Re: Help from Goldfish Enthusiasts

blove wrote:
I check this newsgroup everyday and ill chime in when i can but lately ive been busy but i always check my email so sometimes its easier for me to check my email. There is no humane law enforcement here. Im in Massena new york and there isnt anyone who will do anything like they would in new york city or any of the other major cities. Cops will only do anything when like someone leaves a dog in the car or something like that, not for kids getting goldfish in things equivalent to bowls wich will be dead in couple days.

I kept a goldfish and some anacharis for THREE years in a bowl as a child. Not bad for a kid with a fishbowl and a county fair fish. My fish was a cherished pet and had a far better life than most feeders. Why, exactly, are you assuming that a child is incapable of humanely keeping a goldfish in a gallon bowl?

I am aware goldfish fans say 10 or even 20 gallons to a fish and so forth, but that's for a fully grown 8"-10" comet. A gallon of water for a typical 1" feeder is perfectly reasonable starter housing - much better than a quart. I quarantined a 2" shubunkin in a medium critter keeper for a month before it went into my pond and the fish did just fine. To continue your puppy and kitten analogy, a puppy can sleep comfortably in a much smaller crate than a full-grown dog.

If you want to do something constructive to improve the lives of those goldfish, do two things. First, donate some anacharis to the project so that every kid gets a plant to go into the critter keeper. 100 sprigs of anacharis will cost you maybe $20 at the most. The anacharis will make a huge difference in the water quality and keep the fish from suffering. It absorbs ammonia, oxygenates the water, and provides surface area for bacteria to grow. If you're lucky, there will even be fish in the tank where you buy the anacharis and it will be colonized with nitrifying bacteria.

Second, make up 100 flyers up on goldfish care, (big water changes, light feeding, sponge filters, plants, etc.) and on how to tell when the goldfish has outgrown its bowl with nitrate tests. Get a local pet store to donate 10% off coupons so the kids can buy inexpensive air-driven filters for their fish. Make sure they know that a typical 10 gallon leader runs only $10.

That way, the kids have a chance to keep their fish alive and you've started educating a new generation of aquarists. :-)

--
Elaine T                        __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html  <'__><
rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com
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Relevant Pages

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