How could this happen? Weird fish story. Any answers?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Carli B
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Carli B

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I bought 3 gold fish who live in a bowl in my kitchen ... They have been alive for about a month. One fish had a black mark above his lips which I called a mustache then one day the "mustache" was gone ! How could this go away ? and I am pretty sure my other fish had a spot it in black too which is gone too ...
No one replaced the fish...
so what happened?
 
it really doesnt matter, you have 3 goldfish in a bowl, they'll either be stunted or poisoned by ammonia and be dead soon......tsk tsk tsk
 
Are they new from the sea or river? Maybe its because of environmental change. They are in a different environment so no need to use their camouflaging techniques.
 
Don't worry, it's normal for goldfish to change colors a bit. The goldfish I have now used to have black spots when I first got him, but now he is orange and white. Here are some pictures of him http://www.flickr.com/photos/31481877@N06/3010073802/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/31481877@N06/3010073774/in/photostream/

I must say that 3 goldfish will not survive in a bowl for very long. Goldfish produce a lot of ammonia which is toxic to the fish and will build up quickly in a bowl. Also goldfish grow to about 1 foot in length and can live for more than 10 years (sometimes 20 years) if properly cared for. If they are small (2 inches or smaller) they would be ok in a 20 gallon tank minimum right now with a good filter and will eventually need a 45 gallon tank with a filter. Goldfish are not meant to live in bowls, the only fish that can survive in bowls are betta fish, and that's only if the water is changed every week and it is heated. No other fish will survive in a bowl for more than a few months, it will stunt their growth (the body stops growing but the organs don't, causing the fish a painful death) and the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels will kill your fish.
 
It's not at all uncommon for young goldfish to lose their black markings--happens all the time. In fact, it's actually uncommon for them to KEEP their black markings unless they come from good breeding lines (which you're not going to get with most pet store goldfish). So your story's not unusual at all--you've got perfectly normal goldfish.

However, keeping three goldfish in a bowl is pretty much condemning them to an early death. Goldfish grow very, very large--up to 2 feet long for commons and comets, which I suspect yours are--and can live 20 years or longer. They need huge tanks and lots of filtration. Please get your goldfish out of that deathtrap and into the biggest tank you can get--or better yet, a backyard fish pond, which is where commons and comets are meant to be kept.

Here's a few things you need to read:

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=16+1922&aid=2650
http://www.epinions.com/content_3185614980
 
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