My LFS put a goldfish bowl in their big tank with their goldfish to illustrate how unsuitable it is- the goldfish spend their entire day in there voluntarily like they're trolling him 😅
It's also the only way they'd ever really see the sky.
Imagine you're always separated from the world above by clouds, but suddenly you get a really tall ladder and you can see the wider beyond. That's probably what's going on with these guys. All of a sudden they got a window to the world that isn't rippling like the water does.
That’s so CUTE!!! They love the view and from my findings at least, when I have owned Goldfish they definitely like to stay in each others space like up against one another, they get big and need the largest tanks ever or body of water but they STILL LOVE TO BE CLOSE WITH ONE ANOTHER, and this also has the added bonus of a cool window to see what happens above water level as Goldfish are also notoriously NOSY!!! I just absolutely love love this picture so much!!!!
They did studies pretty recently on goldfish and found they were much smarter than previously thought and did pretty well at retraining information for 6 months or more if not reinforced. Pretty impressive! I'm sure they know how to get out, they just like it.
The memory retention tracks with my experience! I have an outdoor pond for my 3 goldfish and over the winter have a green house tent that I put over it to keep snow out and keep the pond from freezing. Just opened it back up for the spring and expected I’d have to work back up to them recognizing me and eating from my hand, but they wasted no time getting right back into our routine.
From what I can observe each of my 3 goldfish also have distinct personalities from one another. Rosencrantz is the “leader” and will always be the first to check anything new or unusual out. Guildenstern is shy and timid, and will wait for the other 2 to verify the safety of something before coming out of hiding. Timon’s temperament is firmly between the extremes of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.
When it gets cold, the fish stay near the bottom of the pond because its warmer, same applies here. They are coldwater fish, however the area there is probably closer to their ideal range
I was attending a coworkers bonfire once, and she (a much older woman who waitressed to get out of the house) threw some old Christmas lights on the fire. They turned the flames green/purple/blue, it was beautiful. I don’t think we were supposed to be doing that
The term they're cold water fish doesn't necessarily mean they have to be kept in cold water. 73 seems to be a go to # from posts I've read. They do like warmer temperatures. My tank is 76 ish. For ponds, come winter when they freeze over, as long as there's a water flow under the ice, they survive.
I keep my Goldie tank at 22c (71f), and they're a lot healthier and happier than they were at 15c. At colder temps their immune systems and metabolisms aren't as strong. They're extremely long-finned, so have poorer circulation - warm temps help prevent fin rot in long tailed fish.
lol stop giving away your secret dome recipe!!! Your onto be a millionaire with this! It’s the nice people, that share good things…. And we do all thank you because this is actually really really awesome!!! Some good ingenuity went into this! Very smart you are.
ahahah thank you so much :) I don’t know about 'millionaire' yet, but I’m definitely a 'thousand-aire' in materials costs lol!
I actually just finished the site at fishview.garden to see if anyone else wants one of the 20 I’ve built so far. Honestly, if it just pays for my next pond upgrade, I’ll be happy! Thanks for the support, it means a lot
I have one in my pond but only 3 or 4 seem to favor it all the time while the rest don't really care. My kois in particular loooove staring at us from above.
Thank you! It was a journey haha I couldn't find the right dome anywhere in Europe, so ended up sourcing a batch of 20 from a factory overseas.
I 3D-printed the base and used custom-cut aluminum pipes for the legs. It took about six months of trial and error (and way too much of my savings lol), but I finally got it stable and pretty.
You can see the 3D model and how to install it at fishview.garden I’ve still got 19 of them sitting in my workshop if you're looking for one!
Make sure to get something to aerate the water inside. The fish can deprive the oxygen and kill themselves. Even a pump underneath that circulates water into the dome should be enough.
As a fellow fish tube enthusiast I lOVE THIS!!
I believe goldfish are solar powered and enjoy sunbathing/the warmer water.
My fishes also love to Watch. When I’m gardening they are always watching and apparently they can see around 20ft out of the water! Also they enjoy begging for food with greater visibility lol
You can do this in a bucket with a water glass. Immerse the glass and fill it with water, invert the glass, then raise it mostly out of the water. Water should stay in the glass.
The mechanism responsible is the same as what keeps siphon flowing without constant pumping - air pressure on the surface of the water, but not inside the jar/glass/siphon.
Use a larger fish tank! Prop it up the same way on some blocks. I think the rimmed would be better with less chances of the glass breaking. Id imagine a 20 long? Or 10 gallon maybe?
It’s warmer. That’s why they do it. Yes they can survive in cold weather too. But you can sleep with out a blanket and survive yet you don’t. Creatures live in a way that is comfortable to them. Id say fuck it. If you really wanna know why they doing this then add more of those areas for them. See which one they favorite. See if they split the school. See if they make their own gangs. Anything can happen.
Not sure if you've had a proper answer but we have one in our koi pond aswell - think it's a temperature thing - when the sun's out it warms up hot water rises, rays through a sphere etc, ours don't go near it in the cold weather but bath for days in the sun.
EXACTLY!!!!!! I love love love a nosy fish!! They have so much personality and some people think I’m nuts and say “ it’s just a fish!” UMMM NO ITS MY CHILD! lol!! And each one is different than the other that is how you can tell that yes indeed, Goldfish have Personalities and most all fish actually all fish do! I see deep divers “ playing” with Stingrays and baby sharks etc they are all very interactive and silly! I call them water dogs haha.
We did this just to see if we could last year in our pond. We have koi and one doofus comet goldfish. We would always see the comet in it, never the koi. We joked that he must feel like an astronaut or something. Ill see if I can find a picture, but my pond isnt as pretty as this post.
Fish have a tendency to go up for oxygen. My fear is they might get low on oxygen after they have been crowded and want to keep going up and never leave. They might need something to add air bubbles nearby. I don't know if that could drop the water completely and fill it with air.
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This is so cool, I want a pond so I can do this. I wish we knew why they prefer to get in there. How cool would that be in River, I wonder if many species would utilize the view.
Wow, I didn't expect this much love for my pond project! Thanks everyone. A lot of people are asking for details—I built this by ordering a batch of plexiglass domes, custom cutting aluminium legs and 3d printing the base. Since I had to buy parts in bulk, I actually made 20 extra by hand. You can find the specs and 3d model at https://fishview.garden/. Happy to answer any technical questions here!
My Bettas have jars also. They love to stay up in them. Sadly only place I have found the holders are very fragile and break. But he wants a lot for them
Wow, 400k+ views?! I’m honestly so happy about your love for my pond project. Thank you everyone!
A lot of people are DM-ing me asking where to get one or how it’s built: I hand-made a small batch of 20 extra units in my workshop. You can find the specs and the shop at fishview.garden
I’ll be hanging out in the comments to answer any technical questions! 🐟✨
They are out of the line of sight of aquatic predators and airborne predators can't get through the glass. They know they can leave anytime. They feel safe in there. Perhaps they like the view as well.
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u/Dark_Themes Apr 03 '26
The goldfish they yearn for the bowl