All About Goldfish

Goldfish can make wonderful pets.  They don’t shed, they don’t get fleas and you don’t have to walk them – unlike their furrier counterparts.  They do provide peaceful company, and their vivid colors can have a restful effect on their owners.  However, like any pet, goldfish do require come level of care and a potential owner should be armed with knowledgeable information – in order to provide the best care for your finned friend.

Besides needing minimal care, goldfish come in a wide array of colors and sizes, giving any owner or soon to be owner many options.  With good care, the typical household goldfish, seen in many private aquariums, can live between 8 to 10 years.  The larger goldfish species, seen in many ornamental ponds and gardens, can have a life expectancy of 30 years.   It should be noted that a larger aquarium may help to extend the life of the typical goldfish.

Favorable aquarium conditions are essential in the longevity and health of the goldfish.  Goldfish thrive in deep water – meaning the deeper the better – with more constant conditions.  Fully grown, the goldfish requires at least 20 litters of water to comfortably live and thrive.  It is important to know that goldfish produce large quantities of ammonia and nitrate, a buildup of these in the water can produce a toxic environment for the fish.  So it is important to maintain tank or bowl health by proper cleaning.  The use of untreated tap water can also be extremely harmful to the goldfish.  In general, tap water contains a high level of chlorine, used to kill bacteria and microbes making water safe for human consumption.  However, chlorine is toxic to nearly all fish and straight tap water should be avoided.  Tap water can be made safe by using water treatments and chlorine remover found at the local pet store. 

Lastly, feeding goldfish is an important topic that is commonly overlooked.  On an anatomical prospective, goldfish have a simple digestive system.   They do not posses a stomach and therefore have no way of storing extra food.  Instead, goldfish have an intestinal tract that absorbs needed nutrients then expels excess food in the form of waste.  Overfeeding can create an unfavorable environment by allowing the fish to fed and produce more fecal waste – and by simply allowing the uneaten food to collect and sink to the bottom of the tank.  In order to prevent from giving excess food – owners should feed their fish four times a day in small increments, no more than the fish can eat in a few minutes.  If fecal waste is still increased,, and looks like the food, this is an indication that the fish are still being fed too much.

Now that you are armed with the basics, owning a goldfish can be a rewarding experience – and you can expect your fish to live a long and healthy life.