# Bettas and Goldfish?!



## kathstew (Feb 23, 2011)

My cousin is 11 years old, so please bare with me as this is about her. Her parents don't speak english (she is adopted -long story) so I can't discuss these issues with them. I don't have all the information, as basically I got most of this off a phone message)

My cousin has a goldfish (used to be two, one died - no surprise) in a one gallon bowl (I know its too small, I keep telling her that but she won't listen). And she has two bettas, both in their own 1 gallon bowls, Marina and Samoa.

She wants to put her goldfish and one of her betta (i don't know which, the girl or the boy) together. She has an empty ten gallon tank. 

I know nothing about goldfish. But from what I can gather, goldfish and bettas can't be together mainly because of their temperature needs. Is this correct? Are there other reasons for this, because my cousin won't listen to just one reason? Bettas are also fin nippers in general, so wouldn't they nip at the fins of the goldfish.

I think she is planning either:
-goldfish and betta together in 10 gallon
or
-goldfish and betta SORORITY

-_-"

She isn't listening to my advice, please give me some backup on this.
Since I've gotten into the betta hobby she has decided to follow, not listening to all of my advice. Because I recently made a sorority, she has decided SHE wants one now. PLEASE HELP. I am afraid for these fish.


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## Sweeda88 (Dec 6, 2010)

Bettas and goldfish should NEVER EVER be kept together, PERIOD. They have completely different needs and temperaments. Goldfish create SO much waste that they NEED 20 gallons each, with extremely heavy filtration. Bettas need still waters with little filtration, and much higher temperatures than goldfish should be kept at. There is no way she should keep them together. The Bettas would be better off in their 1 gallon bowls by themselves.


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## baylee767 (Nov 5, 2010)

Goldfish get HUGE! fancy get at least 6 inches, common/comet can get 2 feet! Fancy needs at least 20 gallons to one gold fish, common/comet 125 or 200 or something to one goldfish. Goldfish need HEAVY filtration, Bettas of course need light filtration. Goldfish are cold water, Bettas tropical. It's one of the worst fish to keep with a Betta. And in a 10 gallon, neither would last long. Tell her about this. And tell her about the nitrogen cycle and if she really cares for her fish she'll rehome the goldfish (unless she can afford a bigger tank). 

What language does her parents speak?


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## Dragonlady (Nov 29, 2010)

Although I certainly don't advise it, I have kept fancy goldfish with bettas in a very large tank in the past. In general, it is a bad idea to keep bettas with goldfish. Fancy goldfish like their water a bit warmer than common goldfish, and they prefer a higher ph than bettas. Goldfish do grow large enough to fit a betta into their mouth eventually.


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## kathstew (Feb 23, 2011)

THANK YOU SWEEDA! 

Hopefully she will listen! She is kinda getting on my nerves, not listening to anything I tell her. 
"My friend has a goldfish, and its in a gallon bowl and hes been alive since NOVEMBER!"
"Could I breed my bettas in a one gallon bowl?"
"Keeping bettas in a half gallon tank is so cruel! ...Can you keep bettas in a half gallon bowl?"


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## kathstew (Feb 23, 2011)

THANK YOU baylee767! Its getting impossible to tell her ANYTHING to do with fish, anymore. She contradicts what I say with what her "friends" and "pet store workers" say. I am certainly no expert on fish at all, but some of these things are common sense, or things I've picked up on here! I will definitely keep at her about the goldfish needing a bigger tank! And they speak spanish. 

Dragonlady, I can understand you doing something like that. You are WAYYYY more experienced than my cousin is. These are her first pets EVER, and no offense to her, but she isn't the responsible type. In a large tank I'm sure would be OK with adjustments as well as careful observation made by someone experienced, but my cousin just doesn't get it.


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## SashimiBetta (May 7, 2011)

In all means necessary - Don't put them together. Your cousin will be killing innocent territorial fish.


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

when i talk to kids about their fish, i try to explain things as simple as i can. does your cousin have the internet, or can she use yours? if so, you should show her pages that show that bettas and goldfish can't be kept together. show her pictures of the World's Biggest Goldfish, and explain to her that if her goldfish were in a large tank, it would be really happy and grow really big. introduce her to this site, and tell her that the people on here know alot more than the people at the pet store(don't' say 'more than your friends and...' that, won't end well. >.>, and have lots of pretty, happy bettas, and some have goldfish too! i know it's frustrating, but all you can do is be patient and show her how much happier her fish would be if she stopped listening to her friends and the pet store people, and took your advice.


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## Sweeda88 (Dec 6, 2010)

You're welcome, Kathstew! I hope you can talk some sense into her. I'd hate to see beautiful fish die because she won't listen. Do your best, but in the end, don't blame yourself if she refuses to take your advice. In the end, it's her decision, however wrong it may be!


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## kathstew (Feb 23, 2011)

Lumeril - thanks for the ideas! She does have the internet, so I will send her some sites about goldfish and bettas. I totally never thought about the worlds biggest goldfish, that may just convince her about the tank size! Thats a great idea, thank you! 

SashmimiBetta - I will do my very best to keep her bettas and goldfish seperate!


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## kathstew (Feb 23, 2011)

Thanks Sweeda. It just bugs me, because before she got the goldfish, she asked me for help to research what they need. I looked up the info, sent her websites (we talk through webcam because she lives too far away) explained things for her - EVERYTHING. And then she went and didn't listen. I guess she will learn eventually. I really don't want to see or hear about her fish dying though. It breaks my heart hearing that they died, and it could have been easily prevented, you know?


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

this is the pic i often use to show people how huge goldies can get. 










it's gonna be tough, since kids her age are hard-headed, but as long as you play it right, she'll see how much happier all her fish will be, with proper care. you could say something like, "see how big and happy that goldfish looks? how'd you like your goldfish to get that big? you could show it off to all your friends, and brag about how long yours lived!". :d


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## Sweeda88 (Dec 6, 2010)

WOW, that is a crazy size comparison! I'd LOVE to raise a goldfish from that tiny size to something huge like that. Some day, I want to get a huge tank (200 gallons at least), and keep beautiful fantail goldfish. I love them, but they require SO much room!


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

i had a common goldfish for nearly 13 years, and he was about as big as that one. :d he lived in a 29 gallon with a pleco. odd relationship they had, as the Pleco never tried to eat the goldfish's slime coat till the goldfish was on its last leg.


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

Another thing to point out is that a healthy goldfish can live 10-40 years. So 'since november' is literally nothing compared to their lifespan. Good luck!!!


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

vaygirl said:


> Another thing to point out is that a healthy goldfish can live 10-40 years. So 'since november' is literally nothing compared to their lifespan. Good luck!!!


i love the reaction when i tell people that Goldy lived about 11. :d i usually say something along the lines of "my mom didn't think he'd last the weekend. well, 11 years worht of weekends past, and he was still alive".


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## vaygirl (Sep 10, 2009)

That's some serious fish longevity. Some day I'm going to have goldfish, when I have room for a huge tank!


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

vaygirl said:


> That's some serious fish longevity. Some day I'm going to have goldfish, when I have room for a huge tank!


i miss our 29 gallon. ;A; it actually got STOLEN from our shed. .____o no lie. they stole. our fish tank. >.>;


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## babyk (Apr 24, 2011)

i work with kids all day long! lol so i understand how hard it is to try and explain things to them...especially when they are in the wrong. 

Have you tried telling her how would she like to only live a small bathroom with one other person that takes up so much space? 

Or have you told her that goldfish grow from the inside out? (I think thats true? let me know if im wrong) And since they grow from the inside out they could actually "explode"  Ouch.


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## Arashi Takamine (Mar 3, 2011)

The thing is kids her age are stubburn, hard headed and sometimes their ego's are bigger then they are. (No offense but I remember how me and my friends were at this age: We were near psycho's.)

I hate to say this but when a goldfish is together with another fish sometimes Mr. Goldy gets hungry....I learned this the hard way at 7 when two of my goldfish literally ate each other to death. There was no blood...There were no guts hanging out....They were interlocked totally ripped apart. I still have the awful image in my head whenever I remember it. That could get worse with how aggressive betta's are, male or female they're a very aggressive species.

Tell her that Petshop employee's usually are only trying to sell her a fish not help her take care of a pet. Tell her that whilst her friends are probably trying to help to do her own research and that if she gets a bigger tank for her goldfish alone that he may very well grow up to be as big as a koi fish. 

BTW what kind of Goldfish does she have? Comet? Sunburst? Black Moor? Ryukin?


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## falconboy99 (May 14, 2011)

Don't put them together because the Betta will usually torture the goldfish until it dies. When i bought a goldfish from petco and put it with my Betta, it was killed within three days.


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

Just wondering, why did u put ur GF with your betta?


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## kathstew (Feb 23, 2011)

That goldfish is HUGE!
The other night I had a dream of raising a goldfish that became so big it lived in an outdoor swimming pool, and it still wasn't big enough! LOL

She has been convinced!!!!! She is no longer interested in keeping them together, THANK GOD! I don't know what happened, but it didn't take nearly as much explaining as I thought. I think her fish may have gotten in a bit of a fight and she didn't want to tell me. Either way, the fish are a lot safer now. But I still need to work on her about the goldfish needing a bigger tank! Jeez, its gonna take a while!

Lumeril - I can't believe someone just stole your tank! Thats horrible! I don't understand how people can do things like that!

babyk - I have told her that, unfortunately that was when she brought the "my friend has had a goldfish since November" excuse. I will keep at it though, I think the fact that one of them dying has shaken her a little. 

vaygirl - I would love to have a fish live fourty years old! Although, it would be heartbreaking losing the fish to old age eventually. You know, more attached to it because it lived for so long. 

Arashi Takamine - Aw, thats horrible! Poor little goldies! I've told her about the pet stores only wanting to make a sale. She is still innocent-minded and believes they are saying the truth for the pets welfare. She doesn't know what type it is, just that its a goldfish -_-"


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## kathstew (Feb 23, 2011)

Neil D said:


> Just wondering, why did u put ur GF with your betta?


 
Are you talking to me or the falconboy dude?


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## falconboy99 (May 14, 2011)

Neil D said:


> Just wondering, why did u put ur GF with your betta?


I sometimes don't think ahead.
Also, i'm a noob.
Also, i'm a 6th grader.


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

Falconboy....


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## Ethan (Dec 3, 2010)

kathstew said:


> My cousin is 11 years old, so please bare with me as this is about her. Her parents don't speak english (she is adopted -long story) so I can't discuss these issues with them. I don't have all the information, as basically I got most of this off a phone message)
> 
> My cousin has a goldfish (used to be two, one died - no surprise) in a one gallon bowl (I know its too small, I keep telling her that but she won't listen). And she has two bettas, both in their own 1 gallon bowls, Marina and Samoa.
> 
> ...


hey why don't make her sighn up on here I'll give whatever she needs to know to her. She sounds like she would be a great fishkeeper when she finaly listens to you.


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## Ethan (Dec 3, 2010)

falconboy99 said:


> I sometimes don't think ahead.
> Also, i'm a noob.
> Also, i'm a 6th grader.


falconboy.....is that really neccesary me and Neil think that that isn't the best way to end a disscussion by saying your grade dude...... and including that your basically saying your ignorant because of your age which makes us look bad too.......


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

Hehe, I don't think age is a bad thing, as Ethan is 12 and I'm 13, so we are both in middle school (at least I am;-)) anyways....


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## kathstew (Feb 23, 2011)

She does have an account on here. LOL

Wouldn't exactly want her to see this thread though.... 
She's only been on here once or twice. I don't think she understands/cares that much about this website. :/


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

11 yr olds...pffft! I know one who still believes in Santa!


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

:d it was long after my goldfish died, and mom kinda got out of fishkeeping for a long while. the tank was in the shed, with the stand(that also held a 10 gallon on the bottom. :3), and.... they stole the 29 gallon. o.0


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

Who/why would someone steal a fish tank?!,!!?


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

i don't know. >.>; i wish they didn't steal it. :< it was HUGE!


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## falconboy99 (May 14, 2011)

Sorry, I just got defensive when i thought that Neil was chastising me for putting my goldfish with my Betta.


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

No I would never do that! The only way someone will ever EVER chastise you on this forum is if you like flush a live fish or take one out of the water for no reason to 'play' with it or whatever. Haha this is a veeeerry friendly family forum. Knowledge is the key..;-)


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## Ethan (Dec 3, 2010)

Yeah dude lol don't underestimate me I'm going in 7th grade after summer! That means I'm in middle school


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## falconboy99 (May 14, 2011)

I'm going to seventh grade after the summer too.


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## Ethan (Dec 3, 2010)

falconboy99 said:


> I'm going to seventh grade after the summer too.


Cool :-D


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## babyk (Apr 24, 2011)

Neil D said:


> No I would never do that! The only way someone will ever EVER chastise you on this forum is if you like flush a live fish or take one out of the water for no reason to 'play' with it or whatever. Haha this is a veeeerry friendly family forum. Knowledge is the key..;-)



and this is why i joined this forum. My friend told me that she learned so much about her bettas from being on here. 

Everyone is so friendly and willing to share as much as they can:-D


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## wallywestisthebest333 (Nov 30, 2009)

Hey guys does anyone have a link to a DECENT goldfish care site? When I googled it every site says that they're the easiest fish to keep, they're super clean, and only require small homes.
Three sites even have the same picture of three or four goldfish in a wine glass.

I'm trying to provide a good care site for an artist that was considering buying herself some goldfish.

Thanks guys. I'm gonna get back to searching now.


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## Sweeda88 (Dec 6, 2010)

http://www.kokosgoldfish.invisionzone.com/forum/index.php There you go!


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## wallywestisthebest333 (Nov 30, 2009)

Thanks! =]


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## Sweeda88 (Dec 6, 2010)

You're welcome! It's one of the best and most popular Goldfish forums out there.


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

Koko also has a site somewhere... Called kokosgoldfishworld.com or something


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## Arashi Takamine (Mar 3, 2011)

kathstew said:


> Arashi Takamine - Aw, thats horrible! Poor little goldies! I've told her about the pet stores only wanting to make a sale. She is still innocent-minded and believes they are saying the truth for the pets welfare. She doesn't know what type it is, just that its a goldfish -_-"


I know how she feels when I had first delved into fish keeping I had another goldfish and a goldfish bowl pretty typical for a kid my age apparently and the petsmart woman told us to put half the tank water in the new water. No acclimating, no warning just said: "Dump the fish in do waterchanges no soap and feed it. Call it good." That tiny thing lived for three years...I feel guilty now that I didn't give her at least a ten gallon (Looking back on it she was no bigger then a single neon tetra.) To live in.

I learned better after doing research on keeping betta's and I had fun preparing everything. Now my boys are a big part of my routine and I can't imagine life without fish again.


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## PewPewPew (Nov 26, 2010)

Neil D said:


> No I would never do that! The only way someone will ever EVER chastise you on this forum is if you like flush a live fish or take one out of the water for no reason to 'play' with it or whatever. Haha this is a veeeerry friendly family forum. Knowledge is the key..;-)


We'll still chastise you, so long as you deserve it.

If you do, then you get chastised or get new info. It takes a lot to get chastised, but not just the aforementioned...


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## ollief9 (Mar 16, 2011)

> I feel guilty now that I didn't give her at least a ten gallon


Common goldfish need 50 gallons each.


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## gmd1800 (Feb 19, 2011)

Came across this site if anyone still wants a link - 

http://howtotakecareofagoldfish.com/

I haven't checked it out 100% but from what I see, it sounds close to accurate due to my little knowledge of goldfish.


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## ollief9 (Mar 16, 2011)

I condemn that website. The mere mention of fish bowls dettered me from it. 
Goldfish NEED large tanks with big filters. Two common goldfish need no less than a 100 gallon aquarium. 
This does seem ridiculous, but when kept in huge tanks they grow enourmous and can live for over 20 years.


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## gmd1800 (Feb 19, 2011)

Oops. Didn't see that part! I didn't really browse the ENTIRE site, but I saw a couple sections where they said that goldfish need larger tanks.


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## ollief9 (Mar 16, 2011)

I find this page useful for goldfish care.
http://www.fishkeeping.co.uk/articles_12/keeping-goldfish.htm


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

Good site


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