Goldfish are one of the most common types of fish. They come in different varieties such as Ryukin, Fantail, Oranda and many others. Some goldfish look like they have bubbles of skin covering their eyes. Goldfish can live to be 5 to 10 years old. The average goldfish lives to be around 4 years old. I have been raising goldfish for the last 5 years. The problem with goldfish is that they get sick very quickly and by the time you see that their is a problem, it’s too late to fix it. Goldfish, especially oranda goldfish, are prone to having swim bladder problems. This causes the fish to swim upside down on the top of the tank.
Goldfish can grow to be 6 inches plus. You will need to have at least a 10 gallon tank to house a 10 inch goldfish. Goldfish are one of the dirtiest fish and you will have to over filter the tank. This means that if you have a 10 gallon tank, purchase a filter which will filter up to a 20 gallon tank. This will also help your fish from getting sick. Usually they get sick because they are stressed out from water conditions. Make sure you clean half of the rock at least once every 2 weeks. After 2 weeks you will have to clean the other side of the rock. If you don’t clean the tank, the ammonia, nitrates and nitrites will become too high. This will cause your fish to become ill.
With goldfish I would suggest looking at them every day. Check out each fish to see if it has any signs of illness.
Goldfish have great personalities and they will come to the top of the tank to get fed. They usually sleep at night so be careful when you turn the lights on and off. Wait to feed the fish until the light has been on for at least 5 minutes. This will give the fish a chance to adjust to the light and see the food that you are feeding them.
Goldfish love to eat fish flakes and frozen food such as brine shrimp. They should also be fasted (no food) for at least 1 day out of the week. This will give their digestive track a chance to clear out and they will not develop as many swim bladder problems related to constipation. Make sure to buy your goldfish from a reputable and clean fish store. Make sure that your fish looks healthy before you purchase it.
