How To Change Goldfish Water? (In A Tank And Bowl)

Water plays a vital role in our fish’s lives as they live in the water for their entire life.

Providing good water conditions to your goldfish is essential for proper growth and development. You can provide good quality water in your goldfish tank by performing frequent water changes.

So, how to change your goldfish water? Let us find out.

Here are the steps to change your goldfish water:

1. Turn off the tank equipment like filter and heater.
2. Transfer 30% of the water from the tank to a bucket with the help of a vacuum.
3. Wash the biofilter and the other tank decors with the tank water.
4.  Fill the bucket with tap water and treat it with a water conditioner before adding it to your tank. 
5.  Add the freshwater from the bucket slowly into your tank.
6. Ensure no significant difference between the freshwater and tank water temperatures, as it can shock your goldfish.

The below article will discuss how to change your goldfish water in a tank and a bowl. In addition, we will also learn about the factors you should consider before changing your goldfish water. 

Is water change necessary?

Water change in your goldfish tank is necessary to maintain a healthy environment in the tank.

Goldfish are messy fish that produces a lot of waste in the tank, making frequent water changes essential for their well-being.

Not performing water change in your goldfish tank can lead to oxygen deficiency in the water, making your goldfish gasp for air at the top of the water surface.

In addition, not changing your goldfish water can also lead to various health issues in your fish like weakening their immune, loss of appetite, and stress.

Therefore, you should perform frequent water changes in your goldfish tank to avoid several health issues in your fish and ensure their proper growth and development.

How often should you change your goldfish water?

You should perform a 30% water change weekly in your goldfish tank to maintain the tank’s water quality and your fish’s well-being.

It will be advisable not to perform a complete water change at once as it can disturb the tank’s water chemistry making your goldfish weak and prone to several diseases and parasites.

In the case of a bowl, you should perform a 50% water change every 3-4 days to maintain the water quality in the bowl.

As you cannot add a filter to a bowl, frequent water changes are essential to keep the water clean.

However, we advise you not to place your goldfish in a bowl as it offers no room for your goldfish to swim, eventually leading to stress and affecting the growth of your fish.

It would be best to place your goldfish in a big-size tank than a bowl to ensure their proper growth and development.

Also, read: How Often Should You Change Your Goldfish Water?

What factors should you consider before changing your goldfish water?

Here are the factors you should consider before changing your goldfish water

1. Avoid washing your tank decors with the tap water as it can eliminate the good bacteria from the aquarium decors, gravels, and filter sponges.
2. Always ensure to treat the tap water with the help of a water conditioner to eliminate all the harmful chemicals from the water.
3. We recommend you to use API Tap Water Conditioner for your goldfish as it helps eliminate the chlorine and chloramine from the water. You can buy it from Amazon API TAP WATER CONDITIONER.
4. Avoid adding the water too quickly as it can lead to shock in your goldfish.
5. Avoid performing a massive water change as it can disturb the water chemistry and can lead to shock in your goldfish. 

Also, read: My Goldfish Died After A Water Change?

How to change goldfish water in a tank?

All you need to change the water in your goldfish tank are

1. A tank Vaccum 
2. Bucket
3. A cleaning sponge

Here are the steps to change the water in your goldfish tank

1. Firstly, you should turn off the tank equipment like filter and heater before you start performing a water change.
2. Put one end of the tank vacuum in the tank’s bottom and the other end in the bucket to transfer the water from the tank to the bucket.
3. Continue vacuuming the water by moving the hoes to different gravel areas until 30% of the tank’s water is in the bucket.
4. Wash the biofilter with the tank water from the bucket and squeeze the biofilter gently to remove any blockage from the filter.
5. You can now add the filter back to the tank.
6. Wash all the other tank decors with the tank water.
7. Clean the aquarium walls with the help of a cleaning sponge.
8. You can use the rest of the bucket water for watering your outdoor plants.
9.  Fill the bucket with tap water and treat it with a water conditioner before adding it directly to your tank. 
10. Avoid adding excessive water conditioner to the water as it can bind the oxygen lowering the tank’s oxygen level.
11. You can now add the freshwater from the bucket slowly into your tank. Avoid pouring the water rapidly as it can shock your goldfish.
12. You must ensure no significant difference between the freshwater and tank water temperatures as it can shock your goldfish. You can match the water temperature of tap water by using a heater or leaving it idle for some time.

The above steps were to perform a water change in your goldfish tank.

How to change goldfish water in a bowl?

You should perform a 50% water change every 3 days to keep the tank water clean.

All you need to perform a water change in a bowl are

1. A container
2. A cleaning sponge 

Here are the steps to change goldfish water in a bowl

1. Remove the 50% water from the bowl to a container.
2. Clean the wall of the bowl with the help of a cleaning sponge.
3. You can use the container water for watering your outdoor plants.
4. Fill the container with tap water and treat it with a water conditioner before adding it directly to your bowl.
5. Avoid adding excessive water conditioner to the water as it can bind the oxygen lowering the bowl’s oxygen level.
6. You can now add the freshwater from the container slowly into your bowl. Avoid pouring the water rapidly as it can shock your goldfish.
7. You must ensure no significant difference between the freshwater and bowl water temperatures as it can shock your goldfish. You can match the water temperature of tap water by using a heater or leaving it idle for some time.

The above steps were to perform a water change in your goldfish bowl.

Also, read: Can Goldfish Live In A Bowl?

Conclusion:

1. Goldfish are messy fish that produces a lot of waste in the tank, making frequent water changes necessary for their well-being and proper growth of your fish.
2. You should perform a 30% water change weekly in your goldfish tank to maintain the tank’s water quality and your fish’s well-being.
3.  Ensure to perform a 50% water change every 3-4 days to maintain the bowl’s water quality.
4. Ensure not to wash your tank decors with tap water as it can eliminate the good bacteria from the aquarium decors, gravels, and filter sponges.
5. Avoid performing a massive water change as it can disturb the water chemistry and can lead to shock in your goldfish. 

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Reference: ResearchGate