Goldfish come in more shapes, sizes, colors, and varieties than you can ever imagine.
In fact, some look so completely odd that you would think they were captured by aliens and transformed! They will also capture your heart with their beauty and simple care.
Watching goldfish swim gracefully around their home can actually help reduce stress levels and heart rate, a great benefit for such a lovely and low maintenance pet.
General Diet:
A general good quality goldfish flake or pellet food is a must for your goldfish's basic diet. The most important thing to remember about feeding fish is that it is very easy to overfeed them, especially goldfish! They put most of their food to growth, yet they act like they are starving. But truthfully, it is very hard to starve any fish. So feed only once a day or even better, every other day, and give only 4 to 6 flakes or pellets for each fish.
Vitamins/Supplements:
Treats/Extra Foods: Never feed any type of people food! Stick with foods made for goldfish. Different types of special fish foods should be offered at least twice a week instead of the basic diet. Variety is important. These extra foods can include frozen or freeze-dried brine shrimp, bloodworms, and daphnia which is a must for goldfish. It helps keep their digestive tract in good shape.
Housing:
A fish bowl can still be used with goldfish, but a fish tank is better as it gives more surface area and has more water. At the least, keep only on goldfish per two gallons of water, as they are a bit messy! A cover is not needed, but recommended, as sometimes fish will jump out. A light can be used, and if it is should be kept on 8-12 hours a day, during the daytime, and off at night.
Fish need to sleep just like we do, but a light is not a necessity with goldfish. One inch of gravel at the bottom will provide enough surface area for the good bacteria that help break down some of the goldfish's waste. A filter is not necessary, but it is highly recommended, as it will help remove both solid and chemical waste and keep the water looking clear. Tap water cannot be used on it's own to keep fish, so water conditioner must be added first to remove chemicals like chlorine and heavy metals. It is needed to test and change the pH to neutral, as goldfish are most comfortable in water that is not too high (alkaline) or low (acidic) in pH.
Sanitation/General Care:
Feed fish every day to every other day. It is best, and much less stressful to the fish, to do small water changes more frequently than large ones once in a while. For bowls or tanks under four gallons, change approximately one cup of water every day, and one half of the water twice to three times a month by putting half of the water and the fish in a bucket and then cleaning the gravel inside the container. For tanks over four gallons, change 20% of the water once a week, and once a month remove one half or so of the tank water by siphoning the water through the gravel with a gravel vacuum.
Other option is to stir up gravel once a month creating a "brown snowstorm" in the tank and then siphoning off the waste once it settles. But this is messier than using a gravel vacuum. Cleaning the gravel will keep the good bacteria healthy and take out excess solid wastes.
General Maintenance:
Filter cartridges that contain charcoal should be changed once a month, as they will not absorb any bad chemicals after this time. Sponge cartridges can be used until they are ratty looking, about 3-4 months, but should be rinsed every month in water that has been dechlorinated first. Good bacteria, besides living on the gravel, also live on the sponge areas of the filter, and chlorine will kill them. Using water just siphoned out of the tank or bowl will work as well for rinsing sponge material. Clean filter and parts such as the impeller at least every 3 months. Algae (which can be green, brown, or red) may grow in the tank or bowl sooner or later. Using an aquarium scraper or sponge will work well to clean the algae off the glass and other surfaces of the bowl or tank.
Health Care:
Fish will catch diseases whenever they become too stressed. Moving from one tank or bowl to another, not changing water frequently, overfeeding, and adding too many fish at once can be causes of stress. Add fish slowly, and keep only one goldfish per two gallons of water. If you take your time and keep to a simple schedule with feeding and water changes, the chances of diseases showing up in your tank or bowl will diminish.
Special Section - Choosing a goldfish:
Goldfish no longer are like their name and simply gold. The varieties and colors that can be found in pet stores now will amaze you. Goldfish can have straight or fan tails, be shaped like a torpedo or golf ball, and can come in red, orange, silver, albino, black, bronze, and blue-gray. They can have huge bubbles under their eyes (bubble-eye goldfish), or their eyes may pop out (telescopes), or they may even be looking up (celestial goldfish). There are varieties that have large masses on their heads (orandas), or fins that are extra long (butterfly or long-finned). The list goes on and on!
Supplies checklist:
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Gravel
pH kit
Fish tank or bowl
Water conditioner
Books about Goldfish |
Goldfish foods
Decorations
Filter with cartridges (optional)
Cover or full hood with light (optional)
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Goldfish Care
How big should my bowl be?
A good general rule is 1 gallon per goldfish. The larger the bowl the longer it will take for ammonia to increase to harmful levels and the less often you will need to clean it.
What will I need for a complete goldfish bowl set up?
The essentials are:
P Bowl P water dechlorinators
P gravel P food P A net.
Aquarium salt is highly recommended for preventing diseases with goldfish. Plants and other decorations are up to each customer.
Will I need a filter or a heater?
A filter is not needed, but using an air driven filter is an inexpensive way to increase the time between water changes. The goldfish will also benefit from the increased aeration. A heater is not needed.
How do I set up my bowl?
Wash the bowl out with water. Never use any type of soap products or sponges that have had soap on them (Products purchased in supermarkets may have soap in them, deadly to fish!). Clean your gravel by rinsing it off under tap water to remove any dust and add it to the bottom of the bowl. If you're using a filter hook it up now. Pour the fish and the water from the bag into the bowl. Fill the rest of the bowl with tap water of similar temperature. Add your dechlorinator at this time. If you are using salt add 1 teaspoon per gallon.
How often should I feed my goldfish?
It is very difficult to starve your fish, but very easy to overfeed it. If the food falls to the bottom of bowl you are overfeeding. In a bowl if you overfeed 2 or 3 times in a week you could kill your fish. We recommend you feed your fish every other day once a day. Pellet food will float longer than flakes but either type will work.
How often should I clean my bowl?
A goldfish bowl without a filter should be cleaned twice a week. With a filter you can clean it every 7-10 days.
How do I clean my bowl?
1) Remove 1/3 of the water and put it in a different container. Catch the fish and put them in this water.
2) Pour out the rest of the water and refill the bowl with clean water. Refill the bowl with some water and "swirl" the gravel with your hand and dump out this water. You are using this water to work out the gravel. Repeat this until the water seems clean.
3) Refill the bowl ½ full with water that feels the same temperature as the saved water add dechlorinator and then poor the water with the fish back into the bowl. Top the bowl off with more water if needed.
4) Add aquarium salt if applicable.
5) If your bowl is extremely dirty you may need to change all the water.
Hints:
· Don't overfeed.
· Feed once every other day.
· Do regular water changes.
· Power Filtration is a safer strategy than using a plain bowl.
· Expect to have a high death rate with feeder goldfish or carnival fish.
Ask us for recommendations.
· If you want to try tropical fish, ask us for recommendations.
