Learn Proper Goldfish Care

Because they are so easy to care for, goldfish are great starter pets for parents who would like to teach their children the responsibilities that come with owning a pet without having to experience any severe casualties it they prove not to be able to handle the job. However easy it is to care for your goldfish, there are some basics of goldfish care that must be discussed, as there are some things about taking care of goldfish that are not as obvious as others.

While it is rather obvious that goldfish should live in fish tanks, what you probably didn’t know was that the more surface area that there is to your fish tank, the healthier your goldfish should be. Goldfish get their oxygen through the surface of the water, so it is important to make sure that your fish has enough surface area to be able to breathe properly. This doesn’t mean that you have to have a huge fish tank. Depending on the size of your goldfish, a small goldfish bowl would probably be more than suitable for one fish but for more than one goldfish (especially larger fish), you would want to have a larger aquarium-type tank with a larger surface area. If you want to save yourself some money, keep in mind when buying a fish tank that your fish will grow, and as it grows it may require more and more space, so don’t start small if you do not want to have to upgrade in the future.

It is important for your fish to always have good, clean water. After all, this is their only environment--it’s not like they have any other place to go but their tank, so it is important to keep their tanks as clean as possible. This can be done by not feeding your fish huge amounts of food; if you feed your fish enough food at once to eat all day, that may be your first mistake. After a while, the food gets soft and mushy and can cloud up the tank, polluting it and making it necessary for you to clean your tank more often than you usually would. If necessary, feed your goldfish more than once a day if you have to, but remember not to over feed your fish! This is a sure fire way to keep your relationship with them short and sweet.

Also, remember that, just like you can get sick, your goldfish can get sick, too. You can keep your goldfish as healthy as possible by making sure the water isn’t too hot or too cold (straight from the tap is usually okay, as long as your area has pretty good water) and you keep your tank clean. A nasty fish tank can lead to diseases and infections in your fish that can lead to their death, so you want to be as sanitary as possible.

As far as habitat goes, a fish tank or aquarium with gravel in the bottom is suitable most of the time. While many people choose to decorate their tanks in all kinds of different aquarium garb, fish only need a few places to hide and do not require a lot of the doodads that other small pets, such as hamsters, tend to require.