Goldfish misconception

[Jlburns]

I just watched a video on the Internet and in the video they had a goldfish in a bowl. I just get like infuriated when I see things like this now. Before I had my fish I always thought that it was okay to keep a goldfish in a bowl, but now that I've learned so much I just wonder how keeping a goldfish in a bowl with no heater, no plants, no filtration. Pretty much nothing was such a common thought by most people? What do you guys think about it?

 

[marsh]

I just watched a video on the Internet and in the video they had a goldfish in a bowl. I just get like infuriated when I see things like this now. Before I had my fish I always thought that it was okay to keep a goldfish in a bowl, but now that I've learned so much I just wonder how keeping a goldfish in a bowl with no heater, no plants, no filtration. Pretty much nothing was such a common thought by most people? What do you guys think about it?

Well this week I was channel surfing and I saw the image of the goldfish-in-a-bowl on two separate channels only minutes apart. One was of the goldfish in the show American Dad, the other was a kid's cartoon, or maybe sesame street.

I thought about how these images do confirm the common belief that goldfish are happy in small spaces. But then again, I enjoy American Dad and don't hold the show responsible for educating the public on fish keeping. Images for thought, in this episode the son brings home a love-interest for Klaus from the carnival; at first Klaus in enamored but soon gets bored, we see him dragging the body away in a rolled up carpet by the end:

 

[callisto9]

I have a friend who has TWO goldfish in a 1.5 gallon tank. No filtration. No decor. Nothing. They have been alive three years. I didn't think too much of it when she told me about it, then I *saw* it. It's so depressing.

 

[Jlburns]

I was thinking about that also, my thought was from the cat in the hat. You wouldn't think that people would take that so seriously tho? Another thing that just eats away at me is the people they have working in fish stores. Most of them know nothing about fish at all. For example I was at an LFS about two weeks ago just checking some things out and we asked the lady what kind of algae eaters they carried and she asked what size tank we had and other questions and it seemed like she was informed until she told us that a Chinese algae eater would be perfect for our 20 gallon tall tank. She said they were extremely friendly and wouldn't get big at all. I didn't know anything about this fish so I was looking at them and I noticed them fighting with each other and then looked at the information card and saw that the "max size" was 11 inches and they were aggressive fish!! I laughed and walked out of the store.

 

[obedey]

This is the reason I wouldn't own a fish shop. "Oh no you don't just put the fish in there and thats it there is this whole nitrogen cycle you need to learn about." I think I'd drive many customers away with the right information.

 

[emerald76]

If I ever own a pet store- love animals too much to do just a LFS- I'd be handing out brochures on cycling and fish care and everything left and right lol
I'd probably have like two customers

 

[Jlburns]

I would absolutely love it if there was more than one pet store run by people that actually knew stuff about fish in my area. I think you would have plenty of customers if you actually tried to inform the people buying fish then just let em walk out with a fish you know there going to kill. If I had a fish store I would definitely hand out brochures on cycling and fish care to every customer. Right next to the checkout!

 

[jlk]

I just watched a video on the Internet and in the video they had a goldfish in a bowl. I just get like infuriated when I see things like this now. Before I had my fish I always thought that it was okay to keep a goldfish in a bowl, but now that I've learned so much I just wonder how keeping a goldfish in a bowl with no heater, no plants, no filtration. Pretty much nothing was such a common thought by most people? What do you guys think about it?

Ill give you an answer for this. There are a few variations on what exactly happened historically but it follows this explanation.

Over a 1000yrs ago in ancient China, fancy goldfish were valued creatures and mainly only kept and bred by the wealthy and royalty in ponds. When esteemed guests came to visit for dinner, a prize fish was placed in a bowl for everyone to see and admire and then it was returned to its pond. Unfortunately, the notion that goldfish could actually live in a 'bowl' was created from this and still persists to this day despite it being the furthest thing from the truth. Almost all Chinese and Japenese breeders of fancies still raise their fish in ponds to this day.

 

[Jlburns]

Wow, I didn't know that. That answers my question. Thanks for informing me of that.

 

[Tetra1990]

This is the reason I wouldn't own a fish shop. "Oh no you don't just put the fish in there and thats it there is this whole nitrogen cycle you need to learn about." I think I'd drive many customers away with the right information.

This is exactly why I would not hold a job in the fish department an LFS like that. I never tried to get a job there, but I'm sure that management has some sort of sales they need to make. I'm sure that I'd get fired within a few weeks of giving people good info. Although I'm lucky, the one by my house has knowledgeable folks, but I do my homework first

 

[Jlburns]

Well if you were to get a job there, even of you didn't work there long maybe you could get out to a few people what it really takes to care for fish. And maybe you could even get through to some of the employees. That would save a few fish from certain death at least.

 

[emerald76]

I would get fired because I threw away all the betta 'tanks' and goldfish 'bowls'. And I'd retype all their 'handy' little brochures, and have fish care classes for the workers

 

[Horsegirlmaddy]

I work at a pet store, and I explain probably three times an hour that goldfish can't be kept in bowls. But it does it's job, because people that really want a fish in a bowl wind up with Bettas, and those that really want other fish buy a tank, filter and heater. I have yet to turn away a customer by giving them proper information. A guy really wanted piranhas, so I explained he nitrogen cycle and all the requirements of the piranhas, so be went out and bought a 90 gallon, then came back a few weeks later and bought 6 piranhas. He still has them and comes in every week for feeders and the like. I have a lady who has a betta, and she performs tests (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) every day. Sure, people are frustrating, but they're not evil and when they realize that keeping a goldfish in a bowl is cruel, they set up a real tank or pond. 9 times out of 10 the right info creates regular customers who end up spending far more than they would have on a goldfish and bowl, and remain happy with their fish. So you can do things right while working at a pet store. Just wanted to throw that out there.

 

[Tetra1990]

I work at a pet store, and I explain probably three times an hour that goldfish can't be kept in bowls. But it does it's job, because people that really want a fish in a bowl wind up with Bettas, and those that really want other fish buy a tank, filter and heater. I have yet to turn away a customer by giving them proper information. A guy really wanted piranhas, so I explained he nitrogen cycle and all the requirements of the piranhas, so be went out and bought a 90 gallon, then came back a few weeks later and bought 6 piranhas. He still has them and comes in every week for feeders and the like. I have a lady who has a betta, and she performs tests (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) every day. Sure, people are frustrating, but they're not evil and when they realize that keeping a goldfish in a bowl is cruel, they set up a real tank or pond. 9 times out of 10 the right info creates regular customers who end up spending far more than they would have on a goldfish and bowl, and remain happy with their fish. So you can do things right while working at a pet store. Just wanted to throw that out there.

Way to go!!!

 

[callisto9]

I work at a pet store, and I explain probably three times an hour that goldfish can't be kept in bowls. But it does it's job, because people that really want a fish in a bowl wind up with Bettas, and those that really want other fish buy a tank, filter and heater. I have yet to turn away a customer by giving them proper information. A guy really wanted piranhas, so I explained he nitrogen cycle and all the requirements of the piranhas, so be went out and bought a 90 gallon, then came back a few weeks later and bought 6 piranhas. He still has them and comes in every week for feeders and the like. I have a lady who has a betta, and she performs tests (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) every day. Sure, people are frustrating, but they're not evil and when they realize that keeping a goldfish in a bowl is cruel, they set up a real tank or pond. 9 times out of 10 the right info creates regular customers who end up spending far more than they would have on a goldfish and bowl, and remain happy with their fish. So you can do things right while working at a pet store. Just wanted to throw that out there.

Thank you for doing what you do!

 

[marsh]

Yeah, thanks horsegirlmaddy. I appreciate good service and thoughtful advice in any field, all too uncommon these days!

 

[Horsegirlmaddy]

*bow* haha I try. Obviously I don't know everything, but I do my very best to know what I'm doing, and share that knowledge with my coworkers and customers. As frustrating as it can be its also rewarding when customers are turned into fish lovers