1. How to Buy Goldfish
Pick goldfish that have no wounds or spots. Healthy fish swim actively and horizontally to the tank, with both below fins moving and upright dorsal fin. Don’t pick any goldfish that have clamped, split, or rotten fins/tails or float on water surface or stay on the bottom of the tank. Don't buy goldfish from a tank that has sick or dead goldfish in there.
2. Adding New Goldfish
2.1 To prevent infection, new goldfish should be quarantined from the existing ones for at least 14 days for observation of diseases.
2.2 Place new goldfish in a container with water. Float the container on top of water surface in the fish tank for 20 minutes, so the new goldfish can adjust to temperature of water in the tank. Then, put some fish tank water in the container little by little, so the new goldfish can adjust well with new water condition. After a while, gently scoop the new goldfish with hand and put it in the tank. If possible, avoid using a net as that might cause injure to goldfish’s fins or tails while the goldfish trying to get away. Don’t pour the old water from a plastic bag from pet store or old water from the container to the tank as while transferring goldfish, it produces a lot of slime coat and this could cause water toxic.
2.3 The best and safest way to transfer goldfish from one place to another place (in case of house moving etc.) is to stop feeding goldfish for 24-48 hrs before moving. Then, put them in a 5 gallon bucket with fish tank water and put battery air pump in the bucket to make sure they have sufficient oxygen. Test the battery air pump before adding goldfish to the bucket. If airflow is too strong, use an air stone or tie the oxygen tube loosely to block some airflow. This is to prevent goldfish from getting stressful and freak out. And then, when getting to the destination, add goldfish to a fish tank by following the instruction 2.2.
2.4 After adding new goldfish or transferring goldfish to new aquarium, don’t feed goldfish for 1-3 days. Wait until they adjust well with new environment before feeding. When goldfish get scared and stressful, their health and digest system get weaker than usual. Feeding goldfish during this time might give them digestive disorders. Goldfish could be shocked and die. 3. Fish Tank Setup
3.1 Goldfish Gallonage
1 goldfish per 20 gallon water
2 goldfish per 30 - 40 gallon water
Note: You need at least 20 gallon tank for the first goldfish and every 10 gallon more for every additional goldfish. Keep in mind that goldfish cannot be kept in a bowl! They need much air surface and large space to swim. They can never live long in a small bowl in which water would quickly be polluted. In a small crowded container, goldfish could get stressful and finally die. It is a common practice to keep goldfish in a small bowl but, as this kind of fish produce a lot of slime coat, poop, and waste, this allows waste in the water to build up to toxic levels and does not provide enough oxygen. Goldfish will die without sufficient oxygen in the water. They should ideally be kept in an aquarium of at least 20 gallons per one goldfish with a good filter.
3.2 Things Needed for Goldfish Keeping
3.2.1 Fish Tank
3.2.2 Filter: Good filter is strongly needed for goldfish. It helps eliminate ammonia, nitrate, pollutants, and chlorine which are major causes of goldfish's death. To keep fish tank clean and away from pollutants, goldfish keepers need to clean the filter with water from the tank at least once a week and change filter cartridge at least once a month. Don't clean the filter with tap water as that would kill important bacterias that help keep balance of water condition.
3.2.3 Aquarium Light: Goldfish need light for at least 12 hours a day. However, if the light makes water temperature rapidly higher, goldfish keepers need to adjust the temperature as soon as possible. Despite needing light, goldfish do need some time to sleep and relax. Unfortunately, goldfish cannot close their eyes because they don't have eye lids. For this reason, goldfish keepers should turn the light off for some time to let them sleep and prevent stress.
3.2.3 Fish Food
3.2.4 Water Conditioner: Add water conditioner to tap water in amount as directed to remove chlorine and heavy metals and reduce stress.
3.2.5 Aquarium Salt
3.2.6 Water Plants
3.2.7 Rocks and Gravel / Aquarium Ornaments (Optional)
Personally, I prefer to keep my fish tank plain without any rocks, gravel, or aquarium ornaments as those could stock fish poop, waste, and algae, causing water pollution. From my own experience, fish don’t care about ornaments. My goldfish are currently so healthy and pretty. Definitely, they are swimming actively and getting bigger in my plain tank. However, telescope goldfish or dragon eyed goldfish are diggers. They enjoy digging gravel on the bottom. In this case goldfish keepers might need to add gravel and use gravel cleaner siphon for cleaning or might put gravel in a proper size tray and put some water plants in there. Then, place the tray at the bottom of the tank. This makes it easier to clean the gravels and water plants. You can just take the tray off the tank and rinse the tray, gravel, and water plants with fish tank water at least once every 1-2 weeks. Don’t rinse them with tap water as that might kill important bacterias that help keep balance of water condition in the tank.
3.3 Tank Set Up
Clean fish tank with water. Don't use soap, detergent, or any other solutions as residue of chemicals might harm the fish. Fill up the tank with water and put some aquarium salt. Leave the tank filled with the salt-added water for 1- 3 nights. Then, remove the salt-added water from the tank. Clean the tank with room temperature water. Fill up the tank with dechlorinated water (Dechlorination can be done by adding water conditioner or keeping tap water in an open container for 1-3 nights). Add aquarium salt (one tbs per 10 gallons of water). Set up filter. Add aquarium light and decorations. Leave the water run in the tank for at least 3 days before adding goldfish.
4. How to Feed Goldfish
4.1 Diet
Out of 100% of feeding, goldfish should be fed with 50% mixed veggies/ fruits such as green peas, cabbages, carrots, broccolis, orange, 25% flakes or pellets, 25%spirulina flakes
4.2 How much?
Don’t feed too much. Overfeeding increases pollutants caused by leftover fish food and harms goldfish digestive system. Goldfish could have swim bladder disease and turn up side down if they eat too much. Actually only a couple of flakes will do for 1 small goldfish. Feeding in small amount will make goldfish want to find more algae or water plants in the tank to eat. They will swim more. This help them exercise more and get healthier.
4.3 How Offen?
Feed 1-2 times a day with small food amount which goldfish could finish in 1-2 minutes. It is recommended to have your goldfish fast 1 day a week to improve digestive system.
4.4 How to Prepare Goldfish Food
Goldfish shouldn’t eat floating flakes on water surface as they would have much chance to consume air above water surface and this could give them swim bladder problems and bad digestion. What goldfish keepers could do is, before feeding, soak dried goldfish flakes or pellets with tank water for about 5 minutes. The pellets or flakes will absorb water and will not expand in goldfish stomach. This also makes the flanks sink down to the bottom, so goldfish eat them at the bottom of the tank.
4.5 Keeping only same size goldfish in a tank is highly recommended to prevent the big or stronger goldfish from taking all the food from the smaller or weaker ones.
4.6 Avoid feeding high sodium food to prevent kidney disease.
5. Water Change
Perform 10% - 25% water change least twice a week to dilute water pollutants. New added water must be chlorinated (by adding water conditioner or keeping tap water in an open container for 1-3 nights). Temperature of the dechlorinated water should be exactly the same temperature as the fish tank water. For good water quality, regular water changes least twice a week and tank cleaning once a month are a must!
6. Temperature
Goldfish is classified as coldwater fish. They don't need heater in the tank and do well in temperature between high 50s and low 70s F. Lower or higher temperature could kill goldfish. They tend to be more active in low 70s and less active in high 50s. Keep in mind that goldfish could die if temperature in the tank rapidly changed over 5 degrees.
7. Healthy Goldfish
Healthy goldfish have bright colors, clear eyes, and upright dorsal fin. They swim back and forth vigorously with their bodies horizontal to the tank and with both below fins moving.
8. When Your Goldfish Got Sick
8.1 Goldfish Constipation Remedy
Constipation is life-threatening to goldfish. Constipated goldfish have thick long poop and swim or float side way or upside down at water surface. This will increase stress and make goldfish sensitive to bacteria infection. When your goldfish is constipated, fast him for 3-5 days to clear out his digestive system. Then, feed him small amount of cooked green peas only once a day for a few days. Be sure to shell and crush the peas before feeding and feed him in small amount that he could finish in 1 minute. Adding aquarium salt (1 tbs per 10 gallon water) will help reduce stress and floating problem. Daily 10-25% water change is strongly needed to control water quality.
8.2 Never feed goldfish when they are sick or when your water quality is poor. Normal goldfish could live for weeks without food. In case of sick goldfish or poor water quality, stop all the feedings and performed water changes on a regular basis until the goldfish is healthy or water quality is back to normal. Feeding sick goldfish or goldfish in poor water quality is definitely harmful to them.
9. Things Worth Knowing
9.1 Goldfish are social animals. A goldfish would do well and live longer with a friend or more. They are curious and active fish that will quickly become bored without other goldfish to interact with.
9.2 Goldfish could love as long as 46 years and could grow as long as 10 - 14 inches, if they have been kept with proper water, temperature, and diet.
9.3 Goldfish keepers should have a battery air pump standby in the tank to prevent death of goldfish from lack of oxygen when the filter stops pumping air due to long power outage. The properly installed air pump will automatically active in event of power failure.
9.4 Keeping goldfish with other kinds of fish is not recommended. Goldfish should only live with goldfish themselves in a tank. Some goldfish keepers have a sucker fish in goldfish tank to help clean algae, but sucker fish could get aggressive when they are hungry and could eat or suck slime or any parts of goldfish body.
9.5 Fish poop can tell if goldfish are healthy. Healthy goldfish with no digestive problems has medium to short chunky poop or poop that has dark color or the color of the food. Clear or white poop is a sign of digestive problems, infection, stress, or improper diet. If goldfish have thick long poop, they might have constipation or might have been overfed. Bubbles in poop mean constipation.
Pick goldfish that have no wounds or spots. Healthy fish swim actively and horizontally to the tank, with both below fins moving and upright dorsal fin. Don’t pick any goldfish that have clamped, split, or rotten fins/tails or float on water surface or stay on the bottom of the tank. Don't buy goldfish from a tank that has sick or dead goldfish in there.
2. Adding New Goldfish
2.1 To prevent infection, new goldfish should be quarantined from the existing ones for at least 14 days for observation of diseases.
2.2 Place new goldfish in a container with water. Float the container on top of water surface in the fish tank for 20 minutes, so the new goldfish can adjust to temperature of water in the tank. Then, put some fish tank water in the container little by little, so the new goldfish can adjust well with new water condition. After a while, gently scoop the new goldfish with hand and put it in the tank. If possible, avoid using a net as that might cause injure to goldfish’s fins or tails while the goldfish trying to get away. Don’t pour the old water from a plastic bag from pet store or old water from the container to the tank as while transferring goldfish, it produces a lot of slime coat and this could cause water toxic.
2.3 The best and safest way to transfer goldfish from one place to another place (in case of house moving etc.) is to stop feeding goldfish for 24-48 hrs before moving. Then, put them in a 5 gallon bucket with fish tank water and put battery air pump in the bucket to make sure they have sufficient oxygen. Test the battery air pump before adding goldfish to the bucket. If airflow is too strong, use an air stone or tie the oxygen tube loosely to block some airflow. This is to prevent goldfish from getting stressful and freak out. And then, when getting to the destination, add goldfish to a fish tank by following the instruction 2.2.
2.4 After adding new goldfish or transferring goldfish to new aquarium, don’t feed goldfish for 1-3 days. Wait until they adjust well with new environment before feeding. When goldfish get scared and stressful, their health and digest system get weaker than usual. Feeding goldfish during this time might give them digestive disorders. Goldfish could be shocked and die. 3. Fish Tank Setup
3.1 Goldfish Gallonage
1 goldfish per 20 gallon water
2 goldfish per 30 - 40 gallon water
Note: You need at least 20 gallon tank for the first goldfish and every 10 gallon more for every additional goldfish. Keep in mind that goldfish cannot be kept in a bowl! They need much air surface and large space to swim. They can never live long in a small bowl in which water would quickly be polluted. In a small crowded container, goldfish could get stressful and finally die. It is a common practice to keep goldfish in a small bowl but, as this kind of fish produce a lot of slime coat, poop, and waste, this allows waste in the water to build up to toxic levels and does not provide enough oxygen. Goldfish will die without sufficient oxygen in the water. They should ideally be kept in an aquarium of at least 20 gallons per one goldfish with a good filter.
3.2 Things Needed for Goldfish Keeping
3.2.1 Fish Tank
3.2.2 Filter: Good filter is strongly needed for goldfish. It helps eliminate ammonia, nitrate, pollutants, and chlorine which are major causes of goldfish's death. To keep fish tank clean and away from pollutants, goldfish keepers need to clean the filter with water from the tank at least once a week and change filter cartridge at least once a month. Don't clean the filter with tap water as that would kill important bacterias that help keep balance of water condition.
3.2.3 Aquarium Light: Goldfish need light for at least 12 hours a day. However, if the light makes water temperature rapidly higher, goldfish keepers need to adjust the temperature as soon as possible. Despite needing light, goldfish do need some time to sleep and relax. Unfortunately, goldfish cannot close their eyes because they don't have eye lids. For this reason, goldfish keepers should turn the light off for some time to let them sleep and prevent stress.
3.2.3 Fish Food
3.2.4 Water Conditioner: Add water conditioner to tap water in amount as directed to remove chlorine and heavy metals and reduce stress.
3.2.5 Aquarium Salt
3.2.6 Water Plants
3.2.7 Rocks and Gravel / Aquarium Ornaments (Optional)
Personally, I prefer to keep my fish tank plain without any rocks, gravel, or aquarium ornaments as those could stock fish poop, waste, and algae, causing water pollution. From my own experience, fish don’t care about ornaments. My goldfish are currently so healthy and pretty. Definitely, they are swimming actively and getting bigger in my plain tank. However, telescope goldfish or dragon eyed goldfish are diggers. They enjoy digging gravel on the bottom. In this case goldfish keepers might need to add gravel and use gravel cleaner siphon for cleaning or might put gravel in a proper size tray and put some water plants in there. Then, place the tray at the bottom of the tank. This makes it easier to clean the gravels and water plants. You can just take the tray off the tank and rinse the tray, gravel, and water plants with fish tank water at least once every 1-2 weeks. Don’t rinse them with tap water as that might kill important bacterias that help keep balance of water condition in the tank.
3.3 Tank Set Up
Clean fish tank with water. Don't use soap, detergent, or any other solutions as residue of chemicals might harm the fish. Fill up the tank with water and put some aquarium salt. Leave the tank filled with the salt-added water for 1- 3 nights. Then, remove the salt-added water from the tank. Clean the tank with room temperature water. Fill up the tank with dechlorinated water (Dechlorination can be done by adding water conditioner or keeping tap water in an open container for 1-3 nights). Add aquarium salt (one tbs per 10 gallons of water). Set up filter. Add aquarium light and decorations. Leave the water run in the tank for at least 3 days before adding goldfish.
4. How to Feed Goldfish
4.1 Diet
Out of 100% of feeding, goldfish should be fed with 50% mixed veggies/ fruits such as green peas, cabbages, carrots, broccolis, orange, 25% flakes or pellets, 25%spirulina flakes
4.2 How much?
Don’t feed too much. Overfeeding increases pollutants caused by leftover fish food and harms goldfish digestive system. Goldfish could have swim bladder disease and turn up side down if they eat too much. Actually only a couple of flakes will do for 1 small goldfish. Feeding in small amount will make goldfish want to find more algae or water plants in the tank to eat. They will swim more. This help them exercise more and get healthier.
4.3 How Offen?
Feed 1-2 times a day with small food amount which goldfish could finish in 1-2 minutes. It is recommended to have your goldfish fast 1 day a week to improve digestive system.
4.4 How to Prepare Goldfish Food
Goldfish shouldn’t eat floating flakes on water surface as they would have much chance to consume air above water surface and this could give them swim bladder problems and bad digestion. What goldfish keepers could do is, before feeding, soak dried goldfish flakes or pellets with tank water for about 5 minutes. The pellets or flakes will absorb water and will not expand in goldfish stomach. This also makes the flanks sink down to the bottom, so goldfish eat them at the bottom of the tank.
4.5 Keeping only same size goldfish in a tank is highly recommended to prevent the big or stronger goldfish from taking all the food from the smaller or weaker ones.
4.6 Avoid feeding high sodium food to prevent kidney disease.
5. Water Change
Perform 10% - 25% water change least twice a week to dilute water pollutants. New added water must be chlorinated (by adding water conditioner or keeping tap water in an open container for 1-3 nights). Temperature of the dechlorinated water should be exactly the same temperature as the fish tank water. For good water quality, regular water changes least twice a week and tank cleaning once a month are a must!
6. Temperature
Goldfish is classified as coldwater fish. They don't need heater in the tank and do well in temperature between high 50s and low 70s F. Lower or higher temperature could kill goldfish. They tend to be more active in low 70s and less active in high 50s. Keep in mind that goldfish could die if temperature in the tank rapidly changed over 5 degrees.
7. Healthy Goldfish
Healthy goldfish have bright colors, clear eyes, and upright dorsal fin. They swim back and forth vigorously with their bodies horizontal to the tank and with both below fins moving.
8. When Your Goldfish Got Sick
8.1 Goldfish Constipation Remedy
Constipation is life-threatening to goldfish. Constipated goldfish have thick long poop and swim or float side way or upside down at water surface. This will increase stress and make goldfish sensitive to bacteria infection. When your goldfish is constipated, fast him for 3-5 days to clear out his digestive system. Then, feed him small amount of cooked green peas only once a day for a few days. Be sure to shell and crush the peas before feeding and feed him in small amount that he could finish in 1 minute. Adding aquarium salt (1 tbs per 10 gallon water) will help reduce stress and floating problem. Daily 10-25% water change is strongly needed to control water quality.
8.2 Never feed goldfish when they are sick or when your water quality is poor. Normal goldfish could live for weeks without food. In case of sick goldfish or poor water quality, stop all the feedings and performed water changes on a regular basis until the goldfish is healthy or water quality is back to normal. Feeding sick goldfish or goldfish in poor water quality is definitely harmful to them.
9. Things Worth Knowing
9.1 Goldfish are social animals. A goldfish would do well and live longer with a friend or more. They are curious and active fish that will quickly become bored without other goldfish to interact with.
9.2 Goldfish could love as long as 46 years and could grow as long as 10 - 14 inches, if they have been kept with proper water, temperature, and diet.
9.3 Goldfish keepers should have a battery air pump standby in the tank to prevent death of goldfish from lack of oxygen when the filter stops pumping air due to long power outage. The properly installed air pump will automatically active in event of power failure.
9.4 Keeping goldfish with other kinds of fish is not recommended. Goldfish should only live with goldfish themselves in a tank. Some goldfish keepers have a sucker fish in goldfish tank to help clean algae, but sucker fish could get aggressive when they are hungry and could eat or suck slime or any parts of goldfish body.
9.5 Fish poop can tell if goldfish are healthy. Healthy goldfish with no digestive problems has medium to short chunky poop or poop that has dark color or the color of the food. Clear or white poop is a sign of digestive problems, infection, stress, or improper diet. If goldfish have thick long poop, they might have constipation or might have been overfed. Bubbles in poop mean constipation.
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