Filter?

Question
We hvae just purchased our first fish. (small goldfish)(1)  We have a one gallon auarium with an areator(pump and tube to end with a stone. The system and the fish are new. (Two days) The water seams to have gotton cloudy.  Do I use chemicals to clear the water or a filter?  I do not think the areator has any kind of filter.  No idea on the water chemistry.

Answer
Hi Doug;

Contrary to common belief, goldfish can't survive very long in a small tank or a bowl. You will have to change the water daily or he will continually be poisoned by his own wastes. Ammonia builds up and burns his gills, skin and eyes. It is a long slow death that most goldfish owners aren't even aware of. The waste is what the cloudiness is caused by too. Even with a filter there isn't room for him to grow and exercise in a one gallon.

Baby goldfish under and inch long need an aquarium of at least 5 gallons with a good filter. They are messy deep-bodied fish that need extra care to keep clean and healthy. Once the fish gets to be about 2 inches or so, it will need a bigger tank, such as a 10 gallon. Then graduate to 40 to 50 gallons as he gets 4 inches or so. Goldfish get 6 to 8 inches long and live to be 10 years old or more when cared for properly. Make 25% water changes weekly in his filtered tank and he will do quite well.

If you really need to keep tank size to a minimum, get a male betta instead. Their bodies are suited to life in a small aquarium. They don't grow large and aren't messy at all.

Followups welcome

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins

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