While rearing goldfish is a rewarding experience, if you don’t take proper care of your pet, it could die. It is crucial that you keep your goldfish happy at all times, and going through this site will give you a fair idea of how to care for your beloved goldfish.
Following a few basic steps is all it takes to ensure your goldfish has a perfect home and lives long enough to cheer you when you are depressed. Did you know that watching fish swim is good therapy promoting good mental health?
Here are some tips on how to rear your Goldfish:
Have the Right-Sized Fish Tank
If you plan to rear a single goldfish, you should have a 30 or 40-gallon fish tank because it needs enough swimming space. Without sufficient space to move around, goldfish tend to stop growing. If you wish to rear more than one goldfish, you need to add 15 gallons of extra space for each additional one.
Please don’t keep the goldfish in temporary plastic bags or containers for too long as they feel suffocated and may die. If there’s an emergency, you may put it in a large plastic bucket before transferring it to a regular fish tank.
Right-sized Gravel at the Bottom
As there is a risk of your goldfish biting gravel, which can choke it, the gravel has to be bigger than its mouth. If the gravel is very tiny, the goldfish may not try to swallow it. Hence either big or small-sized gravel for lining the bottom of the fish tank is ideal. It is advisable to keep rinsing the gravel at regular intervals to collect too much dirt and cause any infections to the goldfish.
Backdrop and Lighting
To keep your goldfish happy, ensure there’s a lot of greenery (algae, underwater plants) and lighting inside the fish tank. You get fish tanks with preinstalled lighting and aquatic plants. Goldfish tend to be active throughout the day and need lighting to get around. They sleep well during the nights when you should switch off the lights.
Light is also required for the goldfish to maintain their special coat and color. However, direct sunlight is not good for the health of the goldfish.
Filter the Water Regularly
You need to have an automatic filter for your goldfish’s fish tank. A three-stage filter is ideal, with the first stage for removing leftover food particles, the second stage (chemical) for removing discolorations and odors, and the third stage (biological) for breaking down the ammonia and other fish waste. Make sure the capacity of the filter matches the capacity of the fish tank.
Tap Water and Fish Meal
Ensure that you use tap water to fill the fish tank. Check the ammonia, nitrite, and pH levels in the water before filling up the tank. While the ammonia and nitrite levels should always be at 0, the pH levels can range between 6.5 and 8.25. Get a good brand of fish meal to feed your goldfish. If possible, you may also feed algae, bloodworms, brine shrimp, fish pellets, and flakes. Feed your goldfish two to three times per day, but never over-feed them. Goldfish eat their stomach-full within a minute, so don’t feed them anymore.
Summing it Up
Rearing goldfish can be relaxing and rewarding. Goldfish make excellent pets and don’t demand too much by way of maintenance and expenditure.
