Why Do People Hate Goldfish

[B13]

Does she know they have a lifespan of about 30 years? Did the pet store tell anyone that? Could she handle keeping one that long? From what you describe of her attitude to their care, forgive me but I find that unlikely.

To be fair to her, she's an extremely responsible pet owner (grew up on a farm, has had pets as a kid, keeps rabbits, etc) but people keep telling her that fishes only grow to the size of the tank. The snag is, these people are folks who probably don't know any better and can only go on their experience (My Dad is the same: every time my Mum asks how things are going with the water changes, he goes NUTS at me. But when he kept fish, folks never changed the water! It's just the old-fashioned way of doing things!) I keep relaying snippets of info from here, but she's (so far...) choosing to listen what other folks tell her. My plan is to take her to a LFS to get a good-sized Biorb and get the shop owner to fill her in on the info... (I may even be a bit sneaky and phone 'em in advance...)

And no, the fish shop didn't tell the guy who bought them for her how long they live or how big they get, but yes, she's very aware that the lil' dudes are a commitment and that's something I KNOW she'll rise to for however long they live.

She's very much an animal lover, but I cannot seem to get the whole "they only grow to the size of the tank" thing replaced by "They'll only grow to the size of the tank, but this causes extreme stress and will greatly reduce their lifespan."

But... I'm workin' on it!!

 

[Corleone]

TBH, I'd let her kill the fish and have a good I-told-you-so. It'll take a while with good care, but it'll still happen. The only way I've ever gotten through to people like her (and your dad) is to have success above and beyond anything they could imagine while they're consistently stuck in failure.

My grandfather fell into your dad's group, but has seen me keep fish, in my first few months in the hobby, that he'd spent years trying to keep alive, and my biggest problem is that they won't stop laying eggs, so he recognizes the difference.

If you do take her to get a proper tank, don't get a biorb. Also make sure the pet store will give her good information before you take her - most of them will give barely better advise than she's already following. Most of them are too small for goldfish anyway, and the little bubble pillar thing in the middle that powers the filter restricts the swimming space in the bigger models anyway, so they're still cramped for a goldfish. Get a 20 gallon tank and a hanging filter.

Also, remind her dogs will only grow to fit the cage they're kept in. I'm sure she'll understand what you mean if she does love animals.

 

[Honeythorn]

My plan is to take her to a LFS to get a good-sized Biorb

Getting even a large Biorb is useless. It still won't be big enough. It's far easier and cheaper in the long run ( which is what you have to think of with fish like this ) to get a large tank to begin with. That way you won't have to keep shelling out money on 2 or 3 upgrades as they grow. Just give them the growing room to begin with and you don't have to worry about getting the next size tank and how much that will cost.

The tank doesn't have to be a brand spanking new one. You can get a decent quality 4-5 foot tank second hand for half the price of a new one, and not much more than a brand new large Biorb ( which aren't exactly cheap when brand new out of a shop anyway ) Also, Biorbs have the added extra crapness of having a REALLY tiny surface area due to their circular shape. This will provide POOR oxygen levels, as the less surface are you have, the less area there is for oxygen to mix with the water. The things are pretty much just a glorified version of what she has them in now. Utterly useless.

Seriously if she is as responsible as you say then sooner or later you can only hope that basic logic will sink in. Show her some full grown healthy Comets. Once she sees how large and handsome her fish could and SHOULD be, you may be able to persuade her a little easier.

 

[gulp]

I like my two goldfish.
They both have there own Individual Characters .

 

[B13]

Getting even a large Biorb is useless.

If you do take her to get a proper tank, don't get a biorb.

I think she's got her heart set on a Biorb, I'm afraid... Hence the reason why I posted up in the coldwater forum whether Biorbs were suitable for goldfish - the general consensus was "It's WAY better than a bowl, but NOT better than a tank." I relayed this information but unfortunately, that very day we had a client in who'd had goldfish in a Biorb and he said they were "Fine!!" *hits head on desk*

Basically, I think my friend is more inclined to take advice from 'real life' people who she knows rather than from 'virtual people' who she's never met on a forum. Especially as the information is 'secondhand' (i.e. relayed by me)

I'm gonna try again and see if I can get her to buy a tank... I'm gonna mention the surface area-to-oxygen ratio problem and see if that swings the decision. I might take her to one of the bigger LFS or garden centre aquariums and point out all the pretty rectangular tanks that are available ...and point out the price difference....




The snag is, my chum is very much like me: a. form an opinion, b. ask for advice, but if b. differs from a. then b. gets thrown straight out the window. The difference with me is that when it comes to something I know NOTHING about (i.e. keeping tropical fish) I'll come to somewhere like this forum to ask for help and advice - and then act on it. Especially if it involves animal welfare. All I can do in return is pass that advice along when asked...



P.S. Thank you for backing me up on this by the way!!! I'm determined that she must see sense in the end!! She's a wonderful person, but I wish she'd bloomin' well listen!!

 

[saz326]

(i.e. relayed by me)

I'm gonna try again and see if I can get her to buy a tank... I'm gonna mention the surface area-to-oxygen ratio problem and see if that swings the decision. I might take her to one of the bigger LFS or garden centre aquariums and point out all the pretty rectangular tanks that are available ...and point out the price difference....

Heres a thought... How about mentioning that tanks can also have pretty features inside them like plants and bubble walls, ornaments etc if so desired. Can make them look like a natural scene, or like an ammusement park depending on tastes but there is so much more possibility to make the tank a feature of your room than there is with a biorb.

Biorbs are really restrictive in how you can decorate them. Plus if you need spares you have to get the Biorb brand ones which are a slow drain on the pennies.

Good luck

 

[B13]

*grins*

I've just emailed a list of websites/forums that say "Biobs are rubbish" over to her - and have made the appeal that both her wallet and her fishies will be FAR happier in the long run with a nice tank...



Wish me luck: I'm on a mission!!!!

 

[B13]

*blinks*

Bloody hell!! I think we've done it!!

We're going FISH TANK shopping on Saturday!!!

 

[paw-paw]

good luck
Tanks are really way better and fish can swim more freely in them...
The problem with bowls is also that fish get echo replies from the curved sites. OK, you probably don't know what I mean ...and I am not sure if it is true but I read that in a lot ob goldfish leaflets you get in shops...

 

[WILDER]

Biorb no good as there the wrong shape.
Goldfish need length in tanks and biorbs are round.
Also the filteration are very poor in biorbs. You need double the filter size to the tank with goldifish because they are massive waste producers.
For one goldfish alone you really need 20 gallons tank then a 40 gallon filter.

 

[B13]

*a few days and one shopping trip later*


SUCCESS!!!!!

'Dave' and 'Brian' are now out of their bowl and in a nice, new tank!!

The next items on the shopping list are a rock and some real plants...

 

[patthecat12]

Nice my first every fish were goldys, they were rescued from relatives that get them at fairs (hook a duck). my aunt was actually trying to starve it needless to say i took him away and got another two for company.
heres mine i am proud of it since i had no experience before.

 

[Nick16]

just think they are more pond type fish.

 

[Honeythorn]

SUCCESS!!!!!

Not as such seeing as it's about 6 times too small. But I will concede it is better than a bowl and does at least have a filter of some variety.

Hopefully she will see the light of biology when they begin to outgrow it. Which they should hopefully do rapidly if she keeps up with the weekly 50% water changes.

 

[B13]

SUCCESS!!!!!

Not as such seeing as it's about 6 times too small. But I will concede it is better than a bowl and does at least have a filter of some variety.

*grins*

Yeah, I should have posted: "SUCCESS!!!!! (of sorts...)"




(I've got her a book on goldfish keeping for Xmas...)