Do goldfish grow larger in a larger tank? NEED ADVICE?

Question

My daughter is doing a Science Fair project and we have many questions. The question is:" Do goldfish grow larger in a larger tank? " I have 2 fish bowls with everything in both bowls the same measurements, as well as two 2'' common "Comet" goldfish.
1 Goldfish is in the 1 gal fishbowl and the other in a 1/2 gal fishbowl . I need to know what temperate they should be kept at?
How much water do I change weekly?
How to chart the data I used?
How much square area is needed for our goldfish?
How often and how much do I feed our goldfish? In each fishbowl there is only 1 goldfish.(Both fish are about 2inches each)
Are the bowls large enough? (1 bowl is 1 gal. and the other bowl is.50 gal 1/2 gal.) I was reading up on it and I read that I shouldn't use a goldfish bowl. But why are they called goldfish bowls if you should not use them?

Anyone who cares to help with this, I want to say THANK YOU right now.
Thanks

Answer 1

To answer your question, yes and no. It is a myth that goldfish will grow only to the size of the tank that they are in. A smaller tank will retard the growth, but it will not stop it. The fish will grow to the maximum size that it can grow no matter what tank it is in.



Keep the fish at room temperature. I would assume that you keep the home at a decent temp for comfort. The goldfish will be happiest in the low seventies.



Change half the water weekly. Add two drops of Seachem Prime to the water each time you change it.



The square area doesnt matter.

Feed them twice a day, what they will eat in 30 seconds



Your bowls are large enough for a short period of time. I am assuming that this is not a "long term" experiment. If it were, your data would be skewed because you would have to change tank sizes. That being said, your fish will likely not grow fast enough for you to be able to draw any sort of conclusion regarding the effects of tank size on animals growth.



The reason that you dont want to use the bowls is because goldfish are extremely messy. Believe it or not, they do not have stomachs. They process everything on its way through the fish's body. As a result, they crap alot. For long term use, you want something with a filter.



Charting the data. This will be hard in this forum, but I will give it a shot.



Fish name- pH- nitrate-nitrite-chlorine-alkalinity-temp-

Hal 7.2 20 40 0.5 500 19.3 (Cor F)

Nemo

You can get test strips to gather this information at most pet stores. They are idiot proof if you read the directions.

fish name- length (with date measured)

Hal

Nemo



You get the idea.



I would put that into Excel and make a two nice neat tables, one for the parameters of your tank, and the other for the fish length. One of the things my clients like to see (I am a geologist) is pictures. So take some pictures of your fish, and use the data you gather to make graphs. You may also be able to draw a correlation between fish size and water quality, but you will want to get the same size tank to do that. Eliminate as many of the variables as possible.

Answer 2

Actually, any fish will grow larger in a larger enviornment...they adapt. But, for your particular type of fish, you may need a bit more room than a 1 gallon tank...perhaps a 5 gallon? Water temperature should range between 68 - 72 degrees farenheit, but they can survive in colder or warmer. Put a little gravel or sand at the bottom of the tanks. Feeding them should be no problem, once or twice a day, regular goldfish flakes. You should change 10% of the water weekly but please be sure to keep the pH balance and temperature correct. The only way I can figure for you to measure the fish is tape a ruler to the top or bottom of the outside of each tank and estimate when the fish turns broadside to you. You could use a graph with inches long going up the side and the dates going across the bottom. As for your goldfish bowl question...I have no idea. But, why would you want to use a goldfish bowl if you want to measure the length of the goldfish anyhow? Oh well, hope this helps.

Answer 3

Those goldfish should have 10 gallons each. They should have filters and you should cycle the water. You need a liquid test kit for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. She could make water cycling the whole project instead! What good is a project if the fish die before you get what you need? Goldfish are slow growers and probably won't do much growing by the time she needs this project done. If she wants a fast grower you should try guppy fry or triops. Fish normally don't grow to the tank size. In small tanks the water gets toxins built up and the fish become stunted. What happens then is the outside of the fish grows slowly and the insides grow at a normal rate. Eventually the fish die painfully deaths because the organs don't have any room and get all distorted.

Answer 4

in bowls that tiny, your goldfish are likely to pass away before the project is up.

they poop like machines, comets have the potential to grow to 18"+ (get a ruler out and put that next to your 1 gallon bowl...)

they're pond fish after all, NOT tank fish.

if you want them to survive more than a week in that bowl you'll need to do daily 100% water changes, and not many fish can tolerate that kind of change, so either the ammonia from their poop or the constant changing environment will kill them.

this is was an ill thought out project. it's unlikely your fish will grow properly at all in this environment, you'll do them more damage than good. if they do survive they'll suffer stunting and abnormalities.



if you really want to do this project, i'd do it with a 10 gallon and a 20 gallon (as they are only 2" babies at the moment), with view to give them a proper pond home by the spring. but this project has been done by experts also so maybe you could do some research on that? unfortunately the only place i've found it is in print in a US fish magazine I have a pile on my floor somewhere and not online.

Answer 5

In a proper sized tank or pond the fish will grow to the size it should, a bigger tank won't make it grow bigger then it should. But keeping it in a tank that is too small causes the fish to become stunted, the outside stops growing but the insides don't and the fish dies. Comets should grow up to 18 inches but rarely do because most people stunt them and make them die too soon, they can live for more then 20 years. They need a minimum of 20 gallons each when babies and 50+ when adults, they really should be in a pond though. They take a life time to reach their full size but the first 2 years of their life they do the most growing and the older they get the slower they grow.



I hope you made sure that you are allowed to use live animals for the project, a lot of schools don't allow it and will give your daughter a F.



I guess I'll answer the question about the bowl too. People buy them because they are ignorant. People sell them because the ignorant people buy them and they don't care that what ever they put in them will die because then the ignorant people come back and buy another fish, its like a never ending cycle of money for them. Bowls are actually illegal in parts of the world, maybe one of these days they will be here too.

Answer 6

Wow, ok let us start with do they grow larger than their tank:

First off, your fish should not be in a bowl. (no fish should be in a bowl) Goldfish need and like oxygenated water. They will become lethargic and suffer undue stress. Good fish will grow to the size of their tank. If you move your fish from the bowl into a tank, they will grow. If you move them to an outside pond they will grow even bigger. However, remember certain gold fish are bread to only grow to a certain size.



You can have only 1" of fish per 1 gallon of water. Your small bowl is already overcrowded, and pretty sure so is the larger one. They can be safely kept above 50 degrees. Once the temperature falls below 50 they begin a hybernation state. Any foods you give them will not pass thru their system and rot in their inners. This will build up toxins and kill your fish. The water temperature should remain around 58-70.



Since your bowls are overloaded, you should change your water every other day. Unfortunately this puts undue stress on the fish as well.



To chart the progress/changes growth you can set up a chart in excell to track by date what you have done or do for the fish.



You need to move your fish to larger quarters. Preferably a tank. If you do move your fish to a tank, remember considering water displacement for gravel, decorations plants if any, 1" per gallon, although, gold fish should have slightly more with room to swim.



Feeding- since you only have one fish per bowl, feed them 3-4 times per day a very small amount. Just enough that they will consume ALL the food you give them with little waste. This will add to the ammonia build up in your bowl.



Also, Gold fish prefer aireation. Oxygen in the water is healthy not only for the fish but the tank.



They call them Gold fish bowls becaus since county fairs (also "fair fish") have started, merchants having fish as a prize would put them into round small glass bowls. People could then toss a ball the size of the opening towards the bowls in hopes of winning a fish. Due to the smaller size of the opening the balls would bounce off and the merchant would keep his fish. He would then dump the fish into a large tank and move to the next town. These inexpensive bowls were noteably dubbed "gold fish bowls". They are actually designed to float flowers for table centerpieces.





Hope this helps.





on your chart, across the top put the date, every day

along the left side what you did, waterchange measure, feed, medicine etc

Answer 7

It is not that goldfish grow larger in a larger tank, but that they grow smaller in smaller tanks. This is called stunting. Stunting is very cruel to fish, because it causes deformities, and is extremely painful. The article below explains it pretty good.



Goldfish have different requirements depending on the species.



Fancy goldfish need 20 gallons minimum per fish.

Commons, commets, shubunkins need 75 gallons minimum per fish.

Koi grow huge and need minimum 300 gallons per fish, this is why they are better suited to ponds.



If you want to do a humane project, put the goldfish in a tank that is big enough for it, and educate people on the real needs of a goldfish, and that bowls are cruel and inhumane.

Answer 8

Goldfish bowls are a way for pet stores like petsmart to make easy money. If ten people come in to a pet store and get told that goldfish need about 30 gallons apiece, none of those people, or maybe one will buy a fish tank. Common goldfish can get up to 18 inches long, some can get even bigger. It is NOT true that fish only grow to the size of the bowl they're in, in fact, keeping them in too small of a container stunts their growth, can deform their spine, and will cause a very premature death for these poor fishies. Not to mention that goldfish produce a huge amount of waste, and really need a filter to survive, otherwise the high levels of ammonia they produce will kill them, slowly and horribly. Goldfish are pond fish, as are koi. I have no idea why people started keeping them in bowls, but it should be stopped, and as far as I'm concerned, places shouldnt be allowed to sell those tiny bowls. Please do some research elsewhere, as there are a lot of people here on answers that answer without really knowing what they are talking about. Check out drs. foster and smith or badmans tropical fish, both are reliable, reputable sites that can give you hard facts. Good luck, and please get your fish out of these bowls.

Answer 9

This absolutely breaks my heart to read this. I don't understand why anyone would want to intentionally harm an animal. I am extremely opposed to this experiment or any testing on animals. Doing experiments on living creatures with intentional infliction of harm on their innocent, helpless beings is nothing short of cruel and heartless. Goldfish are not "throwaway" creatures like we Americans have, our whole lives, been led to believe. No animal is "throwaway." This is heartless and cruel. What is it you think happens when a creature's growth is inhibited? It isn't that they just "dont' grow." It is like the ancient tradition of chinese footbinding. The foot continues to grow, but because it hasn't been given an adequate space in which to grow, it only grows in a deformed manner. The same will happen with these fish. If they even live. Moreover, I don't know how long this "Science Fair Project" is, but to be able to record any substantial results, a test like this would have to continue for about a year. A year of torture and pain for a helpless animal. Assuming it even lives. PLEASE! I beg you! Get another project that doesn't involve inflicting harm on an animal and get these fish proper housing, water quality, aeration, feeding and overall care.

Answer 10

your experiment would be better off if you put one in a one gallon and one in a ten gallon. and it would take a couple of months.



the general assumption that has no proof as of yet is fish secrete their own dwarving agents. so in a small container the fish will be in a lot more of the stuff than a 10 gallon.



betta breeders have learned to get around this with daily water changes instead of filtration. bettas don't much like filtration so betta breeders have opted for drip water systems that change the water. in these conditions fish grow at normal healthy rates. fish in aquariums no matter what size grow a lot slower.

Answer 11

wow....... at least it's for a sience fair project..... will you get them bigger homes after the project?



comets need at least 20 gallons of water PER FISH to be healthy... they get HUGE.... and they need room to swim.... i personally, would try just getting feeder fish for your project, because they need more space than a goldfish bowl, and you'll need more time than even a few months.



anyway, for your questions.



1. keep goldfish at 68-70 degrees for them to eat properly.

2. if you don't have a filter or bubler on your 'bowls',,, then you need to change about 20% of the water DAILY... the ammonia builds up, and there's no way to get rid of it unless you do water changes.

3. get a test strip kit... they're about 10 bucks for a '5 in 1' kit,,, and you might want to get an ammonia test kit. you can log those numbers and the size of the fish, water changes, and anything else you do differently as your chart and data.

4. 10 gallons of water per goldfish up to 5 years, then 15 to 20 gallons per fish after 5 years. when you're done with your experiment, i'd put your babies in a stock tank. comets usually are in stock tanks, because comets are special, and they need more water and room to swim than most goldfish.

5. only feed the fish what they will eat in 2 minutes. feed a little, then time them, see how much they eat, and then use that same amount EVERY Time you feed them. (that's what your'e supposed to feed them anyway, but it's good for your chart too to feed them the same amoutn all the time.) only feed 1 time a day, or once every other day, because if they don't have room to swim they won't use up the calories they've eaten and they'll get sick if they eat too much.

6. no, those bowls aren't big enough. period. i wouldnt keep them in there longer than a few weeks. you can get cheap 5 and 10 gallon tanks (the different sizes i'm assuming are for the experiment) at petsmart or walmart for fairly cheap, i think it's 10 bucks for a 10 gallon tank alone at petsmart..... they are called goldfish bowls, because emporers in china used to put baby koi and goldfish in them as decoration. they didnt care about the heatlh or well being of the goldfish, they just thot they were pretty.



good luck with your experiment, but please, when it's done, get them bigger homes. if you're close to a farm or ranch, you could take them there and the farmers might put them in their stock tanks (it's pretty common, actually.)



have fun, hope she get's first prize!!!

Answer 12

I do know goldfish grow huge in a pond. I don't know that a larger bowl would matter though. That isn't much of a difference.

Answer 13

I dont think it matters, but im not sure. i know my cousin bought a regular goldfish from walmart and it grew and grew and grew. the bowl was just a regular fish bowl, it got so big they eventually had to put it in a gold fish pond in the yard. so going by that i dont think it matters.

Answer 14

No, they do not have to be in a bigger tank to grow larger, but it does depend on what kind of environment that they are adapt to!!

But, it also can depend on the amount of food that u are feeding it !!

Answer 15

yes fish will grow bigger in bigger fish vs confined space if fish are in fish bowl once a week water changes are sufficient

Answer 16

Yes



Goldfish tolerate cooler waters than tropical fish, so mid-70's (F). They can do fine in 1/2 gallon bowls if you do frequent and careful water changes.



Fish like goldfish do tend to adapt to the size of their environment. This project will be a success, take careful notes!





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Who knew this would be such an emotional question? What's with all the thumbs-down on serious answers?

Answer 17

Yes they do grow larger, if you throw them in a large pond they grow to the size of whales.

Answer 18

gold fish can live in bowls, they are one of the few fish that don't need something to put oxygen into the water, althought sometimes i find they live a lot better if they do.



for feeding them, ther should be instructins onthe fish food, i normaly just feed my fish a pinch once a day.

Answer 19

yes they do because they have more room to move around.

Answer 20

i wouldnt know, someone gave me a big tank. and out of around 6 that i bought only around 2 lived to see a week. then died soon after.

Answer 21

They grow according to the size of their environment.

Answer 22

everyone is right wooohooo!!!!!! good job everyone!!!!