For decades goldfish were touted as being able to live in small bowls, and thus why they have a reputation of having short life spans. However, goldfish can actually live as long as 20 years! Without enough filtration, ammonia builds up quickly in such a small space and the environment becomes toxic. Goldfish will grow to match the amount of space available. However, you are not required to grow them to their full potential. Your one-inch goldfish can potentially grow to the size of your arm–but would only likely to do that if you own a large pond or professional aquarium.
Fish are sensitive creatures that get stressed from going from one environment to another. Too much change too quickly can actually kill the fish even if the environment is ideal. Do not keep transferring your fish from one container to another. Goldfish cannot live in small temporary environments (such as a plastic bag or small bowl) for very long. An hour is fine, several hours not very good, a day or so maximum for a small water container. In an emergency, a large plastic bucket, rinsed well and with water treated with water conditioner works well.
Be sure to clean your gravel before you put it into the tank. Many aquarium gravels require rinsing, or your aquarium will be cloudy or dirty. Even if you have just bought it, a good rinse and soak in some water for a day will draw out some of the impurities and help ensure that your goldfish are getting the best environment to flourish in. Make sure to not use soap.
Think about putting a rock or wood centerpiece with some artificial greenery into your aquarium. The rock or wood will give the goldfish nooks and crannies to explore and the artificial plants won’t accelerate plant growth in your tank. Goldfish thrive with minimal decoration. They are typically chubby and poor swimmers, so having fewer obstacles means they can swim more freely. Consider having one medium to large statement piece in the center of the tank and a few plastic plants located outside of the swimming pattern to give your fish the most usable space. Real plants are beneficial because they help absorb some of the nitrates that accumulate in the aquarium because of waste and natural wear and tear. However, goldfish are omnivores and voracious eaters. Stick with artificial plants until you have the time and resources to keep real plants safe from hungry goldfish. [3] X Expert Source Doug LudemannAquarium Care Professional Expert Interview. 27 August 2019. Be sure that any decorations you choose aren’t hollow (it’s a breeding ground for potentially harmful bacteria) and that they don’t have sharp edges (your fish might tear its fins). Try using fluorescent lights for your goldfish. Halogen lights and incandescent lights will also do. Pay attention to how much light you give them — goldfish will appreciate 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness.
Hang on back (HOB) filters, which hang on the rim of your tank, and bring water in and filter water out. They are very popular, reasonably priced, and probably give you the most bang for your buck. Canister filters sit underneath your aquarium and use a series of tubes to filter water in and out. Canister filters tend to be almost silent, are a little pricier than HOB filters, but tend to be more efficient at filtering than HOBs. Canister filters are also typically made for tanks in excess of 50 gallons (189. 2 liters), and so are usually not available for smaller tanks. Wet/dry filters use an overflow box to filter out impurities. Wet/dry filters, however, are significantly bigger than HOBs or canisters, and so generally only fit into aquariums that hold at least 50 gallons (189. 2 liters).
Untreated tap water or drinking water has chemicals and minerals that could harm the fish.
Before you add your fish, you’ll need to make sure the environment is fish-ready. Pick up a pH test kit and test the tank for the right amount of ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels. [5] X Expert Source Doug LudemannAquarium Care Professional Expert Interview. 27 August 2019. You want zero ammonia, zero nitrite, and less than 20 nitrate as your end result. Test strips can be difficult to use correctly, and tend to be more expensive, so get a liquid test kit like the API Master Test Kit. What’s going to happen is you’ll start adding drops of ammonia continuously. That’ll start the nitrite process going. If you keep doing what you’re doing, eventually you’ll see nitrates which are consumed by algae or plants. When you’ve done a lap, it’s fish time!
Avoid removing the fish from the tank when you clean. Using a gravel vacuum to soak up debris can be done without extracting the fish from their habitat. If you have to remove the fish, for whatever reason, use a plastic container instead of a net, if possible. Nets can injure goldfish fins more easily than containers can. They are also scared of nets and can cause them stress. [8] X Research source Perform a 25% water change [9] X Expert Source Craig MortonAquarium Specialist, Aquarium Doctor Inc. Expert Interview. 21 July 2020. weekly assuming you have stocked your tank properly. Do a 50% water change whenever the nitrates reach 20. It can help to have a few old towels around for this messy process. Just be careful not to vacuum up any teeny fish while you’re changing the water.
Just like humans, goldfish want diversity of nutrition. Feed your goldfish pellet food most of the time, live foods, such as brine shrimp, some of the time, and freeze-dried foods, such as mosquito larvae or blood worms, every once in a while. Remember to soak freeze dried food in a cup of aquarium water before you feed to your goldfish, freeze dried foods expand in a goldfish’s stomach, causing to have problems swimming. Feed your fish only what they can eat in one minute. Remove any excess food. More goldfish die from overeating than from anything else. Feed your goldfish at the same time each day (once in the morning, once at night) and in the same spot in the tank.
Goldfish like to “sleep” in the dark. You really only need an aquarium light if you’re growing plants or if the room is particularly poorly-lit. But even if you don’t have an aquarium light, it’s good environmental practice to reduce unnecessary energy use by turning off the light.
A good thermometer makes this pretty easy. There are two types to choose from: those that hang inside and those that hang outside. Both should be accurate enough. If you’re not breeding your goldfish, a steady temperature all year-round of 74°F (23°C) is golden. If you are breeding your goldfish, simulate the seasons (goldfish spawn in the spring). Start off by lowering the temperature (“Hey, guys, must be winter!”) to somewhere between 50°F (10°C) and 54°F (12°C). Then, when it’s baby-making time, up it to between 68°F (20°C) and 74°F (23°C) gradually. The goldfish will be cued to then lay their eggs.
If you’ve read all of this page, you’re aware of the most common problems – so you can avoid them! As long as you maintain appropriate pH, ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, and oxygen levels, don’t overfeed your fish, and clean the tank, you’ve answered 95% of your pets’ possible problems. Good for you!
Each color of the spectrum signifies a different problem. It could be algae, bacteria, or even just decaying plant matter. Don’t get too alarmed! With another cycle and a water change, your fish should be fine.
As with any fish parasite (just like with ich), quarantine your fish. He can be back swimming with his finned friends in a few days if you tackle it head on from the beginning.
If only one fish died, hopefully it was a parasite that you saw quickly enough so as to avoid it spreading to the other creatures in the tank. If all your fish are dying or dead, you’ll need to clean out your aquarium entirely with a bleach solution. Just 1/4 of a teaspoon (a dash) for every gallon (3. 8 liters) of water should do the trick. Let it soak for an hour or two to get rid of all the toxins. Then, remove the water and let it dry out.
