apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

When goldfish don't have enough space (especially w/o a filter), their waste quickly contaminates the water they live in causing sickness and/or death - see floating fish in above pic.

arza - the floating (white) fish in the photo isn't dead.

Pretty, but it seems a little small for the fish. (Caveat: I know nothing about fish happiness or the requirements thereof.)

Nice idea, but seriously... $150 for a fish bowl that doesn't even take into consideration that gold fish should have a wee bit of room and oxygen? meh. No way. I'll take the $150 and buy a Coach bag or something. The fish can swim around in a $9.99 Target vase.

More than the size of the bowl what really matters is how large the opening is. Remember that fish breathe air from the surface of the water. A larger opening and not being so high above the water will make it easier for air to reach the water.

Lisa: good grief. Fish do NOT always breathe air from the surface of the water. They will "gulp" at the surface if the oxygen *dissolved in the water* is insufficient for their needs, but seriously, they do not breathe from the surface on a daily "check me out, I'm a fish and this is what I always do" basis. If they had to get air from the, uh, air, they'd be called "marine mammals."

This vase is too small for these biggish fish. I hope John has amazing fish maintenance patience for all the water changing that would be required to keep these pets humanely.

since several people have commented on the size of the vase, i wanted to add something: in person, the vase is HUGE. really, it is. i think something in the photography may distort things to make the fish appear to be suffocating in the vase. (although, like divisadero, i don't really know what the proper space to fish size ratio should be.)

when i was at the shop last week, the vase looked clean and the fish looked healthy. i believe he's had these fish for a while now, so i'm guessing john is taking very good care of them.

nora, goldfish don't typically breath air from the surface, but siamese fighting fish (properly known as bettas) and other labyrinth fish do. that said, the surface area does have a lot to do with how much O2 will be available in the water, which is important for fish like goldfish. given the size of that container, and that fact that there's no aeration, i'd wager a bet that the goldfish would be doing some seriously laboured surface gasping. and um... do you know what a mammal is? they deliver live offspring which they nurse, and they are warm blooded. so a surface breathing fish does not a mammal make. good grief!

the bottom line is i wouldn't even put 1 goldfish, let alone 2 in a container that size. they'd die of nitrogen poisoning in no time. see fish floating upside down that might not be dead yet but is certainly on a fast track to the 1 flush graveyard.

Goldish and carp produce more waste than the average fish and need more oxegen than most as well. They also require a cooler temperature since they are not tropicals. These poor fish are suffocating as there is no movement in the surface to help the exchange of air into the water.

Goldfish are not made to live in bowls...it's torture, especially when they are that big.

erin_n: I was being broadly hyperbolic, which doesn't come across so hot on the Internet. I do indeed know the many characteristics of a mammal, including the birth thing and the blood thing. But then, if one posts in a pugnacious manner as I did, one should expect it returned in kind.

Thank you, however, for the clarification on the beta-breathing issue. I had non-beta type fish when I had an aquarium (huge mistake: fish are more work and less fun than they're put out to be) so I'd only seen the gulping shortly before death.

keisha is right on all counts. and anh-minh, as someone who has kept fish for 25 years, including goldfish, i can assure you that there's no way that vase is big enough no matter how stylish it might be. i'm not trying to be mean about it, because lots of people make the same mistake, but it is a mistake, and it is cruel.

i have to say too that that vase is way too small for these two goldfish. and if that white goldfish with the red head wasn't dead when you took the picture it probably is now or will be by the end of the week.

erin n: i don't think you're coming across as mean at all.

SO ... does anyone know if there is a stylish AND healthy option out there? or are the big rectangular tanks really the best way to go?

nora, that makes sense. and yeah, some fish are WAY more trouble than they're worth. and i'm really, really glad that you know fish don't nurse their young. that would be concerning!!

i guess you would either start with the fish you want, or the container you want.

with a vase like that you could possibly get away with 1 smaller goldfish (1/4 - 1/3 the size) and weekly 50% water changes. you'd want to test the nitrogen and pH levels fairly often to make sure nothing's getting out of hand so you can make any necessary adjustments to keep the fish happy and healthy. then as the fish gets too large for the container you should be able to bring him into your local pet shop and trade him in for another smaller guy. then your too big fish will hopefully go home with someone who has a bigger aquarium instead of getting cramped and sick. that would be more style-based fish keeping than getting attached to your little friend fish keeping. if you want fish the size that are in that picture above, you'd want to get an aquarium.

or, you could have a betta in a container that size, but then you have to realize they're native to south-east asia where they live in puddles and ditches and so they like the water to be warm. without some sort of heater your fish will probably stop eating in the winter and die a slow and horrible death, and that's sad. in a bigger container you could have another labyrinth fish called a paradise fish and they're super pretty and don't need much aeration. but they're from the tropics too and would need a heater.

or you could have a small pair of killifish in that container if you could figure out a way to add a heater come winter time. you wouldn't want to fill the container so high because killifish are jumpers, and besides the extra surface area will help with aeration. they're really pretty though, and would be a good option for people who think it's sad to only keep 1 fish all alone.

and just to keep typing and not working, killifish would only really need a heater if the water will get super cold. if you have them near a window in the middle of a chicago winter they might not be so happy. if you live in LA, unless your air condition to meat locker temperatures like my mother does, your killis would be happy. just remember that they jump and they're really dumb.

Oh geez, I know ApartmentTherapy is all about style, but I am surprised how often this comes up on here- those "stylish" fish containers are horrendous for keeping happy healthy fish! I know fish are often used to set the mood or look cool- but they really are animals and keeping animals in environments that are hazardous to their health is unkind - even if they don't emit noises to let you know they are unhappy.

Goldfish need the most water and water surface room of all the fish - they produce a lot more waste than most other fish. Which "dirties" the water. There are microorganisms in the water that process the waste- especially if you have a filter - but they can't keep up with a goldfish in a small body of water. (And it helps if you do regular water changes). Contrary to what one might think at first- larger containers of water are easier to take care of, and better for the fish. Think of the fish producing waste (okay, pooping) in a small tiny container. Now think of them producing waste in a really large container. See?!

The general rule of thumb is one inch of fish per gallon of water. Less for goldfish.

Smaller fish can sometimes be kept in smaller containers- but it takes and experienced aquarist to do it and keep the fish helthy and happy.

There is lots of information out there on the web about caring for fish and aquatic animals, just take a look.

And there *are* lots of stylish larger fish tanks out there. Google Takashi Amano if you want to see some incredible fish tanks. Or wander by AquaForest on Fillmore...

Oh, and hey! killifish aren't dumb!
So, they think there is a slightly better puddle next door if they just hop on over there- but hey that is actually true in their native habitat!

but killifish aren't dumb for jumping ship, they're dumb for getting stuck in filters and heaters and behind rocks and anything they can swim into and get stuck in. they're not so smart...

takashi amano is my hero... sigh...

and yes, bigger tanks are less work. unless you have discus which are always lots of work no matter what!

the fish looks dead and 150 dollars is a waste of money on a plain glass vase.

Check out www.biorb.com
Great bowls and cylinder shaped tanks with filters

there is no way that the poor white fish isn't dead or dying. :(

that white fish is dying due to lack of oxygen. That fishtank is TERRIBLE.

To those of you who don't think that white fish floating upside down at the top is sick or already dead - do you really think that healthy goldfish like to hang out floating upside down? It means something is seriously wrong with that fish.

Goldfish produce more urine than your average fish and they need much more space. I have had goldfish for years and I have always been told to have a 10 gallon tank for even just one medium sized fish. I got away with a 5.5 gallon for a few months but they fish were lethargic and I had to clean the tank constantly. Those fish will be poisoned by their own urine.

No one realizes that having a goldfish for a year or so isn't a long time nor is it something to be especially proud of; the lifespan of a well cared for goldfish can be 6-8 years!

if that fish in the TEENY vase isn't dead it probably will be soon. We owned a fish pet shop and seriously they dont it for kicks.

you know those siamese fighting fish everyone thinks is ok to leave in those tiny take away containers. yeah that's not right either just because they can do it doesnt mean they should. i mean if i lived in a 1m by 1m space and was fed i'd probably live for a while too, but i'd go crazy and get fat and lathargic and probably will myself into dying.

fish have feelings!

BUT if you have a few small fish like guppies in a filtrated vase like the one above i'll be happy to say that's a great idea.

Yay, another fish person! :)

I guess either my killies are smarter, or there are too many plants in there for them to find anything else to get stuck in!