A goldfish aquarium is a perfect decoration in any home. You have to carefully consider how many specimens you want, as these fish need a lot of space to move. If you want a single-tailed goldfish or more than a fancy double-tailed fish, you need a large aquarium. As long as you are committed to promoting good bacterial flora in the tank and setting up an appropriate filtering and lighting system, you should be able to keep your fish healthy and strong.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Place the Aquarium
Step 1. Find the right size aquarium for the type and number of goldfish
For example, if you have single-tailed specimens, you need a container of 150 liters of water for each fish; however, if you have double-tailed fish with small bodies, you only need 40-80 liters per animal. In any case, remember that the more space they have, the better their health is.
- The reason you need to get a large aquarium is that goldfish produce a lot of feces during the digestion process.
- Get an 80-liter aquarium for a double-tailed specimen.
- Instead, get one of 150 liters if you have two fancy or a single-tailed specimen.
Step 2. Place the aquarium in a comfortable place that enjoys natural sunlight
It must be somewhere close to a source of energy and water; it should also be exposed to natural sunlight, but not directly in front of a sunny window. Since it is important to ensure a constant temperature, you must avoid drafts.
- If you are not planning on breeding goldfish, keep a constant temperature of 23 ° C.
- As this fish typically lives in a fairly bright tropical environment, it needs sunlight during the day and dark nights.
- If you install a lighting system in the aquarium, you must turn it off in the evening, so that the fish can rest.
- If it doesn't get enough light, its colors fade.
Step 3. Support the weight of the aquarium
Since a full aquarium is very heavy, you need a very sturdy stand or piece of furniture to rest it on. If your bathtub is very large, you must also position it so that the weight is evenly distributed over the most resistant areas of the floor (especially if you decide to place it on the upper level).
- Keep in mind that a 40-liter aquarium weighs around 45-50 kg.
- While a 400-liter one weighs almost half a ton.
Part 2 of 3: Set up the Aquarium
Step 1. Install a filtration system with a large flow rate
Since goldfish produces more waste than other fish, you need to have a very powerful filter system that can filter a large amount of water every hour. Get one that can move five to ten times the volume of aquarium water every hour. While both outdoor and indoor installations are suitable, it is perhaps best to choose an outdoor model to ensure adequate flow rates.
- If you have an 80 liter aquarium, you need a flow rate of 400-800 liters per hour;
- If the aquarium is 150 liters, the filter must be able to clean about 800-1500 liters per hour;
- The under-gravel filter is only recommended if you have a limited budget or if you have a fish that is particularly sensitive to the sharpness of the water, such as the Bubble Eye;
- The basket filter is more suitable for large aquariums.
Step 2. Add 7-10cm of gravel to the bottom of the tank
Half-fill a bucket with gravel, pour water over it and shake it with your hands; you should see dirt and sediment rising to the surface. Eliminate them and rinse again; when the water appears clean, you can pour a 7-10 cm layer of gravel at the bottom of the aquarium.
- If you have decided to use an under-gravel filter, you must install it before adding the crushed stone.
- The pebbles should have an approximate diameter of 3mm.
- Goldfish tend to put small stones in their mouths, so avoid those that are too small.
Step 3. Add embellishments, such as stones and other decorative elements
Purchase some colored pebbles, such as slate or red shale, at the aquarium store and place them on top of the gravel. if you have other special decorations, you can put them in this occasion.
Step 4. Half fill the aquarium with cold water
Run clean, fresh water into a bucket and then pour it into the tub; at this point, you can make environmental changes in the aquarium. Make sure that the fish has hiding places, but at the same time also a lot of space in which to swim freely; if you have inserted plants that need to be fixed in the gravel, you can now make these adjustments.
Step 5. Fill the aquarium completely with clean cold water
Put it in a bucket first and pour it into the tank until it reaches the top of the tank.
Now you can make the right adjustments to the pipes of the filtration system; for example, if you have a gravel filter, you need to make sure that the lifting tubes are half out and half in the water
Step 6. Keep the water temperature at 23 ° C
Although goldfish can withstand relatively cool temperatures, you need to keep the water quite warm to help your little friend grow strong and healthy. However, if you plan to breed fish, the water temperature must undergo seasonal variations.
- Use a thermometer inside and outside the aquarium to detect it.
- If you want to keep goldfish, make sure it is 10 ° C in winter; in spring raise it up to 20-23 ° C to favor reproduction.
- However, be careful that it does not exceed 30 ° C, because goldfish stresses when the temperature is too high.
- It also avoids extreme changes in temperature.
Part 3 of 3: Developing the Good Bacteria
Step 1. Add a drop of ammonia for every 4 liters of water
Once the installation is complete, having inserted everything except the fish, you must encourage the development of good bacteria by adding ammonia; the ideal quantity is one drop for every 4 liters of water, to be poured into the aquarium every day.
- If your aquarium is 40 liters, you need to pour 10 drops of ammonia.
- You can get a bottle from pet stores.
- Alternatively, you can pour in some fish food and let it decompose; also this method allows to create ammonia in the water.
Step 2. Get a kit to test ammonia and nitrite levels
After adding ammonia for a few days, you need to start analyzing the water to evaluate its values and nitrite values. Take two water samples with the syringe provided in the kit; shake the solution to analyze the ammonia levels and add the number of drops as indicated on the package. Next, shake the solution to examine the nitrites and add the number of drops as indicated on the bottle; finally, observe the color in the test tube and compare it with that of the diagram to establish the concentration of both substances in the aquarium.
Step 3. Analyze the water for nitrates
After a few weeks after adding the ammonia, you should be able to test the nitrate levels. Take a sample of water with the syringe supplied with the kit; shake the bottle and add the appropriate number of drops to the tube. Compare the color obtained with that of the table to define the concentration of nitrates; on this occasion it also tests the levels of nitrites and ammonia. If the levels of these last two substances are zero, but you notice the presence of nitrates, it means that you have successfully completed the nitrogen cycle and the aquarium is ready to welcome the fish.
You need to add some more ammonia to feed the good bacteria until you enter the fish
Step 4. Place one fish at a time
Before inserting the animal you have to change half of the water present to lower the nitrate levels. To be safe, you should add one specimen at a time; since the aquarium is a very delicate system, it is best to evaluate how a single fish lives before adding others.
- After entering the first, you should analyze the water again to check the levels of nitrates, ammonia and nitrites; the last two must have a low concentration, while the presence of some nitrates is tolerated.
- You can add another specimen once you have tested the water for two weeks and made sure the nitrogen cycle is appropriate, as well as ensure enough water to handle more fish.
Advice
- You can use kits to individually test ammonia, nitrite and nitrate instead of a single kit for the three substances.
- If the aquarium is very heavy, you should put it in the basement.
- Remember to run a proper nitrogen cycle before adding goldfish.
- Change 25% of the water every week and check the filter occasionally.
- Get gravel that is smaller or larger than the fish's throat.
- Some species of goldfish are incompatible with other breeds; identify the variety in your possession and let only the specimens that are part of the same group live together.
- When placing a fish in a new aquarium, allow the bag it is in to float on the surface of the water for about 20 minutes before releasing it; in this way, he gets used to the temperature and saves him a shock.
- If you decide to include plants, be sure to choose sturdy ones, such as Singapore moss; Goldfish tend to gnaw on plant leaves, so it's a great idea to keep hardy ones, as they provide oxygen and even some food for your little friend.
- Clean the aquarium regularly to avoid bacterial growth.
- It is also recommended to include hiding places, so that the fish can take refuge when it is afraid or stressed.
- You can add rocks and other decorations for the fish to swim around.
- When keeping fish in the same aquarium with the same gravel, be sure to clean it thoroughly to remove any residual feces.
Warnings
- Use only aquarium-specific decorations and remember to boil the stones before placing them in the tank.
- Water and electricity don't mix at all! Shape the cables by creating loops facing down so that any drops of water cannot reach the socket.
- Do not pour the water the fish is in at the time of purchase into the tank, as it may contain harmful microorganisms.
- Do not keep the aquarium near a heater, as it could overheat the environment.
- Goldfish prefers cold water, do not keep it together with tropical specimens; if the aquarium is set up for tropical fish, your friend may suffer (and vice versa).
