# Do goldfish need a filter?



## Rachel

I am thinking about getting a goldfish for my room. I always see goldfish bowls without any kind of filter, but I know that every fish tank I see has a filter. Do goldfish not need filters? Why not? Would a goldfish live longer if there is a filter in his tank or bowl? Thx, Rach


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## dasmall1

You can put goldfish in a bowl without a filter, but where most people go wrong is that they overfeed their fish and don't change it's water. If I put a goldfish in a bowl, I would change 50% of it's water at least once a week and make sure it eats ALL of its food.


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## dasmall1

Also, let the new water you're putting in stand for about 1 day to let the chlorine in the water disipate.


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## Adam

dasmall1 said:


> If I put a goldfish in a bowl, I would change 50% of it's water at least once a week and make sure it eats ALL of its food.


I thought that goldfish are notorious for eating themselves to death and their food intake should be limited? :?


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## Michael

Maybe that's only in cartoons!


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## dasmall1

Exactly. Feeding is very important. If feeding it flakes, only feed about what it can eat in 1 1/2 minutes. You will eventually figure out exactly how much it can handle. Just make sure food doesn't sit on the bottom. The water changes take care of the fecal sitting on the bottom. Food creates ammonia and softer water, and fecal creates ammonia. Feed it 6 days a week. The one day of no feeding helps clear it's digestive system and prevents constipation which is very common in goldfish.


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## Brian

Dasmall1, is there any type of fish that can clean waste off the bottom for you like how an algea eater cleans algea off the glass? I can't help but smirk just thinking of what such a fish would be called. I doubt it exists, but you never know.


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## dasmall1

I have never heard of one, but I haven't looked too much into those kinds of fish.


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## Cichlid lover

you could always get a snail


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## mjcolenc

I have my goldfish in a five gallon tank with a filter. It seems to be able to keep the tank cleaner.


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## Rachel

mjcolenc said:


> I have my goldfish in a five gallon tank with a filter. It seems to be able to keep the tank cleaner.


I think I will get a filter then because I will enjoy my goldfish more if I can see him better


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## Nick

I have a 10 gallon w/ goldfish in it. I have always ran filters it keeps it clean and a lot safer for the fish. I also think it helps with the lifespan of the fishes too. 
For a bottom feeder ( is what you were asking right? ) Pleco's are great bottom feeders. But im assuming you will be having a small tank correct? If its small, like a 5 gallon or so, snails always work, like already said. I wouldnt reccomend a bowl for a goldfish though, because you wouldnt be able to really put a filter in a bowl. In this hobby always get the biggest tank you can afford. It helps in the long run

Nick


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## joeshmoe

flattrack23 said:


> In this hobby always get the biggest tank you can afford. It helps in the long run
> 
> Nick


 lol i found that out lil to late when i first got my tank


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## Lupin

> you could always get a snail


I wouldn't get snails lest you know what will happened. Goldfish eating a lot also gives the snails a chance to explode their population.
This situation worsens as snails are rather hard to remove.
If I were you, stick with Malayan Trumpet Snails.
Avoid the ramshorn and common pond snails. Apple snails are also a good choice.

Malayan Trumpet Snails can eat detritus and dig in the substrate so this also prevents anaerobic spots if you are using sand.



> Would a goldfish live longer if there is a filter in his tank or bowl?


For a fishbowl, only bettas are the good choice.

My advice on feeding is feed sparingly and vacuum the leftovers. Make sure they consume the food in 5 minutes. Vary the food menu as the fish gets different nutrients at that. Don't feed them on only one food. It's very useless as they never get to receive different nutrients.
What's more is that aritifical foods tend to have less vitamins in it. You might try the mosquito larva, daphnia, bloodworms and krills.
I'd go with frozen rather than live ones to reduce the chances of introducing pathogens.


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## joeshmoe

u need to put a filter for those buggers. there big poopers


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## Lupin

Yes, filter is needed. But you need to also add partial water changes.
10-15% water changes daily or every other day is never too bad.


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## joeshmoe

dont ghost shrimp eat poop ???


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## SimplySplendid

I have never come across anything that actually eats poop, correct me if I'm wrong.


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## usmc121581

In freshwater I would have to agree with you, till I see it, But saltwater there is sort of.


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## ecotack

I find with gold fish an under gravel filter is adequate. Use one of those syphon gravel cleaners during water changes to collect the muck.

My four gold fish will clog up any other filters within a week.

Also, use a good food. Nasty pond sticks and flake food can cloud the water in a day. I like using frozen shrimp, blood worm, daphnia, etc.


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## Lupin

I disagree with the use of UG filter. It's no longer effective. It can remove the wastes, but only from your sight, not out of the tank.
For this, I recommend the use of internal or external filter.

Some shrimps and inverts eat poo. Ghost shrimps and bamboo shrimps do. For snails, Malayan Trumpet Snails do.:wink:


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## usmc121581

I agree with blue on the ug and when it gets clog you have to rip the tank apart to clean it.


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## Nick

Hmmm I have an undergravel filter on my 55 gallon ATM...But I think im good because my filter is in the path of where my jet circulates the tank. ..


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## ecotack

I still think a UG filter is OK for gold fish, especially if you have plenty of plants. I also agree that to fully clean you need to take the tank apart, but cleaning with a gravel cleaner syphon thingy is good enough.

Gold fish are tough. My gold fish are over 12 years old and have gone through everything, including a frozen pond, weeks in a bucket, a neglected tank, over feeding, under feeding, neighbours cats, a great dane in the pond, a night on the kitchen floor (it jumped out of the bucket). In fact I think they do better in a dirty tank, its more like a pond. 

They are much easier to keep than say sea horses :wink:


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## Lilith

joeshmoe said:


> dont ghost shrimp eat poop ???


You've been watching too much Finding Nemo!
Nothing eats poo, and goldfish are one of the messiest fish most of us will ever own. A filter is essential to ensure your fish live more than a few weeks (there are exceptions, as many of you have pointed out, but they are not the rule). Cycling your tank properly is also a must.



Blue said:


> For a fishbowl, only bettas are the good choice.


Bettas need a pump too, as well as a heater (and despite popular belief, they need more space than a cup!). They may not be pooping machines like goldfish, but their waste will still dirty up their filterless tank quickly, and they are far less hardy.


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## Lupin

I disagree with your statements, Lilith.
Some inverts do eat poo.

As for bettas, they do need filters, etc. but we are clarifying that they are the only ones who can survive low-oxygen levels. Water changes will serve as substitute for filters. This is only for bettas so the exception is imposed.


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## monkeymagic

Goldfish are buggers to keep!!!!!!!
They poop way too much for their own good.
It is recommended that the filter must cycle at least (LEAST) 5 x the volume of the tank in an hour. Normal is 3x for tropical. They also grow quite big esp comets so tank size is a consideration.
Be careful of mixing species again as the fancier ones will get to the good the slowest e.g. fantails, pearlscales etc.
For my 60L (15 gallon tank), i am running a aquaclear 500 and a eheim internal aquaball 2212. Have 9 goldfish in the tank about 5cm 8 cm each.

SO filters are highly recommended.
Buy the best withing ur budget!!
FOr my 6 ft Malawi cichlid tank i spent about $2000 AUD on filtration alone


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## Lupin

While the filters alone can be sufficient, water changes should also be included in your schedule to dilute the fish wastes.
With goldfish, daily water changes of 10% is a must. Every other day is also fine but not weekly as the wastes may have already accumulated that the sudden water changes can cause the fish to adapt quickly which can further stress them.


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