What is a goldfish? Goldfish (Carrisas Auratas auratus) Are a domesticated ornamental Coldwater fish descending from the Carp. One of the first types of fish to be kept as pets goldfish are a purely ornamental creation and cannot be found in nature.

Often considered "common" or unimportant...Fish that can be had for pennies and kept in a tiny bowl...Nothing could be further from the truth. With proper care goldfish are long lived, hardy, and Personable pets.Contrary to popular myth Goldfish DO NOT grow to the size of their enviroment. If placed in a small container they will grow slowly, their growth will be stunted and painfull but they Will grow...until they cannot grow any more in that environment and then they will die. PLEASE provide proper accomidations for your goldfish!

Habitat: The general rule of thumb for Fancy Goldfish is 2 gallons per inch of full grown fish. Since a fancy goldie maxes out at about 8' Nose to caudal peduncle provide at least 15 gallons per fancy goldfish.

Common or single tailed Goldfish can grow 10-14 inches nose to caudal peduncle. Provide at least 20 gallons per common goldfish...more is strongly recommended.

A filter is an absolute necessity for a goldfish...NO EXCEPTIONS. A filter must meet the goldies needs as far as aerating the water,polishing large particles debris, odors and discoloration,and providing a bio filter. Make sure the filter you use has room for Bio-Media. A HOB (Hang on Back/External power filter)or a canister filter is recommended for goldfish. Your HOB should pump 10x the volume of the tank each hour..eg:The filter for a 20 gallon tank should pump 200 GPH (gallons per hour). You can get away with less then that with a canister filter because of the increased amount of media that can be used.

Cycling your tank fishlessly or using BioSpira to instantly cycle the tank is recommended. Regular partial water changes are a must for goldfish. These fish produce more waste then tropicals. Do Not let dissolved organics and toxins build upin your tank! Keep Ammonia 0, NitriIte 0, NitrAte below 40.

Temperature: Goldfish are "coldwater" fish but some amount of heat must be maintained to keep up the metabolism and immune system of the fish. However too much heat and the fish will grow too quickly and not live as long. Maintain single tailed goldies between 60-75F and fancy goldies between 70-78F.

Ph, Kh, GH: Goldfish prefer a basic ph 7.2-8.0 with high alkalinity and hardness. Remember a stable Ph is better then an ideal one! Some kh is needed to buffer the ph. If your kh is below 100 buffer it with baking soda, crushed coral,or a commercial buffer. Always use care when utilizing such products in your tank! Use according to direction.Your dechlorinated tap water is probably fine for goldfish.

Chlorine/chloramine: These are toxic to your fish! Always use a dechlorinator to make your tap water safe for your Goldfish.

Decor: Substrate shold be large river rocks or glass beads too larger then your goldies mouth or fine smooth gravel

your goldfish could easily pass such as pool filter media. Regular gravel can easily get lodged in your goldies mouth causing obstruction, discomfort, injury, or even death. Bare bottom can be used well with goldfish. Use ornaments that have no sharp edges and that your chubby goldfish cannot get stuck in. Run panty hose over your ornaments to check.if they snag the ornaments are too rough for your goldfish. Artificial plants can be used. Live are appreciated but will have to be replaced periodically as the goldfish will view them as his own personal salad bar.

Compatible Tankmates: Goldfish do best with other goldfish of similar handicap(Do not house a bubble eye with a common etc...) They can also be kept with Weather loaches, mystery snails,variatus platies, White cloud minnows,and plecostomus with caution. Keep your pleco fat and well fed or he will suck on the slime coat of your goldfish!Choose an appropriate breed of pleco for your size tank...eg. Common plecos can grow to two feet!

Diet: Goldfish are omnivores and require a variety of meat based and vegetable based foods. Growing goldies should be fed 60-70% meat based and 30-40% veggie based. Grown goldies should recieve the opposite. 60-70% vegetables, 30-40% meat. 3 small meals a day is best for a growing goldie, 2 a day is fine for an adult. Feed foods low in grain as grainy foods can cause bouancy issues.

Feed:

Omega One Goldfish Flake, Omega One Goldfish pellets, Omega One Super Veggie Flake, Hikari Lionhead pellets,Pro Gold Goldfish Pellets, Mazuri Aquatic Gel food, frozen Bloodworms, frozen Krill, frozen brine shrimp or frozen spirulina enriched brine shrimp, anacharis, duckweed, hornwort, najas grass, Cocktail shrimp, salmon, sardines, oysters, imitation crab, peas, zucchini, yellow squash,cucumber, romaine lettuce, spinach, kale, mustard greens,oranges, peeled grapes, watermelon, kiwi.

Avoid feeding: Floating pellets, pellets or flake high in grain, freeze dried food, tubifex worms, land meats such as poultry, pork, or beef (with the exception of beefheart), vegetables low in nutrient content such as iceberg lettuce,hard vegetables that goldies can't chew on such as carrot, food that will foul your water such as tomato.

Desieses:

Flukes
Cause: Parasitic infection of flukes in the gills or body.
Symptoms: Pale gills, gasping for breath, flashing or rubbing agianst objects in the tank, botton sitting, clamping fins.
Treatment: praziquental, or metrizanole. Prazi-pro, Jungle Parasite Clear, General Cure, Jungle anti-parasite food.

Ich
Cause: Parasitic infection of the outer body.
Symptoms: Small white dots like grains of salt in body and fins, flashing, rubbing, botton sitting.
Treatment: Quick Cure, Rid Ich, Coppersafe, Aquarisol, Aquarium salt.


Velvet
Cause:Parasitic infection of the outer body.
Symptoms: Gold dusting over body scales, pale gills, gasping, bottom sitting, flashing,rubbing.
Treatment: Quick cure,Rid Ich Coppersafe, Aquarisol, Aquarium Salt.

Swim Bladder desiese:
Cause: Malformed swim bladder, high grain food, overfeeding.
Symptoms: Fish appears to have trouble swimming, has trouble swimming up, floats on side or belly up at top of tank.
Treatment: Fasting, peas, omit grain from diet, feed small amounts of vegetable based foods, Harness to help maintain

bouancy, surgery.

Finrot
Cause: Bacterial infection, poor water quality.
Symptoms: erosion of fins, red veining,jagged apprearance.
Treatment: clean warm water, Melafix, aquarium salt, antiboitic bath Maracyn, Kanamyacin.

Open Sores:
Cause: injury, Bacterial infection, poor water quality.
Symptoms" Open red sore on fishes body.
Treatment: Clean warm water, aquarium salt. Antibiotic bath: Maracyn, maracyn 2,kanamyacin. oral antibiotic: Medi-Gold,

Jungle anti bacterial food. Injectable antibiotic: Consult veterinarian.


Breeds Of Goldfish: Single tailed: Common, Comet, Sarrasa Comet, Shubunkin.

Double tailed from hardiest to most delicate: Wakin, Jikin, Fantail, Ryunkin, Oranda, Veiltail, Ranchu, Lionhead, Pearlscale, Moor, Telescope, Celestial Eye, Bubble Eye, Double-Bubble Eye.

Life Expectancy: Single tailed: 8-30 years, Double tailed: 5-20 years.

Other myths shattered: Goldfish do not have a three second memory. They can easily recognize their owners, and learn simple tricks.