How to keep a Goldfish

Keeping goldfish will offer many children and even adults their first experience of pet ownership. It introduces the responsibilities of looking after a living creature and provides a source of education, empathy and responsibility for many owners. A relationship is developed with the fish and they become part of the family and daily routine. A well-cared-for fish can live for up to 30 years dependent on environmental conditions. The oldest known goldfish lived for 43 years!

Goldfish make excellent pets, they make no noise, little mess and don’t have to be taken for walks. The following tips will ensure that your pet’s life is healthy and stimulating.

• Water
• It is essential that water is regularly changed and the preferred method involves partially replacing a percentage of the water at least twice a week. This reduces chemical shock as tap water is toxic to most fish and also minimises any shock to the fishes system with regards to temperature change. If tap water is used try to leave it standing for 24 hours as this reduces levels of toxicity and use a standard dechlorinator. Water testing kits are easily available and give an easy reading of the acidity of the water.
• The Perfect Tank
• Goldfish bowls are not recommended for a number of reasons such as size and the inability to fit filters. Also larger size tanks allow the fish to display more natural behaviour. Therefore, a standard rectangular tank will greatly eliminate these problems and allow for better oxygenation due to the surface area. If you compliment this tank with natural plants and a filtration system it will add greatly to the water quality. Goldfish also have a tendency to jump out of the water. Placing a cover on the tank will prevent this and also provide shade. Good practice recommends for stocking density that you allow 10-20 gallons of water per fish so an 80-gallon tank should hold between 4 to 8 fish.
• Releasing your fish
• Turn off the tank light to reduce stress. Then float the bag on the tank water to regulate the temperature difference and reduce shock to the fish. Leave the fish like this for at least 15 minutes. After this time open the bag and gently allow tank water to enter the bag before releasing the fish into the tank. Turn the lights back on after 2 hours.
• Plants
• Plants can be used for an underwater garden but be warned they will be eaten so can become expensive! Plastic plants are a viable option but make sure there are no sharp edges. If you are using gravel use small grain variety as over 5 mm can cause intestinal blockages or may get caught in their complex mouths.
• Feeding.
• In the wild, goldfish eat a variety of food including crustaceans, insects and plant matter so they have a truly omnivorous diet. Traditional goldfish specific food has less protein and more carbohydrates than normal fish food so additional food may be added such as blanched leafy vegetables or bloodworm, but be careful not to overfeed as this as this can cause many problems, so compensate the amount of recommended regular fish food if other items added.