Too much air in goldfish bowl?

Question
I've got a recent goldfish bowl and had two fish in it with a simple air pump, no filter, but clean the bowl twice a week.  After a week one of the fish died.  It happened after I cleaned the bowl yesterday - it appeared both fish were struggling to swim down - all they wanted to do was cruise around the top of the bowl with their mouths on the surface.  I'm confused because there is an airpump and the bowl isn't that big.  I was told that one fish would be ok even without an pump.  Did my fish die because of the water change, the water itself or air or something else?  Please help, my girlfriend will kill herself laughing if another one goes.

Mike

Answer
Dear Mike,
The problem here is the bowl itself unfortunately. Even though it is adverstised and almost promoted still today--It is now well-known to many aquarists that bowls are very bad enviroments for goldfish. There's no way to get away with using a bowl. Goldfish produce too much waste, need a lot of space to swim, as well as excellent filtration and very good water quality. None of these needs can be met if they are living in a bowl. Sorry if this seems harsh... But I am very fond of all goldfish and I only want the best care given to all of them.

The most likely reason your goldfish died is because of pollution in the bowl. Goldfish produce ammonia as a by-product of their waste. Ammonia is extremely toxic to them as they are breathing it in constantly through their gills. Ammonia burns their gills, fins, and skin. In a aquarium, there are special beneficial bacteria that establish colonies in the gravel bed and in the filter and these are vital critters because they consume and convert the ammonia and turn it into less harmful substances. In a bowl, establishing these bacteria is nearly impossible. But an aquarium can.

~Please, try to get at the minimum a 10gal aquarium for your remaining goldfish. This isn't the ideal size but it is more than better than what he is living in now. Ten-gallon aquariums are very inexpensive, get a powerfilter too, and a cover for your tank.

I have seen personally goldfish that have grown to the size of grapefruits. Even a 10gal will be too small for a while but it is the least we can do now for your goldfish.

For now, make sure to change about 80% of your goldfishes bowl water everyday (I might do it twice a day) when doing these water changes. INSURE that the replacement water is dechlorinated with a proper water conditioner like Amquelplus or Prime. And that it is the same temperature or just a tiny bit higher than what your goldfishes bowl is. Doing these water changes should help him survive until you can get him into a better enviroment as soon as possible. Continue running the airstone of course.

I believe that you lost your first poor goldfish from pollution problems..very likely high ammonia. There could also have not been enough oxygen for two goldfish in that small volume of water even with an airstone.
Goldfish must have oxygen, they cannot survive without it!

If you would rather not have an aquarium and would prefer to just keep a large bowl, then you may want to consider taking your goldfish to a petstore who would gladely take him in and getting a betta or siamese fighting instead. These fish are the only ones suitable for a bowl but their special but simple needs must be met in order for them to thrive. *Please do as much research as possible before deciding to own a betta if you intend to. Visit this betta website for everything about betta care and maintenance-
"www.bettatalk.com"

I really hope this helps and best wishes,
Karen~