Among the fish kept in our aquarium, the most popular fish is the goldfish. The origin of goldfish is China, but later goldfish are found all over the world depending on the beauty of this fish.
We have seen this fish many times in different aquariums and we also want to keep this fish at home. But before keeping goldfish at home it is very important to know about goldfish care. So today our topic is about how to take care of goldfish.
How to Take Care of Goldfish?
Keeping goldfish at home is very easy. Two of the most important things we need to keep in mind for keeping goldfish are the right environment and the second is adequate food. The right environment here depends on many factors like,
Water Parameters of goldfish:
Which water we use for our goldfish depends entirely on the characteristics of the water.
Generally the correct pH for goldfish is 6.5 to 7.5. Since goldfish are freshwater fish, the correct TDS level for goldfish is 150 to 300 ppm.
Not only that, we have to make sure that the water we are using does not contain ammonia and nitrite.
Filter for goldfish:
The most important thing in our goldfish tank is a water filter. Leftover food and waste from our goldfish tend to accumulate at the bottom of the aquarium. Which is later converted into ammonia which is very harmful to our fish.
Using a water filter absorbs the accumulated waste at the bottom. Our water filters have very fine pores that contain some good bacteria. These bacteria help in the nitrogen cycle.
That is, first ammonia is converted to nitrite and later to nitrate, although nitrate is not very harmful to our fish. So having a bio filter in our aquarium greatly reduces the chance of ammonia and nitrite build up.
Air Pump for goldfish:
Aquarium freshwater fish require 8.3 mg of dissolved oxygen per liter of water. So we need to always ensure that there is a proper amount of oxygen in the fish tank.
If for any reason the amount of dissolved oxygen in our aquarium decreases then it is very harmful for our fish. If we use a proper air pump we will control the amount of oxygen in our aquarium, which is very important for our fish.
If we use an air pump in our aquarium, the air from outside will reach the aquarium in the form of air bubbles through the air pump. As a result, oxygen will enter the aquarium from outside through air bubbles and carbon dioxide will gradually decrease.
Heater for goldfish:
Ideal water temperature for goldfish is 72° to 78° Fahrenheit. At that temperature our goldfish live well and are less likely to get sick.
But if for some reason the temperature in our tank water is too low or too high then the chances of our goldfish getting sick also increases.
So if we live in a place where the temperature is very low or there is a big difference in temperature between day and night then it is very important for us to use a proper heater for our tank.
Automatic heaters help to keep the water temperature in our tank at a certain level. This greatly reduces the chance of our tank water temperature being too low or too high, and our goldfish are much healthier and live longer.
Tank for goldfish:
Generally, an adult goldfish is between 10 and 20 cm in size. That is, goldfish are slightly larger in size than other aquarium fish. So goldfish need a bigger aquarium, where goldfish can live comfortably.
So goldfish need an aquarium that can hold at least 20 gallons of water. Since we can keep many goldfish together, we need to increase the tank to 10 gallons for each goldfish.
That is, if we want to keep two goldfish together in one tank, we need an aquarium that can hold at least 30 gallons of water.
Plant for goldfish:
Aquatic plants play a particularly important role in goldfish tanks. Many times we have seen goldfish like to hide behind the aquatic plants in the aquarium. Aquatic plants in the aquarium help to supply oxygen to the tank or to control the oxygen level.
Not only this, aquatic plants also indirectly help in the nitrogen cycle in the aquarium. There are many aquatic plants that absorb harmful substances such as nitrates from our aquariums.
Also, excess food and waste from our fish tend to accumulate at the bottom of the tank which is later used as fertilizer for our aquatic plants. So aquatic plants help to improve our aquarium environment a lot.
Some aquatic plants ideal for goldfish tank are Amazon swords, Java fern, Cryptocoryne wendtii, Hornwort, Moss ball, Anubias etc.
Food for goldfish:
We should always use a properly balanced diet for our goldfish. Here, a properly balanced diet is defined as a diet in which the protein level is 35 to 40%, the fat level is 10 to 15%, and the fiber level is 20%. Not only that, a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals should also be present in this food.
Generally we categorize goldfish food into many types such as flakes food, pallet food, live food, frozen food and vegetables etc.
But the most important thing is to give enough food to the goldfish. Such a small amount of food can cause nutritional deficiency in our goldfish’s body.
Again, too much food is harmful to our goldfish, because if we give excessive amounts of food to goldfish, our goldfish may have digestive problems. Even the excess food gets deposited at the bottom of our aquarium and later turns into ammonia, which is very harmful to our goldfish.
So we can feed our goldfish twice a day. There is also a question of how much food should we give our goldfish? Although this depends a lot on the size of our goldfish. Although the amount of food to give to our goldfish is clearly written on the goldfish food packet.
But there are simple ways by which we can get an idea of how much food to feed our goldfish. We can feed our goldfish as much food as they can consume within one to two minutes. If we see some food left, we can reduce the amount of food next time.
Goldfish behavior:
Goldfish are very active fish, they usually like to live in groups, so goldfish can be called social fish. Goldfish are very intelligent compared to other fish. These fish usually swim from one place in the aquarium to another and try to get to know every object in the aquarium.
But if we see our goldfish stay in a certain place at the bottom of the aquarium for a long time, or move around at the highest level of water, then we know that our goldfish is sick. Goldfish also greatly reduce or stop feeding when sick. Not only that, when the goldfish is sick, its activity also decreases a lot.
So how do we understand the activity of our goldfish? Every day we should observe the goldfish for some time. As a result, we can better feel the activity of our goldfish.
However, goldfish do not close their eyes like humans when they sleep, their eyes are slightly open. When goldfish sleep, their activity slows down and moves very slowly.
Goldfish tank mates:
Generally, goldfish are very harmless and calm fish, so aggressive fish should not be kept in goldfish tanks at all. Especially Betta fish, Oscar fish, flower horn fish, aquarium shark etc.
But we can keep several fishes with goldfish and there is no harm to goldfish for such fishes. So ideal goldfish tank mates are Hillstream loach, Cory catfish, Neon tetra, Rosy barb, Platy, Kuhli loach, Bloodfin tetra, Rasboras etc.
One thing we should always keep in mind is that we need a large tank to keep goldfish and any other fish in the same tank.
Goldfish tank cleaning :
How often a goldfish tank should be cleaned depends entirely on the size of the tank and the environment. For a normal goldfish tank, a 15 to 20 percent water change one to two times per week is essential.
It is very important to thoroughly clean the goldfish tank every two to three months. As a result, the chances of harmful substances such as ammonia, nitrates and nitrites increasing in our goldfish tank will be greatly reduced.
Not only that, TDS and pH levels of goldfish water will be correct. Regular goldfish tank cleaning will improve the environment of our goldfish tank.
How long do goldfish live?
How long a goldfish will live depends entirely on the environment of our aquarium. If we can properly maintain the water level and environment of the aquarium, the chances of a healthy survival of our goldfish are greatly increased.
So the lifespan of our goldfish depends on many factors like, proper and specific amount of food, cleanliness of aquarium, proper temperature of aquarium etc.
But generally a goldfish can live for 5 to 10 years. In some cases, it has been observed that some goldfish live for more than 20 years in China.
Environment for goldfish:
Before buying or keeping goldfish we need to keep some things in mind like,
Our goldfish tank should be completely prepared with water, three to four days before releasing the goldfish.
The goldfish tank should be placed in a location that receives very little sunlight throughout the day. As a result, the aquatic plants in the goldfish tank can grow well and the nitrogen cycle takes place very well in the tank.
We should keep our goldfish tank in a place where there are no other pets, because pets can scare or stress our goldfish.
Welcome to our website Aquarium Fish Zone. My name is Sagar Ghosh and I live in Kolkata. I am a science graduate.
I have kept fish in aquariums since I was very young. I loved seeing the colorful fish in the aquarium.
I have always tried to maintain and care for the fish properly. So me and my team members have created this website.As a result, we can provide you with accurate information about how aquarium fish are kept.