Goldfish

Origin
Goldfish have been bred for over thousands of years in the Orient. Europe has also been breeding them for over a hundred years. The various patterns, shapes, and colors are a result. In Asia and eastern Europe they are found in lakes, ponds, and cool watered streams. The ones you see nowadays in pet stores and from breeders are captive bred.


Maintenance
The key to keeping any fish healthy is clean water and Goldfish are no different. They prefer cool water. Therefore the temps should not rise above 74. The best range to keep them at is  65-68. If they’re kept at temps above 72 for lengthy time it can result in Oxygen deprivation. This will result in heart damage, nerve damage, and immune system issues that make them more susceptible to disease.

Though many keep Goldfish in bowls it’s not recommended. The way to go is an aquarium. The bigger the better as the case with many fish. Tanks shouldn’t be any smaller then 10 gallons. This size though is really only suitable for one so if there’s more then one in your tank you should go larger.

Water changes of 10-15% should be done weekly. This helps keep the water clean and removes any waste the filter may have missed.


Filtration 
Gold fish tanks need a good filtering system. Filters should not put out a strong current as it may cause difficulty in swimming.


Substrate
Many Gold fish keepers don’t recommend using anything for a substrate. Often their health is at risk because gravel can get caught in their throat when they’re looking around for uneaten food. Also if decayed food trapped in the gravel gets consumed it can lead to intestinal bacterial infections. The other concern is Gold fish are naturally dirty so any organics or pollutions can get trapped in the gravel.

However, maintaining a healthy environment by circulating the water, keeping up on the filters, and avoid over feeding it can help prevent many of these concerns. Also if you use pea sized gravel it’s less likely they’ll be able to consume it causing any issues.


Tank Decorations
To feel safe they need lots of hiding places. A safe fish is an active fish. Make sure there’s at least 50-75% cover. Having places to hide will reduce stress and help prevent health issues.


Diet
These scavengers are omnivorous. This means they can have both plant and animal matter. It’s important to provide them with a varied diet high in carbohydrates. There’s a wide variety of Goldfish foods on the market. Also available are frozen fish foods which are a suitable choice as long as they’re not fed too often. The key to good health and long life expectancy is a proper balanced diet.  

These fish can and will graze for food constantly as they have large appetites. Be careful not to over feed them. They only need to be fed once a day. Any food not consumed after two minutes should be removed from the tank. Doing this helps prevent disease due to poor water quality.


Goldfish favorite foods:

• Small fishes 
• Krill 
• Organic Earthworms 
• Meal Worms 
• Blood Worms 
• White Worms
• Micro Worms 
• Tubifex Worms 
• Wax Worms 
• Infusoria 
• Daphnia 
• Brine Shrimp 
• Baby guppies
• Baby swordtail

Set up a feeding schedule. In time you should be able to figure out how much or how little to feed them at each meal. You can gauge this by seeing how much they eat in the first few minutes. Overfeeding causes health and water issues. Some recommend only feeding once while others say twice. Decide what works best for you and ration out the amounts accordingly.


Companionship
Should be kept with same sized fish that require the same care. Also keep in mind the temperaments of the tank mates. Basically that usually narrows it down to other Goldfish. Luckily there’s a variety of fancy Goldfish to choose from.


Baby Care
Once the babies hatch be sure you clean the tank once within 7-10 days. You can feed them baby brine shrimp before slowly changing to other foods. Be careful not to overfeed the babies. Any weak or deformed should be culled as they won’t survive for long and may risk the health of the others. Always maintain optimum water conditions to be sure they stay healthy.


Life Expectancy
Some Goldfish can live as long as 20 years. These are usually of the pond variety. If a tank of proper size is maintained properly they can live 15+ years.



Note - There’s many opinions, conflicting information, and care sheets out there for the way to care for Gold Fish. As with any animal it’s important to always do your research. Be sure to check out many sources.