New fishkeepers for Xmas

boroughmal

I have had so many enquiries from people that want to buy an aquarium for Xmas that i wrote this little bit of imformation.
I hope it tells the story well but if it does not let me know.

Fishkeeping kits for beginners
What Aquarium for kids.

One million people will be asking this year, "What do I buy for the kids at Xmas.?"

Well this is the right way to do it.

Imagine you were a fish and you were put in a small bowl, with no escape. Only the world to see from the window that never closes, but never opens.
Destined to wind what brain you have, to going around in circles for the rest of your life, before you are poisoned because someone never changed the water or left you in the heat with no air.
Given to a child that does not understand what you live in or what makes you happy.
Born to live for up to 35 years, and the likelihood of you getting to old age is virtually nil. Being born & bred for the bowl, destined to live a life of hardship with poor water and sometimes no food. And the occasional look from a large beast that appears at the window now and again.
Sometimes the odd bit of gravel to root in and an ornament stuck in the middle so you cant swim straight. Given to someone else, as you could not travel unless all the water spilt. Driven to the depths of dis-pair with only death to look forward to.

Would you want to live.??

Well now imagine you are still that goldfish & your keepers parents decided to find out what you needed before subjecting you to this.

How would I know? You ask?

Well I will tell you and take the goldfishes side.

One goldfish can grow up to six or seven inches in its lifetime, it can live for up to 35 years. Some small carp such as crucian exceed this by ten years, and the big brother of the goldfish lasts over 100 years. He is called a Koi carp.

I need 24" of tank to be able to exercise my fins properly and a depth of at least 12" of water, to exercise my swim bladder between the top and the bottom, because there is a slight change of pressure, the deeper I get.
I need a filter to take out my faeces from the water so it does not poison me, or make me sick. I need air pumped into the water as I will suffocate without it. Grabbing bubbles at the surface is not good enough as I have Gills that filter oxygen from the water. It doesn't grow on trees it has to be put in with a pump.

This is the furniture I would like. A large carpet of small gravel over the bottom of my tank, preferably a plush depth of about an inch, under this I would like a gravel filter which will save you changing the gravel for the next three years because it will clean itself. I would like a nice ornament which will give me somewhere to hide when I am frightened by someone outside, and this will also do so everybody doesn't watch me go to the toilet. A couple of pieces of plastic weed would be nice, but if you can afford it I would like real weed to put in with me, That way if I am feeling peckish then I can have a snack. If you start with four pieces some will grow and I wont have to ask for more as it wont run out if I am kept warm..
That's the next thing, I don't mind central heating but if it gets up to far beyond 80 degrees I will suffocate without an airpump to replenish my oxygen. And I don't like the temperature to drop below 50 degrees as my joints get tight and I cant swim that well so I will have to lay near the bottom, and wait for sunny weather.

You can change 10% of my water once a week, any more and I will get bleached by the chlorine put into the water that you drink, but if you leave it in a bucket outside full up for five days the chlorine & the fluoride will disperse before you try to poison me.

Every six weeks to two months you can take my filter out and wash it in a bucket of my water from the aquarium (my home) and put it back in. I don't want it cleaned properly as there will be no nitrifying bacteria left to help my wee get changed into plant food. Just a rinse of all the horrible brown stuff called algae partly gone.

Now as I am no longer going to be in a prison I need food every day, a small pinch of flake every morning & evening, and on Sundays a nice small packet of bloodworm or daphnia to keep my colours up. I cant dye my skin you see so I have to use the stuff that I eat to enhance my coat.

For this I will reward you with lots of interest as my life will be lively with the right diet and the right home, please put me up on the side as I don't like being kicked by kids as it rattles my tank. I will look out at you every day and thank the man above that I have a good home and good keepers and people that love me.

If you do the job properly and then send me a girlfriend too, and then every year I will reward you with little babies galore.

Keep an eye on me every day and if I get spots or ragged fins you will have to take me to the vet to get me sorted, I don't like fleas at the best of time especially when they try to grow in my water, and my fins get finrot and red ended every now and again, so you will have to treat my water to make me feel better. I don't want to be a pain or have to scratch on my ornaments all my life.

So now you know what I want for a home and for my dinner and for the rest of my life, which will be a long and healthy one, and when your children grow up they can tell everyone that they still have that little goldfish that they got for Christmas when they were five, or what mummy & daddy did to make my life good.

I'm not the goldfish anymore, but you know what I mean, if you are going to give me a good home I want to come to live with you. If you are going to torture me, leave me on the shelf. Thank you.


www.Fishkeepingsupplies.com
Aquarium & fish supplies tropical

Nala

If you're so against bowls, why exactly do you sell them on your website?
A 6" round bowl is not exactly the "24" tank" you've recommended above.

Hypocrisy.

boroughmal

Great thing is that I have never sold one yet. I have never met any customers stupid enough to use one, after being advised properly.
Even the kids bring their goldfish into my pond & have free willy ceremonies.
Four and a half thousand gallons is better than half a one.
If you want one you can have one of the dozen or so that adorn my pond as plant pots, that includes the 9" and the 12" and the 15" for that matter.
This is a free thinking country, that does not mean you have to buy such things. you are still allowed your opinion anyway.

LegacyUser

Those little bowls are good for quaranteen, if you have a sick small goldfish

Sigma Force

Some great info there. Personally I feel that round bowls or round bird cages should be taken off the market altogether and the companies should stop producing them. Round bird cages birds can't stretch their wings properly on fly across, they are inhumane.
My cockatiel arrived from living in one, it wasn't a pretty sight, the poor guy had foot cramps because it wasn't large enough to allow more than one perch, was very sad to see.
If you need a smaller tank for a recovering/ill fish those clear seal 2 feet ones are very handy.
Many people are getting more interested in fish keeping though, and more interested in proper facilities for their fish. Seems to be mostly ill informed parents that buy their young children a fish and stick it in a small round bowl.
It's up to pet shops around the country to educate the public on how to house animals correctly, the pet shop is the first place people look to for information on animal care. That's why it is so important for pet shops to take care on what they advise and sell and do their very best to inform people with the correct information. Sadly not all pet shops do and in fact many still give out the wrong information which results in unwanted litters and also animals dying..happens all too often and it doesn't need to in this day and age.

Care sheets with the correct information is always good to have to hand, if only every pet shop would provide them if they gave a free care sheet with every animal sold we would have a lot less unwanted litters etc.

junkyard

Thanks for the information, its a great help.

Lauragoesmad

The biggest problem is stalls at fair grounds giving goldfish away in bags. At the fair this year in Blanchardstown I saw them giving them to 8 year old kids with no parents with them. What bloody year is this?

Sigma Force

Oh I hate those stalls and car boot sales that sell critters, aparently it's illegal to sell pets at an open market like that nowdays methinks? yet, people are telling me they see puppies and guinea pigs sold openly. :-( Isn't it also illegal now to give animals as prizes?

dark_jedi_ire

Yeh seen that up in the red Cow market on Sunday , they have a small Cage With 3 guinea pigs and A large rabbit in it and then the pure fishys, all gasbing a the top of a 10 gallons tank, with no air or filter , there must have been over 60 in there,

Sad indeed,

Make me really Annoyed.

Rob

LegacyUser

Lauragoesmad wrote:

The biggest problem is stalls at fair grounds giving goldfish away in bags. At the fair this year in Blanchardstown I saw them giving them to 8 year old kids with no parents with them. What bloody year is this?

I saw that too!! It amazed me actually. I wonder how may of those fish actually made it to a legitimate tank. Very little! How many hours were the fish sitting in plastic bags before being given out.

Nala

boroughmal wrote:

Great thing is that I have never sold one yet. I have never met any customers stupid enough to use one, after being advised properly.
Even the kids bring their goldfish into my pond & have free willy ceremonies.
Four and a half thousand gallons is better than half a one.
If you want one you can have one of the dozen or so that adorn my pond as plant pots, that includes the 9" and the 12" and the 15" for that matter.
This is a free thinking country, that does not mean you have to buy such things. you are still allowed your opinion anyway.

Still can't understand why you stock them, only to discourage people from actually buying them!

Lauragoesmad

well i know my fishies are happy, 3 in a tank big ebough for 30. Lots of room and real plants to hide in. A happy fishy is an active fishy! My only problem is making sure my kitten stays away at all times!

boroughmal

I dont stock them, I havent sold one I only advertise them for sale.
The rights of any individual to free thinking & free speach are the most important things in a democracy.
Perhaps you dont live in the same place!

boroughmal

and to the point

The_Conductor

If you'd like to be totally grossed out- apparently Lucan Sarsfield's GAA club gave away 250 goldfish in plastic lunchbags to their youth members 2 weeks ago....... The parents were not informed of this in advance and few, if any, of them, even had a bowl for the fish. A complaint was made to the organising committee- which was shot down- because it "was all good fun"...... Assholes.....

boroughmal

a pet shop in bray sold a man a tank & a red bellied turtle.
The turtle was 3" long & the tank was 3' long.
The only problem is that turtles grow to full size in 3 years and a full sized turtle would be YES you geussed it 3 ft.
He obviously just wanted to sell a tank on a bad day.
Does anyone know where to get rid of a 9" 1 year old turtle to a sanctury or someone who has a 10ft tank?
A***hole
I have a contact number for the man if anyone can help
Regards

Arcadian

You could try these guys.......


Herpetological Society of Ireland: Peter Ward, Chairman. Reptile Helpline 087-2262683. It is manned 24 hours a day.
Mailing address: 3 Grange Avenue,
Shamrock Lawn,
Douglas,
Cork

And the Southern Herpetological Association (Amphibians and Reptiles) CONTACT: Peter Ward, Membership Secretary 086 8048742

what_car

Lauragoesmad wrote:

well i know my fishies are happy, 3 in a tank big ebough for 30. Lots of room and real plants to hide in. A happy fishy is an active fishy! My only problem is making sure my kitten stays away at all times!

just got into the tropical fish , keeping..... bought a jewel 180 with a stand,
heater, all kitted out....

started off with 10 goldfish,, to get started, until tank settles down. tank is set to 27C and the goldfish seem quite happy.


in terms of tropical fish, what fish go well with goldfish?

The_Conductor

You are aware that goldfish are *not* tropical fish- and in 27 degrees, while they might appear quite happy, will have a vastly accelerated lifespan. I have a second cold water tank for goldfish and carp- which is at about 14-15 degrees (and even then probably too warm).

Vis other fish with goldfish- goldfish are scavengers and liable to eat anything too small or have their own fins nibbled by anything too big..... You could try platties/guppies/mollies (but make sure that you give them lots of hiding places!!!).

Shane

tallus

Arcadian wrote:

You could try these guys.......


Herpetological Society of Ireland: Peter Ward, Chairman. Reptile Helpline 087-2262683. It is manned 24 hours a day.
Mailing address: 3 Grange Avenue,
Shamrock Lawn,
Douglas,
Cork

And the Southern Herpetological Association (Amphibians and Reptiles) CONTACT: Peter Ward, Membership Secretary 086 8048742

I remember years back the Herpetological Society of Ireland tried to get the import of sliders banned. It's disgraceful the way pet shops sell them in small dishes and small tanks with poor quality dried food, no vitamin supplement, no uv lighting and no basking lamp in many cases. The pet shop owners should be held accountable. Imo the sooner the pet trade is regulated, the better.

what_car

smccarrick wrote:

You are aware that goldfish are *not* tropical fish- and in 27 degrees, while they might appear quite happy, will have a vastly accelerated lifespan. I have a second cold water tank for goldfish and carp- which is at about 14-15 degrees (and even then probably too warm).

Vis other fish with goldfish- goldfish are scavengers and liable to eat anything too small or have their own fins nibbled by anything too big..... You could try platties/guppies/mollies (but make sure that you give them lots of hiding places!!!).

Shane

tank temp was verified today at 24c.
the pet shop guy said that they would be fine at this temp..

The_Conductor

what_car wrote:

tank temp was verified today at 24c.
the pet shop guy said that they would be fine at this temp..

That is not entirely true.

The ideal temperature for goldfish is 18-20 degrees celcius. They will *tolerate* temperatures of 20-24 degrees. 26.5 degrees or higher is very likely to kill them.

Hop on google and have a check for yourself.

Heres a good basic page on goldfish and their care for example:

FranknFurter

boroughmal wrote:

Does anyone know where to get rid of a 9" 1 year old turtle to a sanctury or someone who has a 10ft tank?

Faye on this boards (Bond-007) has many turtles, it would be worth PM'ing her, she might have space and has a LOT of experience.

B

Nala

what_car wrote:

tank temp was verified today at 24c.
the pet shop guy said that they would be fine at this temp..

don't just believe what they guy in the pet shop says, they are not always reliable. While some pet shop staff (e.g. in Boardwalk pets) are very good, some will guess an answer rather than say they don't know and some will just want to make a sale. do your research first.

tallus

Nala wrote:

do your research first.

I totally agree with Nala on that point. I have bought stuff myself in the past and could have done more research but not any more. Not all pet shops are reputable and will tell you what you want to hear to get a sale.

what_car

i have now removed 8 goldfish and sent them back to the shop.
there are two goldfish remaining, and temp now lowered to 18c, lowered slowly, not just in one go.


i will let this tank operate like this for another 2 weeks, then will test water and see how its going before introducing tropical fish.