First Tank Guide Home

Goldfish Care Basics

Tips for Giving Your Pet Goldfish a Long and Healthy Life
Overview:
Common and fancy goldfish are Asian Carp, Carassius auratus. They have been bred
in the Orient for over a thousand years, and in Europe for over a hundred years
to provide all of the colors and shapes available to hobbyists today.
All goldfish are temperate fish found in cool streams, lakes, and ponds througho
ut Asia and part of eastern Europe, though all the specimens found in the hobby
today are captive bred. Goldfish can be easy to care for, however, they do requi
re some care. Given proper care and a good, healthy environment, goldfish can li
ve nearly 50 years!
Equipment & Maintenance:
To keep a goldfish healthy, remember to provide them with plenty of clean, cool
water.
Your goldifsh's temperature should never rise above 73° Fahrenheit, and ideally
should remain between 65° and 68,° so you will need a thermometer. Keeping a
goldfish above 72° for long periods of time will result in Oxygen deprivation,
which can cause nerve damage, heart damage, and can seriously hamper the immune
system, making them more susceptible to many diseases, from easily treatable Ick
to nearly untreatable swim bladder infections.
Keep your goldfish in a tank of at least 10 gallons, and make sure that a minimu
m of 8 gallons of your tank space is dedicated to each goldfish (a 10 gallon tan
k is really only suitable for one goldfish). This will provide sufficient space
for your goldfish, so he can remain healthy, and this will allow the tank to hel
p you keep healthy fish. Perform your weekly 10-15% water changes, so that your
goldfish always has clean water and the waste that is not processed by the filte
r is removed. Your goldfish will need a filter to keep the water from becoming t
oxic, and you will need to keep the filter in good condition. When selecting a f
ilter, if you have fancy goldfish, make sure that the filter will not produce ex
cessive current in your tank, and this will make it difficult for the fancy gold
fish to swim.
Food & Care:
Remember that your goldfish is an omnivorous (eats anything) scavenger, so provi
de him with a varied and high carbohydrate diet. Many goldfish foods are availab
le on the market today, and most frozen fish foods are also appropriate. Goldfis
h have large appetites, but they also graze for food constantly. Don't let their
'mock hunger' and grousing around for food fool you into over feeding them. You
r fish should be able to consume all the food you offer within two minutes of fe
eding. If there is food in the tank after this time has elapsed, this will contr
ibute to poor water quality and make your goldfish more susceptible to disease.
You will only need to feed your goldfish once a day. If you feed more than once
a day you will increase the waste your fish is producing and will also increase
the risk of over feeding, so it becomes more important that you are performing y
our weekly 10-15% water changes and all necessary filter maintenance. Providing
a proper diet will increase your goldfish's life expectancy and bolster their im
mune system.
Goldfish, like any fish, are aware that they are prey animals. In order to feel
comfortable, they need to have lots of hiding places. Goldfish do not seem to be
too particular about their cover, however, you do want to make sure that you do
not use any sharp or rough decorations that your goldfish may get hurt on, espe
cially if you are keeping any fancy goldfish that have impaired vision. Like mos
t other fish, they are more comfortable and will come out more and be more activ
e if you can provide them with 50-75% cover - this means you should make half to
three fourths of your tank space hiding places. Providing sufficient cover will
reduce stress and therefore improve your goldfish's immune system, reducing cha
nce of disease.
Companionship:
Goldfish can, like most fish, be kept with fish with similar care requirements a
nd temperament. However, this very quickly limits you to other goldfish - fortun
ately, there are many different and interesting fancy goldfish to choose from.
When looking for a companion for your goldfish, remember to select goldfish with
similar handicaps. If their disabilities are too different, it is very likely t
hat some will out compete the others for food, and you can have a goldfish starv
e to death while another gets fat right before your eyes in your tank.
Finally:
Remember, goldfish are beautiful living creatures. It is the responsibility of t
he pet owner to care for their pet and provide a healthy environment. So give yo
ur goldfish space, clean, cool water, plenty of hiding places, and high-quality,
high-carbohydrate foods and he should be a good companion for a long time.