This has been bothering me for a while. I have two kids and one of their favorite shows is Sesame Street. Elmo has a goldfish named Dorthy. Elmo keeps his goldfish in a small bowl. What kind of example are they trying to set for young children, lol. For such a progressive show you think they would have done a little research, that fish needs at least 20 gallons. I may write the show and direct them to this site, it sure has helped me.
Elmo's goldfish
- Thread starter Mab2000
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Lovin Fish
Aquarium Advice Freak
There are quite a few other children shows out their promoting gold fish in small bowls. Most lkely the producers haven't a clue about fish keeping....then again, maybe they do but it didn't occurr to them that little viewers beg mommy and daddy for a fish in a bowl just like they see on the show; and many times this is just what happens.
Mumma.of.two
Aquarium Advice Obsessed
I cringe when I see Elmo's world. Lol. Dorothy is a common goldfish and needs even more than 20 gallons. :/ 'She' is a pond fish that can easily reach a foot! I hate to think what happens to all the Dorothys when they stop shooting. 
Mumma.of.two
Aquarium Advice Obsessed
George9 said:
It is! I've compared lol!
I have noticed that on other shows as well, Elmo was just more noticeable because he is a repeat offender. I guess it shows my lack of knowledge on goldfish, I thouht 20 gallons would be enough not a pond, lol. I think that makes it worse. I had watched the show before I kept fish and I never really noticed. Now that I am educated these things stick out to me. Glad I am not the only one that this bothers.
Fishandmusic81
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I've noticed this too with my baby sister theirs another show on the sprout channel with another goldfish in a bowl -.-
I think it's just the common idea that has been around for ages of a fish= goldfish and habitat= bowl and everything else such as tank sizes substrates etc would be too complicated for kids, but definitely not a good message to kids
I think it's just the common idea that has been around for ages of a fish= goldfish and habitat= bowl and everything else such as tank sizes substrates etc would be too complicated for kids, but definitely not a good message to kids
Mumma.of.two
Aquarium Advice Obsessed
It leads the parents/adults in the situation to believe that's how they are kept. They then go to the LFS and quite a lot of the time this is reinforced by an employee that's either not educated on the matter, doesn't care or just wants a sale. My sisters and I had many goldfish in bowls as kids because my mother was told by the LFS they are perfectly fine in them.
My sisters and I had many goldfish in bowls as kids because my mother was told by the LFS they are perfectly fine in them.It leads the parents/adults in the situation to believe that's how they are kept. They then go to the LFS and quite a lot of the time this is reinforced by an employee that's either not educated on the matter, doesn't care or just wants a sale.
I was talking fish the other day with a few girls in my clinical group. They were saying they would buy goldfish for their kids because they were cheap. They said they kept them in a bowl and stated that they only lived for about two weeks. I tried to explain that they needed a bigger tank and that goldfish were very messy but I think it fell on deaf ears.
Tcal01
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Yah but u have to keep in mind that Elmo loves his goldfish, his crayons too. That's Elmo's world. That songs gonna be stuck in my head all day now lol
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