Caring For Goldfish Is Easy and Fun

Without a doubt, goldfish depend on someone to take care of them. Caring for goldfish can become a hobby or more, a passion.

In the wild, goldfish have a lot of room to move about, get a varied diet and have enough oxygen. To be able to match that lifestyle you need to find the ballance of careful preparation and routine upkeep. That can guarantee your goldfish has a long, healthy, happy life.

Goldfish care starts before you buy the fish. You'll need more than a handful of supplies to pick up from the store. Here's a list of what you need:

Choosing A Tank

When caring for goldfish, choosing a tank means knowing how much room goldfish need to survive at least 10 years from now. Goldfish should not be kept in bowls or jars! I'm going to repeat that. Goldfish should not be kept in bowls or jars!

A single goldfish needs at least 10 gallons (38 litres) of water. That's just for one small goldfish. And they grow-fast!

Here is an example:

Now that you know the size of your tank, it's time to decide where to place your tank. Most importantly, keep your goldfish out of direct sunlight. Sunlight promotes the growth of algae and overheats your water. You don't want to place your goldfish tank in the bedroom to keep you awake.

Water Changes

Water changes are at the core of goldfish care. You see, when caring for goldfish, most sickness problems stem from poor water quality. You must have a working filter and pump. If you turn these off then the water won't be pushed to the top and the oxygen transfer won't happen. When there is no oxygen, your goldfish choke.

Why you do water changes:

• keep ammonia levels low by diluting them with clean water
• increase oxygen in the tank
• clean all the waste products that have accumulated in the gravel

The ideal is to do a 50-60% water change every week. Doing this, your goldfish will be as healthy as ever.

Temperature Control

It's important to have a constant water temperature in your tank. Goldfish are cold water fish, but "fancy" varieties need a water temperature ranging from 50^oF(10^oC) to 75^oF(24^oC).

The best places to keep your aquarium are the kitchen, office and the living room. Tanks can be havy when filled with water so make sure you place yours on a special stand or a very sturdy piece of furniture.

Temperature is what stimulates goldfish to start breeding. Fast changes in water temperature can kill your goldfish. Their immune system is weakened and they are exposed to parasites and a various number of diseases.

Types of Food

Goldfish are natural scavengers and they will eat almost anything. In the wild, they have a varied diet eating algae, insects and even leaves. This type of healthy balanced varied diet keeps them healthy and happy.

Most common mistake goldfish owners do is to overfeed their goldfish. Remember, caring for goldfish doesn't mean you have to be a worried mother. Feed your goldfish once a day and only what it can eat in 2 minutes. Don't worry, you're not starving your goldfish.

It's very natural that owners feed them goldfish flake food, pellet food or other types of sinking food. Did you know that these dry foods contain no fibers?

Goldfish love a varied diet and like humans, they love some foods more than others. My goldfish loves carrot, peas, spinach, orange, apple, grape, rice and corn. Just like you dog or cat, feeding your goldfish a natural healthy food will help prolong their life. Observe your goldfish and see what they love.

The key behind great goldfish health, long life and maximum energy are vegetables and fruit. These have all the vitamins, minerals and fiber your goldfish need.

Gasping for Breath!

Healthy goldfish spend little or no time at the surface. When you observe a goldfish floating or gasping at the surface, that means it can be sick or has little oxygen.

Goldfish don't like high traffic noises or very noisy areas. They can become stressed and get very sick!

Goldfish Varieties

Goldfish are one of the oldest domesticated forms of animals. Their popularity has ever increased trough the centuries.

No other species of animals has been modified into so many forms. There are 18 goldfish varieties that have been developed from the plain, olive-colored Carp. Today goldfish are known trough their bright colors and also their weird and graceful forms.

However, choosing the wrong goldfish to keep together can end up with goldfish stress, bullying or slower goldfish not able to feed properly. Keep goldfish in the same aquarium if they are similar in size, type and speed.

Love to you,
Flo

Useful Articles

Buy Goldfish | Tips and Guidelines
Goldfish Tanks - Buying The Aquarium You Dream About
Goldfish Water | Quality and Maintenance
Feeding Goldfish The Healthy Way | Benefits and Tips