Animal-World > Freshwater Fish > Goldfish > Gold Fish Care Quick Basics

Gold Fish Care Quick Basics

   Goldfish are one of the most popular pets in the world!

   What's so great about goldfish? They have gorgeous metallic gold and reddish colors, great personalities, and can live a very long time. These hardy, undemanding fish are not too fussy about their food or water conditions. Put them in an aquarium with plant thickets and some rocks and you have a beautiful display. They simply make great pets!

   In spite of their good nature and low demands however, taking care of them does take a little bit of work and some common sense. The life span of your gold fish and the level of attachment formed between you will depend on the care you provide. Learning how best to take care of your gold fish will ensure a long, happy life for your pet and tons of enjoyment for you.

   This is a quick overview of the world of goldfish. It will help you understand a few essential things about goldfish and their care. When you are ready to get your first gold fish, or are thinking of exploring different types of goldfish, visit each goldfish page. See all sorts of Goldfish Varieties!

   Here's a few quick goldfish basics for you to explore:

About Gold Fish:

   Gold fish start off small but can grow to be very large (up to one foot long or more) if you provide good gold fish care. There are lots of different types of goldfish to choose from, but the easiest to start with are the Common Goldfish. They are some of the hardiest, are readily available, and are inexpensive. Other good beginner gold fish include the Comet Goldfish, Fantail Goldfish, Ryukin Goldfish, Shubunkin,

   As you become more confident in keeping goldfish, you may want to try your hand at some of the more exotic looking types or the more delicate types. One of the all time favorites is the Black Moor. It and the Telescope Goldfish are also very hardy, but due to their poor vision need a bit more specialized housing. These fish will thrive best housed with each other, or with other similarly handicapped gold fish like the less hardy Bubble Eye Goldfish, Lionhead Goldfish, and Celestial Goldfish. Other favorites include the Veiltail Goldfish, Oranda Goldfish and Redcap Oranda Goldfish, Ranchu Goldfish, and Pearlscale Goldfish,

Tank:

   Using an aquarium rather than a fish bowl is recommended. It is easier to take care of and your gold fish will outgrow a bowl. A large surface area is essential to the happiness and health of your gold fish. A bowl that tapers near the top won't provide the same oxygenation as a tank with a large surface area. It's more economical for you to buy a large tank to start. Provide a twenty to thirty gallon tank for your first gold fish and add at least ten gallons to that volume for each additional gold fish.

Water:

   You can check with your pet store to make sure your tap water is safe for use in the tank. Most tap water is safe though it may have chlorine, which will kill your pet. If your tap water has chlorine you will need to add few drops of a de-chlorinator each time you add water to your tank. Tap water also usually has a neutral pH and gold fish thrive in neutral pH levels, levels between 7.2 to 7.6 pH. Regular water changes are important to keep these fish healthy. A weekly water change of 1/4 to 1/3 suggested.

Light:

   Aquarium kits and hoods (light fixtures) can come with either fluorescent or incandescent lighting. Choosing fluorescent rather than incandescent lighting will help you'll save on electricity and it will give off less heat. Keep the lighting on for about ten hours daily.

Filter:

   Gold fish produce a lot of waste which leads to rising ammonia levels. Ammonia is toxic to gold fish and must be kept to a minimum. Providing good filtration as it is very helpful in maintaining the water quality of the aquarium. Many people try to keep goldfish in small one or two gallon bowls with no heater or filtration. But for the best success in keeping goldfish, provide them the same filtration, especially biological filtration, that you would for any other freshwater fish.

Food:

   The amount and type of food you feed your gold fish is a very important part of proper gold fish care. A gold fish's natural diet includes both meat and vegetable matter. It's best to use packaged gold fish food. Feed your gold fish small amounts several times a day. A rule of thumb, if they can't eat most of the food within five minutes, the meal was too big.
  You can purchase gold fish food at pet stores, often in grocery stores, and through on-line goldfish food and pet supplies.

   Read about each of the Type of Goldfish you are considering. You will learn about its unique characteristics and how to care for it!

Back to Goldfish