How did they survive?

[Hopester]

As a new tank owner I'm amazed at how much there is to take in regarding keeping your fish healthy and happy.

This has got me thinking about previous experiences as a child with goldfishes won at fairs etc

These poor things were abused when I think back with my new found knowledge.

Tiny bowl, 2 fish, infrequent water changes, no filtration, straight tap water etc etc...

How did they survive?

 

[smooth_bourbon]

Well I dont know about yours but mine never survived for long. It is really sad to think of it tho for we had molly tanks, and Guppy tanks. Back in the underground filter days but still filtered and read tons of books about them and all. Yet the fair goldfish always cam home to a horrible little bowl and lots of neglect. I am a meany head

 

[Clairel]

Mine never did either....

I NEVER get them from the fair now......

Come to think of it, my Nanan had one and it live to be around 15 years old , and she never did anything special to it at all, in fact, i can remember the water being green on occasions....

The only reason it died, was my Grandad, moved it to clean something up, and he left it in direct sunlight in front of a window, and they found it dead

Claire x

 

[kat and james]

the reason we need to do all these water changes, and add chemicals and stuff is that the water quality in some areas is so poor now, there are so many chemicals and horrid things in the water that we use, and it would end up killing the fish, chances are these chemicals weren't present in the water a few years ago!

i just tested my tapwater (out of curiosity) GH was a little low @ 4, and the pH is about 8, but everything else is fine. dunno how this compares to other places, but i am in the southwest of england, and i'm told taht the water down here is generally pretty good... lucky me!

did you know that in london tap water would have passed through 7 ppl or something like that!!

 

[Bloo]

As a new tank owner I'm amazed at how much there is to take in regarding keeping your fish healthy and happy.

This has got me thinking about previous experiences as a child with goldfishes won at fairs etc

These poor things were abused when I think back with my new found knowledge.

Tiny bowl, 2 fish, infrequent water changes, no filtration, straight tap water etc etc...

How did they survive?

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Did they really survive and thrived and lived out their happy healthy 20 + years they are meant to live ?

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Actually there was one common goldfish that was recorded to have lived to 50yrs old, so it gives you an idea on how long they can live. Im not sure how they manage to live in such appalling conditions somtimes, its the same with most fish though, particually bettas- usually they die when in a bad enviroment although you get the odd few miracle fish that manage to live on for years in misery, perhaps some of it might have somthing to do with the will to live and the hope that your situation may one day change?

 

[Bloo]

perhaps some of it might have somthing to do with the will to live and the hope that your situation may one day change?

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Nice as it sounds, fish don't have "hopes"
It's more a fight for survival thing than anything else.