Hi, goldfish help.

[sslaysey]

Hi! I am a grandmother who has a four year old grandson WHO loves "Dorothy" who is Elmo's fish on Sesame Street. So, as me being me, three and a half years ago I bought him a goldfish who is still with us to this day. Our goldfish, has a beautiful fan tail and big belly, eats cooked peas [not their skins or seed pod] every third feeding. I has found a goldfish flake food which contains dried-flaked vegetables is the best and seems to have kept our fish alive. A few times he has floated to the top, side down.......I did my research and found his air-bladder was clogged and the need for cooked softened vegetables the healer. I clean the bowl every week using four drops of the "clearing the water stuff".

Now, as our goldfish has grown immensely, I am wondering about switching to an aquarium; however, as often as I clean our Dorothy, will an aquarium be the answer as I cannot be cleaning it weekly or even monthly. Our bowl now holds a gallon and a third of water which is about ten and a half pounds approximately. I have been advised that you do not pick up or move an aquarium due to the seal breakage. Is anyone out there that can give me some advise.

ALSO, I am going out of town for two week so I was looking for an long/short term feeder. I have read that a tropical fish feeder will clog our goldfish up. I am absolutely not looking forward to killing him/her.

HELP please.

 

[fluttermoth]

Your fish does need to be in a tank. Bowls are far too small for the fish to grow properly. Your fish should also have a filter.

Tanks don't, ever, need totally cleaning out. Every week you take out half the water and replace it with new, dechlorinated water. It does need doing every week, or the water gets gradually more and more polluted and your fish could get very sick. The best way to do water changes is to siphon the old water out into a bucket.

Is there any chance you can get the fish into a tank before you go away? The water in the bowl will get very polluted in two weeks, and the fish could die.