Goldfish make wonderful, low-maintenance pets for people of all ages. They are perfect for a child’s first pet since they don’t require much care yet still teach responsibility. Goldfish are also great for college students and young adults living in dorms and apartments where many other pets are not permitted.
These little fishies are easy to obtain. They cost about $1.50 and can be found anywhere from pet stores to carnivals to Wal-Mart. Goldfish are hearty, too. My last goldfish lived for six months before he had to cross the city of Buffalo in March and endure a five hour train ride in a glass bottle. Obviously, these were not optimal conditions for poor Melvin.
When you buy your fish, it will probably be handed to you in a plastic bag. You’re going to need someplace more suitable for that guy to live. Fishbowls work just fine but you’ll extend your new buddy’s life expectancy if you buy a proper 10 gallon aquarium for about $30. These last forever and can hold about five fish (which would never fit in a bowl). Plus, the pump and filter mean you’ll have to clean up your fish’s home much less often. Add some gravel and plants to spruce things up inside.
Your new fish is probably going to get hungry within a day or so, so you should pick up some fish flakes while you’re at the store. The cheap ones work just fine. Put a pinch of food in his water everyday. Don’t add too much. It’ll make your fish sick and he’ll die.
Goldfish usually don’t require any special water in their bowl. If your tap water is chlorinated, you might want to let it sit overnight to let the chlorine dissipate before you put your fish in it. This will also bring the water to room temperature. Using hot or cold water will stress out your fish and stress is never a good thing.
Put the bag your fish came in inside the water in his new bowl/aquarium to let them adjust to the same temperature. After about 10 minutes, open the bag and let your goldfish swim into his new home. Give him some food, too.
You’ll need to clean his water when it gets dirty. Instructions for doing so will come with your aquarium. If your fish is in a bowl, I recommend cutting a plastic cup in half and catching the fish in that. Dump the water out of the bowl, refill it with your room-temperature, chlorine-free water, put your fish back in, and he’s all set for another 3 or 4 days.
Make sure to keep your goldfish somewhere where you’ll see him often. Finding him a spot on your desk will put him in the perfect position to be watched whenever you need a break.
Enjoy!
