Pet Fish - Caring for Goldfish (Carassius auratus)
Goldfish are among the easiest pet fish to care for, and, if well taken care of, can live for up to 50 years.
If you are looking for the information on the following:
|
The goldfish (Carassius auratus) is probably one of the easiest fish species to care for, and one of the most popular. These fish, when cared for properly, have been known to live for up to 50 years.
The first thing you should consider when you are caring
for your goldfish is the aquarium you are going to put it in. Despite the relative "ease" of raising goldfish, it's just as important to set up your freshwater tank properly as with more expensive and exotic pet fish.
Where to Find Discounted Aquarium Supplies
As a rule of thumb, you should buy a tank for your pet fish that has at least 10 gallons of water for each goldfish. Don't forget, by the way, that the small fish you pick up from your local fish store will eventually grow larger...sometimes MUCH larger. Don't worry about going too big as the larger the tank, the better the environment will be for your goldfish. Not only will it allow plenty of room to roam and grow, but a larger tank has a greater surface area, which allows for plenty of oxygen for the goldfish in the tank.
Unlike some pet fish, goldfish are omnivorous, meaning they eat both plants and animals. You can buy food specifically made for goldfish at any pet store, most supermarkets, and even "big box" outlets like WalMart . If you want to, you can even buy goldfish foods online. They can also eat frozen foods, just make sure you thaw them out before feeding the goldfish. Don't be concerned if they don't eat it all up right away, as Goldfish tend to constantly graze on food because they like to eat often. On the other hand, you must be careful not to overfeed them.
You don't want to overfeed because any uneaten fish food will eventually rot on the bottom of the tank, causing the water quality to become unhealthy for the goldfish. On the other hand, when goldfish eat more than they really need, they produce more waste. This means you will have to change the water in your pet fish tank more often and cause filtration problems.
Even if you are feeding your pet goldfish properly, you should still plan to change the water in the tank at least two to three times a week.
As with most pet fish, the cleaner the water, the less likely your goldfish will become ill.
Remember, when changing the water, never completely remove the water in the tank.
Just remove somewhere between twenty and fifty percent of the water at a time, as the fish are accustomed to the quality of the water they are in, and removing more at one time could lead to illness in your goldfish. As always, make sure that the water used has been dechlorinated.
If you add plants and decorations to your goldfish tank, make sure you don't choose any that have sharp points. Goldfish like having something to hide behind, and this makes them feel safer. If the plants and decorations in the tank are sharp, the fish could possibly get hurt.
The water temperature in your goldfish tank should be between 65 to 68 °F (18 to 20 °C) or the fish will become ill. The higher the temperature, the more the fish will be deprived of oxygen, which will eventually cause damage to their organs. To properly care for your Goldfish, avoid putting the fish tank where harmful temperature fluctuations may occur, such as drafty areas like heater vents, doors and windows.
By the way, this is a good tip for any pet fish as temperature fluctuations are harmful to fish...not just Goldfish.
As with most other pet fish tanks, you will need to have a good filtration system for the tank. Aquarium filters usually provide a combination of biological, chemical and mechanical filtration.
Each filter has a different function.
For example, biological aquarium filters make the tank less toxic, while mechanical filters keep the water clear, and chemical filters will prevent the water from turning yellow. If you don't feel you need all three types of filtration, you should have a biological filter at the very least.
Whatever your filter choice, you should regularly use test kits to check ammonia and nitrate levels to prevent your goldfish from getting diseases.
Learn more about caring for Goldfish at Goldfish Secrets.
Caring for Pet Fish
If you like goldfish IN the house, you might want to set up a pond outside and look into keeping Koi.
|
You will find what you are looking for about goldfish here
Page Generator in association with www.see-search.com
|
