Hi Fancyfishdude,
If you're new to goldfish keeping, then you might find the below useful. Feel free to copy, print or do what you like with it - I don't mind.
GOLDFISH CARE: A BRIEF GUIDE FOR NEW OWNERS
Introduction:
There are several basic things you need to know when you first start keeping goldfish. Unfortunately, they can’t just be put in a bowl or tank and left to get on with it, as fairground sellers and even some pet stores would have you believe. Although they are one of the easiest fish to keep, they do still need some basic care and attention. The information below is designed to give you that basic knowledge to start you off. It is not exhaustive and does not go into details or even cover every aspect of goldfish-keeping, but it is enough to keep your pet alive, healthy and content. If you have a question which is not covered here then please post it on Koko’s forum – we will answer it for you as fast as possible.
Tank and equipment:
Firstly, goldfish need at least 10 gallons per fish, per tank… and they do need a tank – never keep them in a bowl, no matter what the people at the petstore told you! If your tank does not allow this amount of water for your goldfish then it is too small and you will need to get a larger tank as soon as possible. The reason is that goldfish are particularly messy fish and will quickly foul a small volume of water with their wastes. They also need this amount of space to attain their full growth and lifespan…. between 4 and 14 inches depending on the breed, and 20 years + if cared for well.
Your tank should also have a big surface area: avoid tall, narrow or very oddly shaped tanks (such as those like two towers with connecting ‘tunnels’) as these are not suitable for goldfish. It should be positioned out of direct sunlight – or the algae will grow like crazy in it - and on a surface strong enough to take its weight, if you do not have a stand for the tank. Also try to position it where the fish will not constantly be startled by lots of noise and movement or jolted by passing people – in the hallway is not a good idea! NB: it doesn’t matter if the tank is plastic or glass – either is fine.
A tank must have the following things for your goldfish to be kept healthy and happy:
1. A lid. Goldfish can be kept in open-topped tanks, but occasionally they will jump out of the water (usually because the water quality is very poor or because they are startled and trying to ‘escape’). The last thing you want is to come home to find a little shrivelled body covered with lint lying on the rug with the cat sniffing at it! In addition, if you use cleaning products nearby there is a chance they will contaminate the water, so keep the tank covered.
2. A filter. Filters clean the wastes and chemicals out of the water and help keep it clean. Without a filter the water will become poisonous fast. There are several types available such as under-gravel, internal power, external canister and hang-on. Any will do the job, but ensure the filter you pick is of the right size to suit the tank, i.e. if you have a 40 gallon tank, choose a filter big enough to handle this size, or slightly more if possible – extra filtration is always a good thing! Whichever filter you choose, however, it must be cycled (see Cycling below) to do its job properly.
3. An air supply. The water must contain sufficient oxygen for the fish to breathe (just having an open-top tank is not enough). Some internal power filters provide a built-in air supply system and most external filters have a spray bar attachment which returns water to the tank and thus oxygenates the water by the constant splashing. If you do not have these however, then you need an airpump, length of tubing and an airstone. (NB: an undergravel filter relies on an airstone placed down the uplift tube or a powerhead fixed to the top of the uplift tube to operate). If you ever notice your fish gasping at the surface they are not getting enough oxygen so increase the air supply immediately.
4. A plentiful supply of clean, fresh, dechlorinated water. Never put tap water straight into the tank because the chlorine present in this is highly toxic to fish. You first need to treat the water using a dechlorinator (also sometimes called a water conditioner). Make sure the brand you pick – suggestions are Tetra Aquasafe, Prime or Amquel - removes chlorine, chloramine and other heavy metals and always use it whenever you do water changes or add water to the tank. Also make sure the temperature of any new water going in is the same as the old water in the tank as fish get very stressed by big temperature swings. You can test it simply by sticking your hands in both at the same time – does it feel exactly the same? If yes, then it’s close enough.
5. Somewhere to hide. Goldfish are fairly confident fish and will soon become tame enough to eat from your hand, but they will appreciate having something in the tank to hide behind if they are startled or frightened. If your tank is completely bare your fish may hover head down in the corners because it feels exposed and vulnerable. This hiding place can be anything: a real or plastic plant, a rock, a piece of driftwood or an ornament. NB: avoid any ornaments that are hollow in the middle as water will stagnate in there and cause health problems.
Cycling the tank:
This is basically a fancy name for building up a colony of beneficial bacteria in the filter which will convert the toxins produced by fish wastes – ammonia and nitrite – into a relatively harmless substance: nitrate. Ammonia and nitrite are lethal to fish even in tiny concentrations and they build up very quickly so cycling the tank properly is vital. It takes about a month for a brand new tank to cycle (i.e. grow enough of these bacteria to handle all the wastes your fish produce) so during this time you must physically remove the ammonia and nitrite by performing daily partial water changes. The cycling procedure is this:
Test the water each day for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate using test kits which you can buy from your local pet/fish store. For the first two weeks you will see the ammonia level rising. After about two weeks it drops and nitrite begins to rise for another two weeks. All the time either or both of these substances are present you must keep changing the water to bring them down under 0.5 ppm (usually this involves daily small water changes). When you have done a water change don’t assume the water is now safe; test it again to make sure! It can take a surprisingly large water change – 50% or even more - to bring the levels down to the safe zone. Never ever let ammonia or nitrite rise above 1.00 ppm as your fish will suffer greatly at this level (fish suffering from ammonia poisoning dart frantically around the tank, rub themselves on objects or gravel and exhibit red patches on their skin – these are ammonia burns). Finally, both ammonia and nitrites drop to 0 and nitrates appear. This means your tank is cycled – it now has enough good bacteria to convert the wastes for you. From now on on you only need to run the tests and perform water changes (of between 25 and 50%) once a week to remove the last substance in the chain - nitrate. Nitrate has no bacteria to remove it from the tank but is only harmful to fish in very high concentrations. Ideally though, you should keep it below 20 ppm; having a few live plants in the tank will help keep it down. For more info on cycling please click on ‘cycle of the tank’ on Koko’s website. NB: if you ever add more fish to the tank, change all the water in one go, remove or change all the gravel or change the filter media (which you should never need to do if you wash it out in old tank water once a month or so) then be aware your tank may undergo another cycle – test and check).
Cleaning:
You will also need to clean the bottom of the tank regularly and thoroughly as part of your water changing routine because fish wastes will collect there rapidly, regardless of whether you have gravel, river rocks, glass pebbles, plastic beads or even a bare-bottomed tank. You do this by using a gravel siphon. A siphon can also be bought at your local pet/fish store very cheaply. It looks like a round plastic tube with a length of clear plastic hose attached. You stick the round tube in the tank, suck on the other end to start the siphon movement and put that end in a bucket or sink to allow the dirty water to drain out. Move the tube gently around in the gravel and gradually work from one end the tank to the other, so that every part of it is cleaned. You’ll see both the gravel and wastes are sucked up, but the heavy gravel falls back to te bottom whereas the lighter wastes flow out into your bucket. It’s a clever thing.
It is also a good idea to clean any algae off the glass at the same time and wipe any ornaments that have become gunky. Do NOT use cleaning products in or near the tank – these are toxic to fish. NB: do not use sand, crushed coral or crushed shells as substrates – these are highly unsuitable for a variety of reasons and will you cause no end of problems. Very fine grade gravel or large stones are best for goldfish; medium-grade gravel can occasionally get stuck in their mouths as they root through it.
pH (acidity/alkalinity):
You will also need to test the pH – the acidity or alkalinity – of the water. Goldfish prefer a pH of between 7 and 7.8 (neutral to slightly alkaline). They will happily adapt to a pH slightly outside this range but they do not like big pH changes, so be careful any new water added to the tank is within 0.5 of the old water. A pH of lower than 7 or above 8.5 is potentially dangerous and will need to be remedied using a buffering solution (available at your local fish store). You can buy a pH test kit at your local fish store or ask them to test your water for you. Test the pH once a week as part of your normal water maintenance routine.
Lighting:
Providing artifical lighting in the tank is not actually essential unless you want to grow live plants – though it helps you enjoy your pets late at night and brings out their best colours – but if you do have lighting in the tank then be sure to switch it off at night. Goldfish need a natural day-night rhythm same as you do. NB: Only ever use lighting designed specifically for aquarium use; never use ordinary electric lights in or on top of the tank because of the risk of electrocution.
Feeding:
Only feed your goldfish twice a day maximum and only as much as they will consume within 2 minutes. Do not let any food remain uneaten in the tank as this will rot and send your ammonia skyrocketing! (During cycling it is better to feed your goldfish only once a day). You should feed a balanced diet of flake food, sinking or floating pellets and freeze-dried, frozen or gelled ‘live’ foods such as bloodworm, tubifex worm, daphnia or brineshrimp. Never feed bread or biscuit crumbs, rice or potato, as goldfish cannot handle carbohydrates. It is also a very good idea to feed some vegetable food a couple of times each week such as peas, spinach, lettuce or cucumber. Your goldfish will also enjoy a small slice of orange or other fruit occasionally as a treat (but do not put any citrus fruit in if you have a low pH – it will reduce it even more). When you feed dry foods such as flakes or pellets, soak it in a little tank water first and squeeze it to get the air out before feeding as unsoaked food can cause health problems later on.
Fish-keeping routine:
It can be hard when you first start out knowing what to do and when! This is a suggested routine (for a cycled tank) which should be more than enough to avoid most problems and enjoy your fish.
Daily:
Morning: Switch tank lights on. Check all fish to make sure they appear healthy, swimming well etc. Feed flake or pellets.
Evening: Check fish all OK. Feed live food or vegetable food. Switch tank lights off last thing.
Weekly:
Test water parameters: ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH. If the tests are all OK perform a 25-50% water change using dechlorinated water and clean the bottom of the tank using your siphon (NB: this siphoning removes water as well as wastes so it is part of the water change, not a separate process). Wipe off any algae or gunk adhering to the glass or filter, wipe the lid and the outside of tank. Remove any dead or gunky bits from plants. Smooth the substrate with your hand if it has become disarranged. Spend time watching your fish carefully for any abnormal behaviour or changes in appearance. (NB: your fish can remain in the tank during water changes but be careful not to trap them with the gravel siphon or pour new water directly on top of them!)
Monthly:
Perform a 50% water change. Remove the sponge filter media, wash it out gently in old tank water (never tap water!) and replace. Replace any carbon filter media and clean the impeller of the filter if it has one. Check all equipment is functioning properly. If an undergravel filter is being used, clean out gunk from under the plate by putting the siphon down the uplift tube.
Yearly:
Replace the lighting (neon tubes lose their effectiveness after a while, even if they still look as bright). Replace the rubber diaphragm in the airpump if you have one.
And that’s it! You are now a professional fish-keeper - well done.
Below are some ‘trouble-shooting’ questions if you are unsure about anything:
Why…..
Is my water cloudy? Cloudy water often occurs during cycling while the tank settles down or if you disturb the substrate during cleaning. It should clear within a few days, but adding carbon to your filter can hasten this process.
Is my water green? Algae (tiny single-celled creatures) will grow anywhere containing water, light and nutrients. All tanks have some algae – it is normal - but green water means there is too much of it in the tank. Move the tank out of direct sunlight and add a couple of live plants to take away the nutrients. Perform more regular water changes.
Is there brown or green stuff on the tank and ornaments? Algae again, I’m afraid. All tanks have it – and in fact some of it will be eaten with relish by your fish – but the only way to get rid of it is to keep wiping it off regularly. Lots of live plants will help keep it down too.
Is my fish racing round the tank? Racing round the tank is not normal as goldfish usually swim with a steady grace, except when they are spawning. It usually indicates problems with the water quality (did you remember to dechlorinate your water?) Test your water for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH and perform a 50% water change immediately. If the fish still races then it has a health problem – post on the forum for help.
Is my fish sitting on the bottom? It may well be asleep or resting. Fish sleep on and off during the day and night, but they cannot close their eyes so you may not be aware at first that it is asleep. Try going up to the glass and making some movements – a healthy fish will come up shortly to investigate, an unwell fish will stay on the bottom. Fish that are ill will stay on the bottom for long periods – post on the forum if this is the case.
Does my fish keep asking for food – is it hungry? In the wild, goldfish are constantly searching for food because they never know where their next meal might be coming from, so it is in their nature to keep asking for it even when they are not really hungry. They will beg for food all day if you are around the tank, but you certainly should not feed them more than twice a day. If they look particularly pleading you can occasionally give them a small piece of fruit or vegetable as a treat, but no more than that.
Does my fish stay in the corner or at the bottom? It may be feeling nervous. Is there somewhere in the tank for it to hide? Is there a lot of noise or movement going on by the tank? Alternatively it may be feeling unwell – check the water parameters and examine the fish closely for signs of disease.
Is my fish flicking itself against the bottom or on ornaments? A fish rubbing or flicking itself on things in the tank has irritated or painful skin. First test your water – have the ammonia or nitrite risen or the pH changed? If the tests are OK then it may have a parasite problem – post on the forum for help.
Is my fish changing colour? Many goldfish change colour gradually to some extent as they grow older – this is natural - but sudden or profound changes of colour indicate something is wrong: red or black patches indicate ammonia burns, a white film indicates the pH has gone severely askew, paleness all over (including gills, eyes and inside the mouth) may indicate anaemia, dots or splotches of odd colour can indicate fungus or parasites. Post on the forum for help.
Is my fish chasing the other fish? You may have a bit of a bully who wants to protect his food or territory, or the fish may be spawning. Sometimes common, comet or shubunkin goldfish (slim shape, single tails) will chase and/or nip at fancy goldfish (rounder, twin-tailed) because the fancies cannot swim as quickly. They do not make good tankmates – it is best to keep the faster fish separate from fancy goldfish.
Does my goldfish hide when I turn the lights on? Quite simply, it is dazzled by the sudden light. Goldfish cannot close their eyes remember, so it has no alternative but to rush down and try to hide its eyes until they adust to the light.
Is my goldfish floating upside down? Goldfish have an organ in their bodies called the air bladder. By regulating the pressure within this, the goldfish is able to remian upright and move up and down in the tank. If this because obstructed or diseased however, the fish loses its equilibrium and floats helplessly upside down. This is often caused by constipation, so fast your goldfish for two days and then feed it a pea, de-skinned and mushed, as this acts as a laxative.
Is my fish hovering at the surface or gasping at the surface? There is insufficient oxygen in the water: add another airstone immediately or even (as a temporary emergency measure) do a small water change and pour the new water in from a height to create lots of bubbles and aerate the water. You need to find the root cause of this problem however.
Is my goldfish lying on its side on the bottom? A fish that is lying on its side is feeling extremely ill. Check your water parameters first: are they all OK? Any number of diseases can result in this behaviour - post on the forum for help.
And that’s it! You now know all the basics of goldfish keeping and can keep your fish alive and happy. As you acquire more experience you will pick up additional information on the way and may end up being an expert yourself on some of it.
Please bear in mind though that sometimes, despite the best or most expert care and attention, some goldfish die. We don’t always know why they do. If your fish is obviously feeling ill, then seek help immediately of course, but do NOT blame yourself if it dies. It probably isn’t anything you’ve done wrong. If it is because you have done something wrong, however – if you forgot to dechlorinate the water or over-fed them or didn’t test or change the water frequently enough – then still do not blame yourself, but do learn from the experience. Look at what went wrong and plan how you will do it differently next time. All fish keepers make mistakes from time to time!
new to the fish world and new to the board. I don't want to ask a queston that has been asked 1000's of times so if I do don't hit me to hard just point in the right direction.
