Think we have broken our goldfish curse...lol

[Nemo1977]

Ds now on his 3rd set of goldfish. Other 2 sets have both fish dead within the week. Now we are on day 8 and both are still going very strong. Ds is most delighted as he thought you bought fish and then they died...lol

Odd how some of them do that isn't it Nemo?!

we had the same thing. 5 different goldfish, lonest lasting one was for 6 weeks the others a week or 2. now we have got one that we have had 5 months yay!

i wouldn't give up because i had bought an expensive bowl that looked great in my kitchen

Oooh, do make a note of this then, Nemo.

(Would have posted it under Pets but couldn't find it )

My top tips for keeping fish:

1. Always dechlorinate the tap water before you change the water (you can buy the stuff that gets rid of chlorine and other metals that may be in the water from Pets @Home)

2. Aerate the water - an air pump and a bubble diffuser to oxygenate the water.

3. Feed very sparingly - more food = more poop.

4. An unfiltered bowl is not the best way to keep fish - a small tank with an undergravel filter or a small power filter will remove the ammonia and nitrites that build up in the water (by bacterial action - a little like a sewage treatment works)

If you don't have a filter, you need to partially change the water a lot. Don't take the fish out of the bowl to do this - it causes more stress than leaving them in.
Also put in some Elodea (aquatic plant). It is very good at oxygenating the water, and the goldfish love to nibble on it.