I recently talked to someone at my school who said they had 2 goldfish. He said that they were goldfish with a small max size by making a small circle with his fingers. I'd never heard of goldfish like that before, so I think it's obvious what the problem is. His tank is 1 or 2 gallons (confirmed.) Now, it seems pretty obvious that these goldfish aren't going to live for very long if something isn't done, but he doesn't seem to listen to my suggestions and thinks that they are just goldfish that are meant to be small. He said that he just kept them in an "old-fashioned fishbowl." I don't even think this should be legal. Anyway, these guys were named something with junior after their names, implying that his previous goldfish suffered a gruesome fate in the bowl of doom. Unfortunately, it seems that whatever I say won't convince him to get a better tank or pond for these fish or give them to someone who can take care of them. I used to keep a goldfish in a 10 gallon tank, and after realizing how terrible it must have been for him, I want to try to make sure it doesn't happen anymore. My old goldfish had what we think was a swim bladder infection and probably died of it, due to a tank that was not filtered. :C We did water changes by hand, probably stressing out my poor, lonely goldfish. I wish I could go back and do better. But the past is in the past, and I just want to make sure that these goldfish live a long and happy life, which probably won't happen the way things are going. Anyone have advice on what to say to him? I don't think saying "what if you were stuck in a small room for your entire, painful life?" would work. It seems like he would just shrug it off and say how "happy" they were. Failure seems imminent at this point, but I think there is still hope for these fish. Any idea on what to say?
P.S.; I can't get him a gift of a tank or anything, that would be too much money. I think these are common goldfish, but they might be comet. Just remember, I think if I said these things, he would have responses like this: if I go and say he is being inhumane, he will get mad and there will be no hope. If I tell him that those goldfish will get too big, he will say that they have a small maximum size and are happy. He might argue that he saw a healthy goldfish on the box/label of the bowl. If I tell him I have a better home for them (which I do, I know people with ponds,) he probably will refuse to give them up. I wish it was a crime to do this, but it isn't. I would like some suggestions on what to say so that he lets these goldfish have a good life.
P.S.; I can't get him a gift of a tank or anything, that would be too much money. I think these are common goldfish, but they might be comet. Just remember, I think if I said these things, he would have responses like this: if I go and say he is being inhumane, he will get mad and there will be no hope. If I tell him that those goldfish will get too big, he will say that they have a small maximum size and are happy. He might argue that he saw a healthy goldfish on the box/label of the bowl. If I tell him I have a better home for them (which I do, I know people with ponds,) he probably will refuse to give them up. I wish it was a crime to do this, but it isn't. I would like some suggestions on what to say so that he lets these goldfish have a good life.
