The common goldfish has to be one of the most commonly kept species of fish of all time. The goldfish is a very hardy species and can adapt to a wide range of water parameters. All too often though they are kept in bowls or small tanks that are simply inadequate for their long term survival and these small bowls provide for a very poor quality of life.
To provide a better quality of life for your goldfish consider keeping them in a 20 gallon tank or larger and add 10 gallons to that for each additional goldfish. Don't trust your local pet store employee to provide accurate information. Many times these are just local high school kids or college kids working for gas money. Do your own research on any fish, plant, coral or invert before you purchase them.
Give them a filter that is rated for twice your tank volume. In other words, if you have a hang on type power filter and you have a 20 gallon aquarium for your goldfish, get a power filter rated for 40 gallons or larger. Goldfish eat frequently and get kind of messy so an over-rated filter is a must.
Provide frequent partial water changes on a regular basis. Try to change out 20 percent of their water every week or every couple of days. If you dread having to do water changes look into getting a python aquarium vacuum or a lee's aquarium vacuum. These vacuums are just hoses with an attachment that hooks up to your faucet and makes doing water changes a breeze.
Give your goldfish several small feedings every day. A varied diet is optimal and there are even fish foods made specifically for goldfish. Use them.
Learn about the aquarium nitrogen cycle. This cycle is extremely important for new hobbyists to understand if they want to keep their fish alive for any amount of time. Check FishLore for more info on this cycle.
If you have questions or want more details on keeping Goldfish consider joining and online fish forum. Fish Lore's forum is very friendly and active with lots of goldfish keepers online or those that know how to keep them properly. Don't be afraid to ask questions. The only dumb question is the one that does not get asked.
Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content
Related Pet Articles
©2006 ArticleGeek.com: Free Website Content - All Rights ReservedGoldfish
Mike is an editor at FishLore. Designed for beginners, FishLore.com provides tropical fish information, how-to guides, articles, fish profiles, FAQs, forums and more!
Freshwater Fish for Your Aquarium
Betta Fish
How To Setup A Freshwater Aquarium
Quarantine Tank Setup
Why Set Up a Fish Tank?
