How do you introduce a fish to new water in a new bowl from what they came...

[Ellisia]

...from (plastic container) ? I went to a christmas lights switch on with my friends and they had a fair. One of my friends won me a gold fish, im going to buy a fish tank tomorrow. but i dont know what water to put in it, and do i just put the fish in new water or what? please help!

 

[simon159]

Housing
Goldfish should never be kept in an unfiltered tank, as the water will become toxic with their own waste, filtration helps to clean the water which in turn keeps your goldfish healthy. Goldfish need oxygen in their water to breathe, this enters through movement at the surface of the water. Using an air pump can be helpful in oxygenating the water.

A tank with filtration will enable you to keep the water quality better creating a healthier environment for your fish and allow you to keep several fish in a community.

Setting Up
Wash out your tank with warm water and position out of direct sunlight or draughts in a room where the temperature is likely to remain fairly constant and out of the reach of small children and pets.

Wash any gravel, plants and ornaments you are going to use to dress the bowl or tank.

Fill your tank with water adding a de-chlorinator, to remove any chlorine from the tap water, and allow the water to stand for at least fifteen minutes before adding to the tank.

Wait at least 7 days before adding any fish to a tank.

 

[Emily]

Keep it in a bowl for now with regualar tap water. If you decide to keep this goldfish it'll cost you around 50$ just a heads up.
You'll need a 10g kit ($38 at walmart, don't buy anything smaller the cost a lot due to high demand) dechlorinater/conditioner, net, flake food and gravel vacuum.
I'd also google emergency cycle as well and do the process

 

[Little Angel]

The water should be 20 degrees Celsius, and should be tap water (though you may have to treat the water first so that there are no nasty chemicals - i recommend using some of interpets products).

Then I'm guessing the fish is in a bag of water? So when your tank is ready, put the bag on the water for about 5-10 minutes so the fish gets used to the temperature of the water. then open the bag underwater and your new fish should swim out :]

 

[Sarah]

Those goldfish at the fairs are usually comets or shubunkins, which means they have the ability to grow over two feet when properly cared for. Yours is probably already not doing so great, due to the conditions it was kept in at the fair, and even before that, too.

One of those goldfish needs about 100g to themselves, although that's still not even enough. That's why these types of goldfish are commonly kept in ponds. The ones that can be kept in tanks are called fancy goldfish, and one of those fish requires a bare minimum of 20g, with double the filtration as goldfish are massive waste producers.

I highly recommend you sell it to a pet store or something, since even if you buy a fish tank, you'll need to cycle it, which takes up to a month, and as I said before, you'll need a large one.

 

[Iliana G]

Ok, it seems that nobody knows the answer to your question, as every answer so far has had inaccuracies.

Water from the tap contains chlorine, which will greatly harm your fish. You need water conditioner to neutralize the heavy metals and chlorine/chloramines in the tap water, which you will need to purchase with your tank. Buy the largest tank possible---goldfish do indeed need much more space than is commonly advertised.

If you don't have access to water conditioner, let the tap water stand for a day, and stir it vigorously on occasion to aerate it--this will do to remove the chlorine until you can purchase water conditioner.

You will also need a filter, and gravel vacuum to do weekly partial water changes. Also, it is absolutely vital that you research the nitrogen cycle. Google information about How To Cycle A Fish Tank, and it will give you some links on how to establish beneficial bacteria in your new aquarium, which will break down your fish's ammonia.

 

[Yellowdog]

If you're going to a pet store they'll best be able to answer the question. But I believe you want to make sure the water temp is room temp. Tap water should work, but let it sit at room temp for several hours. Also, there's a anti-shock liquid that the pet store will sell you.

 

[Vamp]

You can use tap water, but leave it to stand for a bit before putting the plastic container with the fish in it into the tank and open the container

I will warn you that fish under these circumstances are very stressed and rarely live long

If you do keep the fish, get a proper manual.

I thought it was illegal to give fish as prizes. It used to be common when I was young but was stamped out.