abc123d30

So I was talking on the phone with my sister in college and she tells me that she won a goldfish at the fair. "Oh god, a fair goldfish" I automaticaly think. Now my sister really doesn't know a lot about fish, so I tried telling her that a goldfish can't be kept in a bowl and really needs a larger tank as they are big waste producers.
She says she will go to the pet store and get a tank and eveything. I had to inform her that she needs water conditioner and ammonia detox because obviously her tank won't be cycled.
I talked to her again today and she tells me that she bought a 2.5 gallon tank with a divider and also bought a betta! So the goldfish is in half the tank and the betta is in the other half, I almost went nuts but I knew she would just get upset if nagged her about it. There isn't alot I can do being as how I'm in chicago and she is at college in Washington state. I think when she comes to visit for Thanksgiving I'm going to buy her a tank to keep her goldie in. At least she agreed to do PWC everyday because her tank is too small and uncycled.

I don't know what else to do for her or her fish, anybody have any suggestions or am I doing all I can do?

eiginh

I think it'll be ok for now. The goldfish they give at fairs are usually feeder goldfish. They're usually tiny at first then get big within a few months. The best way if you can't convince her to get a bigger tank is to buy her one. she just doesn't understand the concepts of fish. Just be patient and eventually they will learn.

abc123d30

Oh, I didn't know (that word ) was a bad word
I didn't actually mean she was dumb, I was just saying that because I was frustrated and me and my sister always joke around like that with each other.

She's in college so she doesn't have a lot of money to buy fish tanks and stuff, that's why I was going to buy her one. Also I want her to keep the fish alive and healthy because I know she does care for it.

Butterfly

Morning guys/girls that wasn't necessarily a bad word but it is a word usually used in a derogatory toward other people and the word filter uses stars to block the word out. So an easy way to know if you can use certain words is if a word is starred out when you post you know it's not one you want to use when posting. Hope y'all don't mind I substituted uninformed for the word you used. Thanks
Good for you ABC for trying to help your sister and her fishes. Who knows you may helped have spread fish fever
Carol

aquarist48

Good morning. It's nice to hear that you and your sister are so close and that you are looking out for her and the well being of her new fish. A new tank as a gift would be a great surprise. Keep in mind if she's living in a dorm her space may be somewhat limited.
Best wishes and keep us posted
Ken

Diggly

Arent goldfish coldwater and bettas tropical? Maybe try arguing that point rather than space and tell her she is risking both her fishes lives.

eiginh

Great point!

abc123d30

We have a couple of old aquariums in our house actually, I think a 20 and a 10 gallon, I asked my sister about them and she said she can't use them because they have calcium stains on them. Does anybody know how to get rid of the stains?

abc123d30

I don't think I can argue about that with her, although she doesn't know alot about fish, she kept a betta alive for 5 years in a tank without a heater or filter.

Butterfly

Alive and thriving are two different things
She can use vinegar to get the calcium marks off of the aquariums. she may have to let it soak for a whole and scrub but it will come off.
Carol

gremlin

You could always show her these pics of mine...this tank is a 2.5 gallon that I use for taking pics of my "feeder" goldfish.

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mommybaby295

Diggly

Try showing her those pics it might put it in perspective!

jdhef

If she is living in a dorm, she may be envious of how much room that Goldfish has!