Believe it or not, a goldfish could live for 10-25 years, or longer, as long as you take care of them properly. However, with normal attention, this fish usually lives for about six years. The Guinness Book of World Records mentions a goldfish named Tish who lived for 43 years after being won at a fair in England in 1956! Here's how to help your scaly friend survive the right way.
Steps
Step 1. Buy as large an aquarium as possible
Don't use a goldfish bowl. At least 40 liters of water are required for a single fish to lead a quality life. Choose an aquarium that has a good area to increase the amount of oxygen in contact with the water surface (a larger aquarium is preferable to a taller one).
Step 2. Prepare the aquarium before purchasing goldfish
Preparing it could take you two or more weeks. Enough good bacteria need to accumulate to eliminate fish waste. To do this, start a cycle without the fish. Once completed, the goldfish aquarium will have more than enough bacteria to eliminate the fish's waste materials. Failure to complete this cycle in the aquarium will cause ammonia poisoning and the death of the goldfish
Step 3. Provide mental and physical stimulation to the fish
Decorate the aquarium with gravel, bits of wood, perennials, etc. Make sure the decorations you choose do not have hollow recesses (harmful bacteria can grow inside) and that they do not have sharp corners (they could tear the fins of the minnow). The fish should have several areas in the aquarium, such as an open area ideal for swimming and a hidden one.
You can also train the fish in different ways. If you feed him at the same time every day, he will soon wait for you at the right time and get used to your presence. From the very beginning you can teach him to eat from your hand. You can also use a fishing net, remove the net from it leaving an empty circle and train the little fish to swim by passing through this hole
Step 4. Add equipment to increase the diffusion of oxygen in the water
A small compressor and an aquarium porous stone will suffice. You can also get more air flow by using a waterfall filter, which helps agitate the water surface.
Step 5. Clean the aquarium at least once every two weeks, but doing it more frequently is preferable due to the large amount of waste materials produced by the goldfish
If you don't have a filter, clean the aquarium twice a week. This is essential. The frequency of cleaning will depend on the size of the aquarium, the number of fish and the effectiveness of the filter. Real plants are excellent because they will help absorb some of the ammonia, nitrites and nitrates.
- Check your ammonia and nitrite levels frequently (you want both to be zero). A pH test is also helpful in ensuring that goldfish water is not too alkaline or acidic. You can buy it at any pet store. Do not modify the fish's water, however, unless it is significantly far from neutral. A goldfish can tolerate a wide range of pHs, and pH-changing chemicals are not a lasting solution without more constant monitoring than most people do. A pH between 6.5 and 8.5 is fine. Many municipal plumbing supplies make the water have one of approximately 7.5, and the goldfish will live happily ever after.
- Do not remove the goldfish while changing the water. An aquarium vacuum cleaner can be used to remove debris while the fish remains inside. Partial and frequent water changes are preferable to full (and stressful) ones.
- You don't have to catch the fish, consider using a plastic container instead of a net, as you could injure the fins and scales as you pull it up. This also increases the stress! If using the net is the only option, soak it in water before using it. Dry nets are more likely to cause injury than wet nets.
Step 6. Allow the water temperature to change based on seasonal rotation
While goldfish don't like temperatures above 24ºC, they seem to like seasonal variations when the temperature reaches 15-20ºC in winter. Some goldfish species are the exception to the rule and cannot easily tolerate temperatures below 16ºC. Remember that goldfish will not eat below 10-14ºC.
Step 7. Feed the goldfish one to three times a day with food specifically designed for this species
If you decide to feed him more often, then reduce the size of your meals so you don't overfeed him. Give him only what he can consume in a few minutes and immediately clean up any leftovers. If you are using floating feed, soak it in water for a few seconds before feeding the fish so that it sinks. This decreases the amount of air the fish ingests while eating, which in turn limits the risk of buoyancy problems.
Advice
- Make sure your goldfish are healthy when you buy them, and if any fish in an aquarium look sick (they have white or red spots or suffer from velvet disease or dropsy), then don't buy any from this mass of goldfish. water. It is better to go back to the store after a week and buy a healthy fish than to take one home that will need special care or will die while you care for it. Newly arrived fish should be quarantined by others to reduce the spread of parasites, bacteria and fungi.
- Never use an aquarium with a capacity of less than 40 liters, unless it is temporary (for example you will be using it for less than a week). Any smaller aquarium will cause multiple health problems for the fish, and this is cruel.
- Do not leave the lights on in the aquarium for more than a few hours a day. This can cause the water to overheat and cause algae to grow. Despite having real plants, eight hours a day is enough time to keep the lights on. You could set a timer for this to turn on and off automatically and help your fish maintain a natural rhythm. Also, when you turn the lights on and off, try to always turn the room lights on first, so as not to cause them a sudden shock. Goldfish don't have lids, and sudden changes to lighting can scare them.
- Be careful when moving your goldfish. Stress can reduce your life expectancy.
- Make sure you clean the gravel regularly to get rid of food scraps and waste materials. You can do this with an aquarium vacuum cleaner.
- Do not insert any sharp decorative items. If you do, this could tear off the goldfish's fins and take away some of its scales.
- Be careful when setting up the aquarium. Do not place it near a radiator or air conditioning device or near a window or door. If you do this, it can cause the temperatures in the aquarium to change rapidly or, if it is near a door, it could break when opened. Do not place it in a place where the sun shines all day, otherwise, it can overheat and cause algae growth.
- It is not healthy to overfeed your fish. Feed him what he can consume in two minutes. Another thing: don't bundle too much food all at once; rather, take one pellet or flake at a time and feed it. You don't want the food to fall on the gravel as you feed it.
- When treating a sick fish, you don't always have to move it to a separate aquarium.
- If you are concerned about the quality of tap water in your area, call your local pet store and ask if it is usable for fish. Your city council should be able to give you a water quality report if the plumbing network you receive it from is managed by the city hall. This document will allow you to get an idea of the chemical composition of the local water.
- A goldfish can reach 30 cm in length if you put it in a large enough aquarium! However, contrary to popular belief, the fish does not adapt to the size of the aquarium and avoids growing further. Don't buy one that is too small expecting the fish to not get bigger than it is.
- When you use plants taken from nearby ponds to bring your fish to live in a natural habitat, it is important to rinse them first so as not to infect the animal with parasites.
- Regularly monitor the water conditions. Check its temperature. Get tested for nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia. Evaluate the pH of the water, its hardness and its alkalinity from the beginning. Do some more research on this topic.
- If the compressor is too strong for the size of the aquarium, you could replace a valve on the tube (you'll find this easily in stores) and reduce the amount of bubbles.
- If you have a cat, make sure the aquarium is NOT open at the top.
Warnings
- Stir the fish carefully! Goldfish should usually only be kept with their peers and some goldfish breeds should not be mixed. Your fish should all be about the same size and be able to swim at the same speed; for example, do not mix comet and fan-tailed goldfish, as comets will eat the food before the fan-tailed goldfish arrive.
- Make sure there is no soap or detergent residue in the container used to change the water. If you're not careful, you could poison the fish.
- Fish cannot filter food, so don't expect them to live for long periods of time without the right foods for them.
- If you use aquarium salt, do it carefully. The salt does not evaporate and is only removed when you empty the aquarium.
- Do not use any type of detergent or acid to clean the aquarium, which will damage and cause stress to the fish.
- Although the water heater is not necessary in a goldfish aquarium, use it with caution if you decide to do so! These devices, especially low quality ones, are prone to malfunctions and can remain on even after they have been turned off, so monitor the water with a thermometer. It is advisable to replace them every two years and to buy only those of famous brands with a guarantee.
- In many cities, chloramine is put in water instead of chlorine. Chloramine does not evaporate and must be removed by adding an additional chemical. Check the label on your dechlorinator to make sure it also eliminates chloramine.
- Be sure to insert a non-return valve into the tube through which the air passes when using an aerator. If you don't use it, water can enter the air tube and travel to the compressor, damaging it. It could also cause a fire if water reaches the electrical cable in the compressor. Finally, make sure that the non-return valve has been installed correctly.
- Never place an aquarium on a weak or unstable surface. Without a fixed support, the aquarium can have breaks and leaks. In case the table collapses, the aquarium will fall and break, and the fish may suffocate.
