If you are thinking of keeping goldfish as pets and you are a first time owner of aquarium fish than this is the care guide for you. Gold fish are basically found in every local aquarium and are easy to take care of they are resilient and easy to maintain and if cared for properly they could live very long. Gold fish are believed to bring good luck and fortune to their owners and hence they are highly popular.
Golf fish Characteristics:
Among the most common fish in the aquarium hobby, goldfish belong to the Family Cyprinidae and are native to Eastern Asia. They are not the same, but related to carp, and were first domesticated from food fish in China over 1,000 years ago. Goldfish can be distinguished from koi and common carp by the absence of barbels or “whiskers” in the corners of their mouth. Through selective breeding, many “fancy” goldfish strains sporting different body shapes, colors and fin types are available today. They include comets, shubunkins, fantails, orandas, ryukins, moors, telescope eyes, celestial eyes, bubble eyes, butterfly tails, pearlscales, wakins, lionheads, ranchus and many more. Orandas, lionheads and ranchus develop a crown of fatty tissue, called hood growth, over their heads that in mature fish may completely cover their eyes! Fancy goldfish can become stunningly beautiful and command high prices. All varieties of goldfish are the same species – Carrassius auratus. When properly cared for, goldfish can live over 20 years in captivity.
Caring For Your gold fish
Tank: Goldfish can be put in bowls and fish tank. Keep in mind that they will outgrow it. If you intend buying more than one, buying a tank is the better option. It should be a good size – make sure that there is enough surface area for oxygen to be absorbed.
Accessories: After selecting a fish tank you need to buy a hood to cover it so the fish do not jump outside the tank and end up dead. An airstone or pump keeps the water oxygenated by putting bubbles in it. You can also purchase a power filter instead of an airstone which does two jobs that is it cleans the fish tank and simultaneously provides essential oxygen to the fish.
Maintain the water. Your fish needs water to survive. Water maintenance is crucial in keeping your fish healthy. A filter makes it much easier to maintain. Do a partial water change weekly by removing and replacing water. About one-third of the water must be replaced. You can also buy a heater to maintain the temperature at around 27 to 30 degrees Centigrade
Maintenance: Make sure to keep the tank clean as goldfish are fairly messy. Clean the tank regularly. Remove all accessories, clean off all slime, waste and algae.Make sure to change the sponge from the filter.
Feeding: Unlike us they only need to be fed once daily. Food can be bought at a pet shop. They will eat until they kill themselves – feed them only amounts that they can finish. So make sure to feed them enough.
Signs that your fish is ill: Pay close attention to your fish. Become familiar with its normal behavior this will make it easy to notice when something is wrong. A shaky body, constant scratching against objects in the tank, gasping at the surface and swimming abnormally are signs that your fish may be ill.
In certain cases gold fish turn white, This is mainly due to pigment in their skin which reacts to light. When their skin is deprived of light or they have less exposure, this impacts on their skin. Over time, they can lose their colour and turn white. Also It may just be that your goldfish is growing up! As your fish ages, it might change colors several times before it lands on its true color.
Goldfish Breeding – Intermediate:Goldfish are egg scatterers and are known to spawn in home aquariums. They provide no parental care after the eggs are laid. Eggs are adhesive and can be seen clinging to plants and other decorations. To prevent eggs from being eaten by the adults or other fish in the aquarium, plants and other objects they are attached to can be moved to a separate aquarium where they will hatch in 48 to 72 hours.
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