Gold Fish

Goldfish can usually be identified by their double fins and egg-shaped body, but it’s not always that easy. Though they’re all the same species, there are lots of varieties that come in different shapes and sizes.

They’re peaceful and slow-swimming so you don’t need to worry about your other fish, you only need to consider if their tank mates are aggressive enough to attack them.

You need to be prepared to regularly clean the tank to help prevent illnesses. Goldfish are generally peaceful and calm animals that spend most of their time swimming around the middle levels of the tank.

Goldfish are particularly active are during courting and feeding. During courting a male will put on a show to impress the females, and at feeding times they’ll all want to get the food before anyone else.

Tank conditions

You’re going to need a big tank for your fancy goldfish, especially if you want a few. You’ll need 20 gallons of water per fish; those over 8 inches need even more space.

If the tank is too small, then their growth could be stunted. The minimum tank size you can house one fancy goldfish in is 75 L.

Forget the WATER BOWL. These are not meant for fish.

Once you have your tank you need to fill it with substrate, decorations and plants. You can use fine gravel or sand to layer the bottom of the tank.

Plants are particularly important as they keep the water cleaner and oxygenated. They provide hiding spots too.

As a cold-water species, goldfish don’t need a heater in the tank unless the water remains below the ideal range of 10-24°C. This also means that you should keep the tank away from external heat sources.

Some people choose to add an air pump for water movement and oxygenation.

The pH of the water should be kept between 6.5 and 7.5

Tank Mates

Any tank mates should be large enough not to be eaten, should not be nippy and should thrive in the same tank temperature as your goldfish. Certain shrimp and snail species can be added.

Ideal tank mates include:

· Zebra Danios

· Rosy Barbs

· Platies

· Bristlenose Pleco

Goldfish are best kept with their own kind or other peaceful goldfish.

Diet

Goldfish are omnivores so there’s a lot of choice at feeding time. In the wild this would be insects, tadpoles and small bits of vegetation. To provide the range of nutrients they need, it is best to vary their diet.

They can be fed commercial flake and pellet foods. But frozen and live foods are some good examples, as well as plant matter. To reduce constipation and indigestion is feed them green vegetables like lettuce, spinach and broccoli.

You can add them to your tank raw and they’ll slowly be nibbled by your fish. The high levels of fiber they contain help to prevent blockages.

Try to feed them twice a day, and only an amount that they can eat in a couple of minutes.

Breeding Goldfish

Breeding these fish isn’t too much of a struggle as long as they’re comfortable in the aquarium. You should rise the temperature of the water to 20°C.The females produce eggs and attaches them to a surface, the male is then free to fertilize them. A special breeding tank is recommended.

After spawning the parents start eating the eggs so they will have to be quickly separated. A spawning mop can make it easier to move the eggs. The fry will need small foods until they grow bigger. You can buy foods made specifically for fry if you’re not sure what they can and can’t eat. At around 3 cm long the fry can be added into your main tank with the adults.

One Beautiful Oranda Goldfish

Gold Fish

Summary

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