HELP!

I have a goldfish bowl!

How to save the life of your new goldfish
From the makers of thegoldfishtank.com

Dedicated to

Meg and Mog, Goldie, Jaws and Elvis

Our first goldfish who, sadly, all had to start their lives in bowls.
Remember: we were all beginners once!
- The team at The Goldfish Tank
All contents 2013 by The Goldfish Tank.

All rights reserved worldwide.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage
and retrieval system without written permission of the publisher,
except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.
Although the author and publisher have made every effort to
ensure the accuracy and completeness of information contained
in this book, we assume no responsibility for errors, inaccuracies,
omissions, or any inconsistency herein.
Book cover and interior page layout design by Pair of Aces Designs
Visit us at thegoldfishtank.com

Whats Inside
Introduction................................ 1
[1] The Dreaded Goldfish Bowl......... 3
[2] Preparing your new tank............. 6
[3] What is cycling?.......................... 9
[4] Cycling your tank........................ 11
[5] Your new routine......................... 14
Feeding:..................................................14
Testing:...................................................15

Water changes:........................................15

Filter cleaning:......................................15

Resources..................................... 16

HELP! I have a goldfish bowl!

Introduction
Welcome to Help! I have a goldfish bowl: How to save the life of your new goldfish.
If youre reading this then youve probably just got your first goldfishperhaps it was
an impulse purchase, an unexpected gift or maybe you won it at a fair. Its probably
swimming around in a small bowl right now. There may even be a little bridge or a
miniature diver in there too...
But, to find out a bit more about the latest addition to your family, youve probably
done some Internet research. And youve probably made some startling discoveries!
Discoveries like:
One goldfish needs at least 20 gallons (75 liters) of water.
Goldfish produce a lot of waste and need a filter.
A goldfish tank should be cycled before the fish is
added.
Goldfish can grow to over a foot long.
Goldfish can live for decadesat least one lived
to be 45 years old!
Goldfish dont have stomachs and will never stop
eating. So... how much do you feed them?!

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HELP! I have a goldfish bowl!

Youre probably feeling overwhelmed and worried that your goldfish will die soon.
Well, dont panic!
We cant promise that your goldfish will live a long life. Unfortunately, many goldfish die within weeks due to improper care at fairs, pet stores and immediately after
purchase. But we do promise that your goldfish will have the best possible chance of
survival if you follow the advice in this guide.
Not only that, but whether your current goldfish lives a long life or not, the knowledge
you gain here could lay the foundation for many enjoyable years of goldfish keeping!
In this guide, we wont judge you, patronize you or criticize any mistakes you may have
made. We will simply offer clear, straightforward advice on how to recover from a poor
start to goldfish keeping and help you to look after your first goldfish properly.
In offering this advice, well make the following assumptions:
You know nothing at all about goldfish and have never kept one before.
You currently have a new goldfishor more than onein a bowl or small tank.
You didnt cycle the tank before adding the fishin fact, you
dont know what cycling means.
Youre willing to learn more about goldfish and
youre keen to take good care of your fish.
Youre willing to make a few relatively inexpensive
purchases to keep your fish alive.
If this sounds like you then keep reading. We have a fish to save!

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HELP! I have a goldfish bowl!

Chapter One
The Dreaded Goldfish Bowl
The number one mistake made by new goldfish owners is keeping their goldfish in a
bowl or small tank. Unfortunately, goldfish are often shown in bowls in the media and
sold in bowls by unscrupulous or ignorant pet stores, which leads inexperienced fish
keepers to think that bowls are an acceptable home for goldfish.
Theyre not. If your fish is in a bowl then, sadly, its life is in danger. A bowl really is a
very unhealthy environment for a goldfish.
But its not too late! If you have a goldfish in a bowl or small tank then heres what you
need to do:
Step 1:

Step 2:

Stop feeding your goldfish more than once

every three days. And even then, only feed a
very tiny pinch of food and remove any uneaten food after one minute.

Start changing 80% of the water every day.

why?

why?

Again, this reduces harmful

pollution, as youll be removing
polluted water and replacing it with clean water.

Because the more you feed, the

more polluted the water will
get. But goldfish can survive on very little
food for a long time. Cut feeding to a
minimum and you cut pollution to a
minimum too. We 100% guarantee
that your fish will not starvegoldfish can survive for weeks without food!

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HELP! I have a goldfish bowl!

Step 3:

Step 4:

Before adding fresh water, ensure that its

temperature matches the temperature of the
water in the bowl. Also, treat the new water
with a product called Seachem Prime before
adding it to the bowl.

Get a bigger tank as soon as possible! Ideally

20 gallons for one goldfish. If you have more
than one goldfish then add 10 gallons for each
additional fish. For example: 20 gallons for one
goldfish, 30 gallons for two fish, 40 gallons for
three fish, etc.

why?

A sudden change in temperature will shock your fish. This

shock can lower its immune system and increase the risk of illness and disease.
Seachem Prime will remove chlorine, ammonia and other harmful chemicals from
the water. Be sure to follow the instructions
on the bottle. If you cant get any Prime, or a
similar product, then leave the water standing
in a bucket for 24 hours before each water
changethis will give the chlorine time to
evaporate.

Try to look for a long style tank. Theyre a bit

shallower, but they contain the same amount
of water because they are longer than standard tanks. This maximizes surface area and
swimming space!

why?

Goldfish produce a lot of waste

and can grow to be over a foot
long. A big, long tank gives them room to
grow, space to swim and allows a stable colony of good bacteria to develop. This bacteria
will convert harmful chemicals into less harmful chemicals. More on this later!
The most important step is, of course,
getting a bigger tank. A goldfish is
very unlikely to survive for
long in a bowl. And, even
if your goldfish did somehow survive long-term in
a bowl, it would almost
certainly suffer significant
discomfort and would not grow
to its full potential.

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HELP! I have a goldfish bowl!

If youre concerned about the money needed to buy a new tank then look on eBay or
Craigslist. You can pick up a second-hand tank very cheaply or possibly even free!
If youre worried about space then try measuring out the size of your tank in a variety
of locations around your home. Most homes do have space for a 20 gallon tank somewhere, even if it involves moving some furniture around a bit!
Theres no enjoyment in keeping an animal in poor conditions where it cannot grow
and thrive, so get a new tank asap!
Sorry but Im keeping my goldfish bowl!
If youre really determined not to get a bigger tank
or if it is genuinely impossible to get one for some
reasonthen you should look into giving your
fish back to the pet store or to a friend or family
member with a big tank or pond.
If you absolutely must keep your goldfish in a
bowl or small tank then you should continue to
follow the steps above and add a small filter too.
A filtered bowl will help your fish stay alive for a
while, but its still unlikely to live very long...

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HELP! I have a goldfish bowl!

Chapter Two
Preparing your new tank
Once you have a nice new tank you should follow these steps to move your fish to its
more spacious home:
Step 1:

Step 2:

Add a thin layer of gravel (optional), decorations (optional) and fill the tank with water
(definitely not optional!). Then treat the water
with Seachem Prime.

Add a filtermaking sure that you choose

a big enough filter for your tank! We recommend Fluval U-series filters, which come in
models U1 (the smallest), U2, U3 and U4 (the
biggest).

why?

As previously mentioned, the

Prime will remove dangerous
chemicals such as chlorine and ammonia.

You should aim for a filter that turns over ten

times the volume of your tank per hour, or as
close to this as possible. So, if you have a 20
gallon tank, the filter should turn over 200
gallons per hour. If in doubt, go for
the bigger version!

why?

A filter will remove debris

from the tank and will become
a home for good bacteria. Youll
find out more about this later when we
discuss cycling.

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HELP! I have a goldfish bowl!

Step 2a (optional):

Step 2b (optional):

Add an air pump and an air stone.

Add a heater.

Put the air stone into your tank and attach it to

the air pumpwhich sits outside the tank
with some tubing.

why?

why?

Why is this optional? Goldfish dont need high

temperatures, so while a heater set to a temperature of 76F or more, will encourage strong
growth of good bacteria and your fish, it is not
strictly essential. Also, a heater will reduce the
amount of oxygen available to your fish, which
is why you should add an air
pump if you choose to
add a heater!

The bubbles from an air pump

cause a disturbance on the surface of the water, which increases the amount
of oxygen in the waterand your fish needs
oxygen!
Why is this optional? The flow from the filter
should cause enough surface agitation to get
plenty of oxygen into your water without the
need for an air pump. However, if youre planning to keep your water at a high temperature
then you should definitely get an air pump, as
a higher temperature will reduce the amount
of oxygen in your tank water.

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A high temperature will encourage bacteria growth, which

means your tank will cycle more quickly.

HELP! I have a goldfish bowl!

Step 3:
Check that the water in the tank is a similar
temperature to the water in the bowl, then
move your fish into the tank. You may be able
to gently pour the goldfish in, rather than
causing unnecessary stress to the fish through
the use of a net.
If the water temperature differs significantly
between the bowl and tank then float the fish
in a small container within the tank for a few
minutes before letting it swim freely.

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why?

A sudden change of temperature will shock your fish. This

shock will cause stress, which lowers the fishs
immune system and makes it vulnerable to
illness and disease.
Scooping the goldfish up in a jug of water
from its own bowl and then floating that jug
in the tank for twenty minutes or so will cause
the water temperature in the jug to slowly
change to that of the tank. This will allow the
goldfish to gradually adapt to the new tank
temperature and minimize stress.

HELP! I have a goldfish bowl!

Chapter Three
What is cycling?
So, you have a new tank all set up and youve moved your goldfish to its new home.
Now, as you may have heard, you need to cycle your tank! You may be less clear on
what that actually means! Lets take a look
Cycling is the process of building up a colony of good bacteria that will convert
dangerous chemicals into less dangerous chemicals. There are three chemicals that
you need to know about:
Ammonia
Nitrite
Nitrate
Note the difference between nitrite and nitrate.
Ammonia is produced by your fish. Its a very toxic chemical that will
damage your fishs gills and fins. Eventually, ammonia burn will prevent
your goldfish from breathing properly.
A goldfish will not survive long in water that is heavily polluted with
ammonia, and even with frequent water changes, ammonia levels will
quickly increase to dangerous levels in bowls and small tanks.
So, we need to get rid of that ammonia. How do we do it? We convert it to nitrite.
Nitrite is also a harmful chemical, but its LESS harmful than
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HELP! I have a goldfish bowl!

ammonia. Once some good bacteria develop in your tank, they will start to convert
ammonia to nitrite.
But, as we just said, nitrite is bad for your fish. So how do we then get rid of the nitrite?
We convert it to nitrate.
Nitrate is STILL not good for your fish. But its much less harmful than ammonia and
nitrite.
So, the aim of cycling is to develop a colony of bacteria that will
first convert ammonia to nitrite, then convert nitrite to nitrate.
We then control the nitrate levels with regular water
changes.
Ideally, you would cycle a new tank before adding any fishyou can find out more about this on
thegoldfishtank.com However, as your fish was
already in an uncycled bowl or small tank, it made
sense to go ahead and add them to the larger tank and do
whats known as a fish-in cycle rather than a fishless cycle.
Your tank will go through the cycling process with the fish already inside.

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HELP! I have a goldfish bowl!

Chapter Four
Cycling your tank
So, how do we go about cycling the tank? Its actually really easy. All you need is ammonia in the waterwhich your fish will naturally provide in its waste!and the tank
will cycle in time.
The difficult bit is keeping your fish alive and healthy during the cycling process! To do
this, you need to regularly take water readings using a test kit and change some of your
fishs water whenever ammonia or nitrite levels get too high. We recommend the API
Freshwater Master test kit.
Heres what you need to do:
Before you start:
Set up your tank as described in section 2
of this guide and add your fish.
Buy a test kit and measure your tap water
for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. This is a
base reading so that you know what youre
putting into your tankthere may be ammonia and nitrate in your tap water!

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Daily:
Measure a sample of tank water for ammonia and nitritedo this before each water
change. At first you will only see ammonia
readings and nitrite will be zero.
Change at least 20% of the tank water
every day.
If you measure more than 0.5ppm of either
ammonia or nitrite (ppm = parts per million, this is the same as Mg/l, which stands
for milligrams per liter) then change 50%
of the tank water until the ammonia spike is
under control.

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HELP! I have a goldfish bowl!

After a few days to a week:

When ammonia and nitrite levels

fall to zero:

You should start to see nitrite readings

higher than zero. You may still get ammonia readings too.
Continue to change 20% of the tank water
every day. And 50%, or as much as necessary, when ammonia and nitrite spike above
0.5ppm.

When ammonia levels fall to

zero:
Eventually you will see ammonia levels
suddenly drop. At this point, start testing
for nitrates.

Eventually you will see both ammonia

and nitrite levels fall to zero. At this point,
check your nitrate reading. It should be
very higharound 100ppm.
Do a big water change of 75%, or however
much is necessary, to get nitrate levels
down to less than 40ppm.
Remember: there may be
some nitrate in your tap
water, which will limit
how low your nitrate can go!

Continue testing for ammonia and nitrites

too.
Continue to change 20% of the tank
water every day. And 50%, or as much
as necessary, when ammonia and
nitrite spike above 0.5ppm.
Nitrate levels may be
high, but dont worry
about this for now.

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HELP! I have a goldfish bowl!

Congratulations! Your tank is now cycled!

Continue to test for ammonia and nitrites every few days, just to make sure there are
no problems. Also monitor nitrates and do a big water change whenever nitrate levels
exceed 40ppm.
IMPORTANT:

You can accidentally stop the cycling process if

you clean your filter incorrectly! Never clean your
filter in tap water. It will kill the good bacteria
living inside the filter and effectively un-cycle your
tank!
Dont clean your filter until cycling is complete.
Then, to clean your filter safely:
Scoop a bucket of water from the tank.
Unplug and disassemble your filter.
Gently rinse the filter sponges and the filter
itself in the bucket of tank water.
Reassemble the filter and place it back in the
tank.

Your fishs living situation is now much better than when it was living in a tiny bowl
and your tank will be much easier to maintain from now on. No more daily water
changes!
In the next section, well talk you through your new fish tank maintenance routine!
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HELP! I have a goldfish bowl!

Chapter Five
Your new routine
Firstly, well done! Youve gone from an inexperience goldfish keeper with a fish in a
tiny bowl to someone who has:
Kept your fish alive long enough to see its new home.
Set up a 20 gallonor more!fish tank.
Learned about water treatments, cycling and test kits.
Successfully cycled your new tank!
You should now have a much healthier and happier fish in a nice big tank! But what do
you do now? How do you look after a goldfish?
Check out the care section of thegoldfishtank.com for all of our best advice in detail,
but here is the basic routine you should follow:
Feeding:
Add a couple of tiny pinches of food to your tank twice
per day.
After one minute of feeding, remove any excess food
from the water. Dont leave it to rot and pollute your tank!
For a balanced diet, feed your fish a combination of flakes,
pellets, bloodworms, brine shrimp and peas with the shells
removed.
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HELP! I have a goldfish bowl!

Testing:
Test your water for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate at least once per weekideally twice
per week for the first few weeks after cyclingto make sure all your water parameters
stay within acceptable limits.
If ammonia or nitrite rise above 0.5ppm, or nitrate rises above 40ppm, then do a 50%
water change.
Water changes:
Change some of your fishs water once per week.
That is, unless ammonia, nitrite or nitrate spike to high levelsas described abovein
which case you should change 50% of the tank water immediately.
You can find out more about how to do a water change on thegoldfishtank.com
Filter cleaning:
You dont need to clean your filter every time you do a water change, but giving it a
quick clean once every two weeks or so is advisable.
But remember: Never clean your filter in tap water. It will kill the good bacteria living
inside the filter and effectively un-cycle your tank!
To clean your filter safely: scoop a bucket of water from the
tank, unplug and disassemble your filter and gently rinse the
filter sponges and the filter itself in the bucket of tank water.
Then reassemble the filter and place it back in the tank.

And thats it!

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HELP! I have a goldfish bowl!

Youve successfully saved your fish and

started a healthy goldfish care routine!
If you have questions or need more help
Theres only so much information we can fit into this guide, and goldfish keeping is a
big subject!
But if you need more help then please post a question in thegoldfishtank.com forum
TGTor one of our friendly and knowledgeable forum members!will reply as soon
as we can and do the best we can to answer your questions!

Resources
TGT Resources on the Internet:
Website http://thegoldfishtank.com
Forum http://thegoldfishtank.com/forum/
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