How to Care for Your Goldfish

Goldfish are probably the most bought fish for most families for their home. If you are thinking about buying a goldfish, consider reading about how to care for them, so they can live a long and happy life.

1. You will want to find a good tank for the goldfish. Make sure they have plenty of room to swim around and chase each other. It is recommended that you consider 10 gallons for every one goldfish so that they can grow. These fish get pretty big, depending on the size of the tank. The biggest fish I have is 6 inches long and is in a 10 gallon tank along with two other good sized fantails. Until I get a bigger tank, they won't get any bigger.

2. Goldfish are messy fish to have, so you will need a good filter to clean the water constantly. Of course you will have to clean the filter pump out when you clean the whole tank out, which I recommend doing once a month. You will also have to keep buying filters about once a month or more to keep the water from getting too dirty.

3. Fill your tank with water. You'll need to buy a water conditioner to remove the hurtful chlorine and chloramines from the water, such as Jungle Start Right with Allantoin. Check the ph, ammonia, and nitrate levels of the water to make sure they are right for your fish. The temperature of the water should be from 50 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit

4. Buy a few plants and medium sized rocks or hideouts for the fish. They make the fish happy and it breaks up the dullness of their diminutive home. Make sure the hideouts are big enough so the goldfish won't get stuck in them! In my tank I have a glow-in-the-dark plant that really looks spectacular at night when I turn the tank light off! Don't buy rocks with metal on them for the reason that rocks with metals can harm fish through discharging toxic chemicals into the water.

5. When you are ready to buy your goldfish, keep these guidelines in mind on what to look for: Make sure there are no white spots anywhere on the body, that their colors are vibrant, they are swimming all over the tank instead of just "sitting there", they are not afraid of people, and make sure the fins are not damaged, although they do grow back.