just set up a tank and dump fish in. I remember reading in the book that came with our Tetrafin tank ooh 25 years ago? That you needed to "let tank cycle a week before adding fish". And even THAT is wrong. You need healthy bacteria established before you add fish. Google the Nitrogen Cycle of a fish tank.

Some people use "hearty" fish to do this to introduce waste, but that is barbaric. Those fish often get their gills burned with ammonia and then they live a short life due to it.

Google fishless tank cycling for an easier and humane method.

This cycling is also why it is better to have a whole setup. Keeping a betta in a bowl, etc means most people are dumping all the water everytime, and starting that cycle over and over again. And everytime is is more taxing on the poor fish.

 

[taxidermynerd]

Another thing is a lot of people don't realize you can't just set up a tank and dump fish in. I remember reading in the book that came with our Tetrafin tank ooh 25 years ago? That you needed to "let tank cycle a week before adding fish". And even THAT is wrong. You need healthy bacteria established before you add fish. Google the Nitrogen Cycle of a fish tank.

Some people use "hearty" fish to do this to introduce waste, but that is barbaric. Those fish often get their gills burned with ammonia and then they live a short life due to it.

Google fishless tank cycling for an easier and humane method.

This cycling is also why it is better to have a whole setup. Keeping a betta in a bowl, etc means most people are dumping all the water everytime, and starting that cycle over and over again. And everytime is is more taxing on the poor fish.

I found using Tetra SafeStart + (basically good bacteria in a bottle) I can get a tank cycled in 2 weeks or so. I'd usually do 2 weeks, test, and if everything came out good I'd give it another week just to be sure. And I personally never add more than 6 fish at a time, because you don't want to overload the system.

 

[charlieboy]

I agree, she shouldn't. But it is what it is, you know? At the end of the day, we do what we can do. edit::Mine were fed flakes and floating pellets, but they preferred flakes

"We do what we can do" has a limit. And that limit is: stop getting new fish if you can't care for them properly! I realised I didn't have time to take care of fish on top of my bird, so I rehomed our 10+ years old pleco (He was alone since all the others died, how did he survive in these pretty bad conditions? I have no idea, but I felt bad so he is now in a friend's 100 gallon tank with a lot of other fishie friends) and am discouraging my mom about getting new ones. I'm not telling you not to ever get fish again though, but you have a LOT of learning and responsabilizing to do beforehand.

 

[charlieboy]

By bringing these lives into my home, I take full responsibility for them. And that goes for any life- be it avian, canine, human or otherwise. A life is a life is a life.

 

[WhteRnbwBirdie]

My Bettas never died @sparklepupp my goldfish did. My sister's Bettas died. Betta's are much easier to keep alive.

 

[fashionfobie]

Yes fish are not easy pets. You must approach their care as part biologist, part chemist, and part engineer.

Once you understand the science and respect the natural setup you can easily have success, but if you cheat the system your fish suffer.

Also fish DON'T grow to their enclosure size. They grow based on quality diet and exercise. Goldfish have a critical growth period in their first year. If on a proper diet it is based on exercise. So if they can swim many lengths they get more balanced development. After this year they continue to grow every year, at a slower rate. This is why you see small goldfish sometimes that maybe older. When they were young they didn't get the diet or swimming area they need.

It was mentioned that it would be like they live in a closet, very good analogy. A closet would be a terrible environment to grow and develop healthily. Fish that don't have the chance to develop proper muscles or form suffer. They are more prone to complications and aren't strong swimmers as they should be.

In terms of additives to tanks, this is another conversation as I could talk about that for a long time and this is more of a bird platform.

My word of advice.. ICH is an ectoparasite, not bacteria. Most fish carry ICH, they don't get out breaks if they are healthy. When a fish is unhealthy ICH overpowers them. (Humans also always have streptococcus all over them, but you are only attacked by it when your immune system is compromised.) Pouring heaps of noxious chemicals in your tank will not heal your fish. These products are very dangerous and if fish were more valued creatures should really only be vet prescribed. If you need to drug your fish you have already made mistakes that compromised health. You can't just poison them to health.

Use extreme caution when adding anything to your tank that isn't a trusted conditioner during water changes.

I named an entire fish tank after Star trek characters at one point never even considered making the TANK space themed. Dang!!

P.s. you guys rock! Intergalactic fish! Ftw

 

[HolliDaze]

If you cannot keep a goldfish alive, you are not fit to own any animal.
Even a small child can manage to care for a goldfish.

This I disagree with. I can't even keep plants alive, but foster week old baby mice (waking up every two hours around the clock, feeding goats milk with a paintbrush for ten minutes, rubbing baby's belly, cleaning with a cuetip, feeding Pedialyte if dehydrated, for 1-3 weeks until they're weaned) with little loss. While I agree that overfeeding is a silly mistake to make with a fish, they are incredibly sensitive creatures. I believe their proper care to be more difficult than a cockatoos. while 'toos require much more time and attention, they don't die when their ph is off, or if the room changes by a few degrees (assuming they acclimate).

Just like how I am good at caring for animals and terrible with plants, Rainbow could be terrible with fish and capable of caring for another one.

 

[HolliDaze]

Nice sarcasm @Zara. My sister kept her Betta in a 2.5. Gallon. & a Goldfish vet? I can buy a fantial for $3.99 at Meijer. It's not worth spending money on a vet. Sure, I'll buy some antibiotics for ICK, but I'm not taking a Goldfish to a vet. Like... what? Are you feeling okay?

This, however, is horrible. The price of an animal doesn't mean it's okay to just let it suffer. animals aren't an investment, they're alive. There's more value to a life than what you paid for it. If so meone offered me 100,000$ for Dexter today, but planned to harm him, I wouldn't consider it. He's alive. a living, breathing, animal. His life is priceless.

 

[Zara]

This I disagree with. I can't even keep plants alive, but foster week old baby mice (waking up every two hours around the clock, feeding goats milk with a paintbrush for ten minutes, rubbing baby's belly, cleaning with a cuetip, feeding Pedialyte if dehydrated, for 1-3 weeks until they're weaned) with little loss. While I agree that overfeeding is a silly mistake to make with a fish, they are incredibly sensitive creatures. I believe their proper care to be more difficult than a cockatoos. while 'toos require much more time and attention, they don't die when their ph is off, or if the room changes by a few degrees (assuming they acclimate).

Just like how I am good at caring for animals and terrible with plants, Rainbow could be terrible with fish and capable of caring for another one.

The difference is you have acknowledged you can't keep a plant alive and I assume don't repurchase?

I'm bad with flowers. I'm great with green plants but I can't keep flowers alive, so I don't buy them.

This member can't keep fish alive and is now on a forum talking about buying more fish.

 

[HolliDaze]

The difference is you have acknowledged you can't keep a plant alive and I assume don't repurchase?

I'm bad with flowers. I'm great with green plants but I can't keep flowers alive, so I don't buy them.

This member can't keep fish alive and is now on a forum talking about buying more fish.

I do not purchase more. I misunderstood your message, and thought you were claiming an inability (and acknowledgment of said inability) to care for a simpler life form meant they shouldn't have other life forms because of the inability. If you were talking about the fact that they're still getting fish despite not being able to keep them alive, I understand that.

 

[Zara]

I do not purchase more. I misunderstood your message, and thought you were claiming an inability (and acknowledgment of said inability) to care for a simpler life form meant they shouldn't have other life forms because of the inability. If you were talking about the fact that they're still getting fish despite not being able to keep them alive, I understand that.

Yes, sorry, poor choice of words on my part. This is after all the bird comotion this member created, and my 5 were flock calling, not my finest moment to be commenting

 

[WhteRnbwBirdie]

Bettas are hardy. I've had success with Bettas.

 

[HolliDaze]

Yes, sorry, poor choice of words on my part. This is after all the bird comotion this member created, and my 5 were flock calling, not my finest moment to be commenting

No worries!

 

[Revelth]

My Bettas never died @sparklepupp my goldfish did. My sister's Bettas died. Betta's are much easier to keep alive.

Ok, but the biggest thing I think everyone is worried about is the betta fish not just surviving but thriving. A 10 gallon is ideal and I'm hoping that you'll spend that 40 dollars or just wait for a sale (which is what I think you should do).

 

[charlieboy]

Ok, but the biggest thing I think everyone is worried about is the betta fish not just surviving but thriving. A 10 gallon is ideal and I'm hoping that you'll spend that 40 dollars or just wait for a sale (which is what I think you should do).

 

[WhteRnbwBirdie]

Best Betta Fish Tank | Form, Function & Coolest Betta Tanks Reviewed -{---- this website states, plain as day, that one single Betta, on his own, will be Very Happy in a 5 Gallon tank. I have subscribed to their newsletter!

 

[taxidermynerd]

I'll just mention that right after the line you quoted, it says "Bigger is better". Just sayin'. I fully agree, honestly the bigger you can go the better. Plus you'll have more options for setting up a tank in the future, which is always nice.