Find information on setting up a new
tank, routine maintenance, feeding tips,
treating sick goldfish, tank accessories,
decorations, aquatic plants and more…
With proper care and tank maintenance
a goldfish can live a long and happy life.
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for answering questions that may arise.
The standard goldfish bowl with it’s bubble shape has been for years the go to home for a new pet goldfish. It’s an iconic image that most people associate with the first time fish owner. It’s small in size, it looks easy to maintain and the common goldfish is inexpensive; perfect for a beginner with no experience. Sure, for the most part this is true but many pet goldfish don’t life as long as the should. The main cause for an untimely dead goldfish is due to improper or a lack of goldfish bowl care. Two common mistakes include overfeeding and infrequent water changes.
Overfeeding a goldfish is a bad idea for several reasons. The first reason is that goldfish are opportunistic eaters and will eat until there is no food left. This can lead to a full belly and a goldfish becoming sick from constipation; even worse, a goldfish can die from a burst stomach. The second reason is that a goldfish that eats a lot will also produce a lot of waste. This waste makes the water dirty. Good goldfish bowl care involves cutting down on the food and only feeding a few flakes per goldfish a day.
Water changes are important and easily forgotten. A lot of beginners only change the water when it’s visibly dirty with uneaten food, fish waste or algae. However, the biggest killer of goldfish is something that can’t be seen, ammonia. Ammonia is introduced into the water rotting food, waste and by the goldfish. The only way to know how much ammonia is in a goldfish bowl is to test for ammonia in the water.
Goldfish Bowls and Why you Should Consider an Upgrade to a Goldfish Aquarium
A small goldfish bowl requires more cleaning and maintenance than a goldfish aquarium tank. Goldfish can grow large and will outgrow a bowl sooner than later. If a pet goldfish owner has the space, a 10 or 20 gallon tank is recommended. By providing enough space and water for a goldfish to grow and cutting down on the frequency of goldfish bowl care and maintenance for the owner, both owner and goldfish will be much happier.
The basic rule of thumb for stocking goldfish aquariums is each goldfish needs ten to twenty gallons (37-75 liters) of tank space to be able to live to their potential. it’s also meant to help balance the biology of the tank; too many goldfish and not enough plants or beneficial bacteria to help eliminate the ammonia will cause water conditions to be less than adequate; not to mention an overstocked tank contains a lot more waste and requires more routine tank maintenance.
The rule on how to stock a goldfish pond is slightly different. It’s not as important to stock “x” number of goldfish in any given goldfish pond size. What are solid rules to follow include: the strength and quality of the pond filter, the water turnover through the pond filter, the goldfish feeding regimen and few other goldfish pond essentials. That been said, the approximate number of goldfish to stock in a goldfish pond size “x” is no more than 24 inches (60cm) of goldfish body (excluding the tail) per meter of surface area. A good goldfish pond stocking tip is to never stock the pond with the maximum amount; less is better.
Buy the goldfish stock over time, slowly adding to the pond and giving the pond enough time to create enough beneficial bacteria for biological filtration. It’s also a good idea to test the goldfish pond for ammonia levels during times of stocking; this will allow goldfish pond keepers to know if their biological filter is able to keep up with the goldfish stock numbers. If ammonia levels are high, preform a aquarium water change and add pre package beneficial bacteria.
The goldfish game is a carnival game where you try to throw a coin or ping pong ball into a small goldfish bowl. In these small bowls has a live cramped fair goldfish; it’s a feeder goldfish. If you land the ball into the bowl, you win that fair goldfish inside. A goldfish kept this way often lives a miserable life and tend have a very short lives.
Many animal organizations and goldfish lovers have declared the goldfish game to be cruel and unusual punishment for the poor little fair goldfish. Some fairs and carnivals have discontinued the game and allegedly, some states have even banned the goldfish game. Considering a goldfish needs an abundant amount of well circulated and well oxygenated water, plus a 10-20 gallon tank to live and thrive, it’s no surprise a lot of people are against this game.
However, the goldfish game is still a popular carnival game at fairs today. People who disapprove shouldn’t blame the parents and they certainly can’t blame the children who want to win a fair goldfish; who doesn’t want to win a goldfish? Parents might at first be hesitant to let their children try to win a goldfish but then figure it’s a good lesson in responsibility and that it’s just a goldfish. They think, how hard can it be to take care of a fair goldfish? Unfortunately it’s not as easy as they might think.
You can blame this way of thinking on the iconic image of a goldfish in a small round fish bowl. A goldfish bowl is small and looks very manageable but in reality, it can be a death trap if a water change is not performed daily.
All is not lost for a fair goldfish; with proper care and little bit of knowledge on how to take care of a goldfish will give it a fighting chance. If a new fair goldfish owner is willing to do what ever it takes to care for it, it can live for five to ten years and grow to 12 inches (30cm).
This pet goldfish care guide covers the basics on taking care of a goldfish. It’s a pet goldfish guide for anyone who just bought their first goldfish from a pet store, for the lucky winner who won a goldfish at a carnival or for those caught off guard by receiving a goldfish as a gift. For novice goldfish owners seeking more advanced goldfish care tips, please see the articles posted in Goldfish Pond and Goldfish Aquarium.
Ideally, before bringing a goldfish home it’s recommended to first setup a goldfish aquarium and let it run for a few weeks to cycle the tank and avoid what is called new tank syndrome. By running a tank for several weeks prior to introducing goldfish, it allows sufficient time for important beneficial bacteria to become established. This bacteria converts harmful ammonia produced by the goldfish into nitrates which are less harmful. If this bacteria is not present, the goldfish can get ammonia poisoning and die. Those that don’t have this luxury, beneficial bacteria can be purchased at most pet stores.
It’s important to frequently test the tank water to check for elevated ammonia levels and to check the pH levels. On that same note, the tank water should be free of chlorine and chloramine; it’s vital to use a water dechlorinator. A goldfish aquarium with clean water with optimal parameters is the best way to prevent a goldfish from getting sick or dying. There are inexpensive test kits available at most pet stores.
Routine tank maintenance is another great way to prevent a goldfish from getting sick. When a test kit show the water parameters are off, it usually mean an aquarium water change is in order. It could also mean it’s time to clean an aquarium.
Feeding a goldfishthe appropriate amount of goldfish food will cut down on cleaning. By only feeding the goldfish small meals, 3-5 flakes per goldfish it ensure all the food is eaten and it cuts down on the resulting fish waste. Overfeeding can be a cause for concern; it can lead to problems with a goldfish’s digestive tract and worse, it can kill a goldfish. Goldfish constipation often is a direct result of overfeeding and in extreme cases of overfeeding, a goldfish will gorge until it’s insides bursts.
Contrary to popular belief, taking care of a goldfish is not care free. The relatively inexpensive price tag of a common goldfish would suggest it’s a fish for beginners but it’s usually consider a fish for novice fish owners. That being said, a beginner can take care of a goldfish if they first know a little bit about the nature of a goldfish and are willing to buy the appropriate goldfish accessories. To properly take care of a goldfish, the beginner will need to obtain the following goldfish accessories (at minimum).
Once the goldfish aquarium is properly setup and the goldfish is happy in its new home, there are routine maintenance duties and preventative care measures to follow.
