Beginners: Goldfish Bowl Size
A Warning about Goldfish Bowl Size
A basic rule on the amount of living space your goldfish needs to stay healthy is 10/15 gallons (38-57 liters) or so per every one goldfish. Some people say you need 20 gallons per goldfish but realistically, not everyone is going to have a 20 gallon goldfish bowl with only one goldfish in it? Goldfish can in fact survive in a smaller goldfish bowl size but this can stunt their growth and potentially shorten there life-span if you never upgrade to a large space as the fish grow larger. Additionally, a small bowl will require a lot more maintenance to keep the bowl clean and the goldfish healthy. Read about the Nitrogen Cycle or the next beginner post on Goldfish Bowl Water for more info on water quality.
Tips on Keeping a Goldfish Healthy in a Bowl
The more goldfish you have in a goldfish bowl, the more oxygen that is required to keep them healthy. Try adding an air pump to agitate the surface of the water or place some live aquatic plants into the bowl since they give off oxygen too.
Another good tip on maximizing oxygen in the water is, the greater the amount of surfaces area, the more oxygen in the water; the water at the top of the bowl that is open to the air above. Choose a wide goldfish bowl over a tall narrow one. If you have the classic bubble shaped goldfish bowl, don’t fill it to the top since filling it to the top doesn’t provide the most surface area. Understand that more surface area is better than more water, when it comes to your goldfishes health.
If you fail to follow some of these goldfish care suggestions, your goldfish can suffocate and die. See more about this at Low Oxygen Levels.
Do you need a bigger goldfish bowl?
While we recommend at least a 10 gallon aquarium, we understand that not everyone can afford to upgrade to that right away or don’t have the space; therefor we feel it’s important that a goldfish owner gets the largest goldfish tank that they can afford. Any upgrade in size of bowl is a step in the right direction.
A one quart bowl is small and yes, you will need to change the water daily. I would strongly recommend a larger bowl or tank so you don’t have to change the water daily. The larger the tank, the less often you will need to change the water. when you do change the water, make sure to use a dechlorinator Also, don’t overfeed it because un eaten food or excessive waste in the water will dirty the bowl faster. best of luck with your new goldfish
Hi! I won a goldfish at a carnival the other day. He’s very tiny, only an inch long aprroximately. Anyways, I don’t have a lot of room and the lady at the pet store said it was okay to keep him in a 1 quart bowl. So he’s in there now, and only after a day the water already seems to be dirty. Will I have to change the water daily in this bowl? Any things I could do to help make it less dirty? Thanks!
Yes, as the grow larger, they will produce more ammonia and waste. A small bowl is too small for them. For now, make sure you change the water frequently to keep the ammonia levels down. You can always buy a cheap ammonia test kit to see how high your levels are. If you notice the levels are high, you do a water change. If you have some gravel on the bottom, only rinse that with old water from your bowl, not tap water from the sink. There will be beneficial bacteria growing in it. This bacteria helps break down ammonia and turn it into plant food called nitrates. Nitrates are less harmful to your goldfish.
Hi,
My parents got me two common goldfish for christmas, and i’ve never had fish before. They are in a bowl (no idea of size, about medium I guess) and i was wondering if i will eventually have to get a tank as they get bigger?
I would only keep one goldfish in that size of a tank. two if they are very small goldfish. They will out grow that tank size pretty quickly. If you have more than two, you will need to change the water daily to avoid having toxic levels of ammonia build up. I suggest buying a cheap ammonia test kit to see what levels you have. if they are high, change the water. live Plants will help keep the water cleaner though, so that’s great you added some.
Here is what I suggest, start with one for a few weeks and test the water frequently. if it’s good, you can try adding more. One of the main reasons goldfish die is because of overstocking the tank with too many fish.
best of luck
me and my bf won two fish at the fair well one died the day after we got them:( but i dont think the fish was very haelthy so ni went out that night and bout a 4-5 gal . tank put a few rocks and shells and some plants im waiting on to grow but my reall q: is how many gold fish can i have in that size of a tank im not sure and i think i might get 5 more pond gold fish so idk what to do