Having a goldfish requires more effort and care than you think. Sorry, but you can’t just put your little goldfish into a plastic bowl and sprinkle flakes of fish food once or twice a day. Like every other fish, goldfish require extra attention and care in order to be in perfect health.
You may get your goldfish in a clear plastic bag by winning a game at the carnival fair or at a pet store in a small plastic container, but taking great care of it will ensure it’ll live a happy and fulfilled life.
Step 1: Finding The Perfect Home
Using a bowl provides very little space for your fish to swim around if you opt to keep a few goldfish together. Aquariums are however more expensive compared to goldfish bowls. Though, aquariums do provide more space for your fish to swim about. Goldfish require oxygenated water to survive and aquariums offer a larger surface area of water into which oxygen can diffuse. This enables your fish to breathe without the need to swim to the surface of the water repeatedly.
Aquariums provide enough space for your goldfish to swim, grow and hide. Additionally, organising and fixing the necessary equipment into the aquarium is effortless compared to putting them into a goldfish bowl. Trying to fit equipment into a goldfish bowl can be a problem due to insufficient space.
Step 2: Setting Up The Tank
What type of water should you fill your aquarium with?
Without a doubt, it is better to get a dechlorinator. A dechlorinator is a chemical additive that makes the chlorine and chloramine in your aquarium water harmless to your fish.
Using untreated tap water or drinking water, which has chemicals and minerals, could harm your goldfish.
The ideal water temperature for your goldfish is between 18 to 20oC. You can use a thermometer to constantly check the water temperature and ensure that the temperature is never above 23.5oC.
Your aquarium should be away from direct sunlight as the heat will make your fish ill.
Furthermore, to ensure that your aquarium is clean all the time, getting an algae eater fish is worth the cost. You can get ‘Loaches’, or ‘Zebra Danions’ algae eater fish that go well with your goldfish.
Step 3: Housekeeping For Your Fish
It is essential to wash your aquarium thoroughly beforehand to rinse off all the dirt and chemicals.
After a good wash, start attaching the pump and filter system of your aquarium according to the directions that came along with the equipment.
Once you have set up your aquarium with dechlorinator in the water, allow the bag your fish came in to float on top of the water for at least 10 minutes.
This technique will allow your fish to adjust itself to the temperature difference before your goldfish is released into its new home.
Step 4: Feeding Time
After you have put your goldfish into its new home, sprinkle some fish food into the aquarium. Hopefully your fish will notice these and eat them.
Now that you have set up your aquarium, you can sit back and enjoy as your goldfish swims around in its new home.
Get quality fish food so that your fish can stay healthy. It is important that you feed your fish in a small amount of tiny pinches once or twice per day.
It is always better to feed your goldfish pellet food most of the time. Occasionally, you can feed your fish with some bloodworms or brine shrimps.
Remember to only feed your fish what they can eat in a duration of one minute only. Be careful not to overfeed them because goldfish can easily overeat and die.
With these steps, you will be able to give your goldfish a long, happy and healthy life. Be mindful of the fact that your goldfish is solely dependent on you and it is your responsibility to take care of it.
