Choosing Proper Goldfish Tanks

By Sara Le

Determining what proper goldfish tanks should be like is every bit as important as determining what proper tropical fish tanks should be like. We often think of tropical fish as requiring special care, and that's true. It's also true that goldfish, if they are to remain healthy and live out their normal life spans, require their own special care.

Goldfish are often thought of as being short-lived fish. That is simply not true, as a goldfish typically has a life span in excess of 10 years. What is true is that when placed in something other than a proper tank, like a goldfish bowl, a goldfish may indeed be short lived. A goldfish in a small bowl is unlikely to live for 10 years. Blame it on the small bowl, or the goldfish's owner if you will. For one thing, because of its shape, the goldfish bowl does not provide a large water surface area, necessary in keeping the oxygen content in the water at a required level. In addition, a single goldfish requires quite a bit of water, about 20 gallons to be exact. You won't find many 20-gallon goldfish bowls on the market and, if you have two goldfish, you'd better be looking at a 30-gallon bowl. An aquarium style container is definitely what you need, unless of course you are going to keep the fish in an outdoor pond.

Even inexpensive common goldfish can be extremely attractive to look at, and deserve to be placed in an environment where they will thrive. Their availability and low cost should not diminish from their value as pets, and as ornamental fish. Some types, especially the more common types, can become quite large over time, require plenty of room to roam, plus they will create quite a bit of waste. A 20 gallon tank for one fish is really the absolute minimum size that should be considered. Get a 55 gallon tank and 3 or 4 goldfish, and you can then sit back and enjoy watching them.

Of course goldfish tanks holding only goldfish and water aren't much to look at, and aren't good for the goldfish either. Since the goldfish is a cold water fish, you don't usually need to worry about installing a water heater. You do need to install an air pump to provide oxygen, and a filter to keep the water clean enough for the fish. You should also consider plenty of plant life, not only for appearance, and as a secondary though minor source of fish food, but also because plants can also assist in the filtering process. Goldfish are usually very fond of eating plants however, so plan on having to replace plants fairly often.

To keep the water at a sufficient quality you'll want to be changing some out on a weekly basis. Note the use of the word "some". You don't need to completely empty and refill goldfish tanks every week. For one thing, that's not particularly good for the fish. What you want to be doing is removing as much waste as you can with each water change, and taking out and replacing only about a quarter of the water volume each time. One problem that can happen if you change all the water out (besides having to remove the fish in the process), is that significant differences in temperature between the old water and the new water can be extremely stressful to the goldfish. By taking out and replacing only a portion of the water at one time, temperature changes are minimized.

When you do settle upon a tank that is large enough, it is obviously going to be very heavy. Twenty-gallon tanks when filled, will contain 160 pounds of water. Add that to the weight of the empty tank, and you can see the need to have a very sturdy stand or piece of furniture to keep the tank on. The location of the tank is of importance as well. Keep the tank away from heat sources. Goldfish are not tropical fish. And keep the tank out of direct sunlight. Indirect light is best. Don't keep the tank and fish in a darkened room for long, the goldfish will start to lose their characteristic colors! A lighted tank where the light is on no more than 8 to 10 hours a day is about right. Fluorescent lights are often a good choice for hood or canopy lighting.

Goldfish are not simple-minded as some would believe, but are actually somewhat intelligent, and have a sense of curiosity. You can put plenty of things in goldfish tanks that the fish can swim through, around, or under, adding a little variety to their routine. Gravel on the bottom is almost a must, plus the fact that the fish seem to enjoy nosing around in the gravel. Just avoid things which may have sharp edges which could cause injuries to the fish.

While it may seem to be quite a huge enterprise for a few fish, large goldfish tanks are the price that must be paid if you plan on having healthy fish for a number of years.

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Ways to Avoid Goldfish Disease

By Sara Le

In giving your pets proper care and attention, you should not normally experience problems with goldfish disease. With a possible exception of some of the more exotic types, the goldfish is a pretty hardy little fellow, and can live a long life whether kept inside, outside, or a little of each. When hearing the word goldfish, we sometimes envision a pretty little fish swimming serenely round and round in a small bowl. While a goldfish can live in such an environment, it is not the best one for it, if for no other reason than one must take special care to keep the water fresh and clean at all times.

A poor environment is easily the greatest cause behind goldfish disease. Breeding and genetics can be a factor of course, and you can always inadvertently purchase a diseased fish, but as a goldfish owner you have a primary responsibility to keep it disease free or, when possible, treat the fish should a disease arise.

Sometimes the symptoms of goldfish disease can be quite obvious. One of the more common symptoms is when the fish begins to swim in an abnormal fashion. Gasping at the surface, or hugging the bottom (most goldfish are normally not bottom feeders) are other common signs. Goldfish can also suffer from skin problems, and when this occurs they will often spend a significant amount of time scratching against objects in the aquarium, trying to get some relief. Many conditions such as fin rot or fungus are treatable unless they spread to the gills, in which case the situation generally becomes fatal.

The two most common types of disease you're apt to encounter are worms and bacterial infections. Worms generally will not be a concern unless introduced into an aquarium with live food, and are much more apt to become an issue in an outdoor pond. If you have indoor fish and feed them non-living fish food (flakes), worms are very unlikely to ever become an issue.

The other more common type of goldfish disease is bacterial infection, which can take on many forms. Fin or tail rot is perhaps the most common, which will happen if a fin or tail is damaged, and the water is allowed to become dirty. Ulcers, present on the fish's body are another symptom of a bacterial infection. Dirty water, especially water where an accumulation of nitrites or ammonia has become too great, probably accounts for the vast majority, if not all, bacterial infections, and rather than worry about treatment, the best approach is to take the simple preventive measure of keeping the goldfish's environment clean. Antibiotics are available to treat both fin and tail rot, and must be used as the problem will not clear up on its own.

Sometimes fungus can become a problem. Fungus is generally a secondary situation, arising when, because of injury or bacterial infection, there is an open sore on the fish. The presence of fungus is also a treatable problem. There are other kinds of goldfish disease, some of which are of uncertain origin. Goldfish can suffer from lice, constipation, scale loss, air bladder problems, and even tuberculosis. Rather than worry about each and every possible goldfish disease, it's best to keep an eye on your fish and be on the lookout for abnormalities. If you have a number of fish, and one exhibits unusual behavior, it is of course a good idea to quarantine that fish. The condition may or may not be contagious but you'll not want to take chances.

Keep the environment clean, don't overfeed, and be on the lookout for injuries if you have many fish, and the chances of goldfish disease are slim indeed, and your fish should live a normal life span of 10 years or more.

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Tips on Glofish Care and Spawning

By Stephen J Broy

Glofish do not exist in nature. They were created in a laboratory. Glofish are genetically modified zebra danios or Brachydanio reri. Geneticists in Singapore added the fluorescent gene from sea coral to zebra danio eggs. The result was the glofish. Aside from their genetically altered neon color palette they are identical to zebra danios.

These fish are vibrant under any circumstances. But they fluoresce or light up when they encounter environmental toxins. They were first created to do precisely that, detect environmental toxins. They were made available for sale to the general public in 2003.

Environmentalists have expressed concern about what might happen if these genetically altered fish made their way into natural rivers and streams. The creators of glofish state emphatically that these genetically engineered fish are not an ecological threat. Glofish, like regular zebra danios, can only survive in tropical waters. They need a water temperature between 64-74 °F. In the six years since their release for sale to the general public, they have not seemed to pose any ecological threat. While the sale of a genetically altered fish simply because they look prettier than their "natural" counterparts may be ethically questionable, they are beautiful fish.

So far Glofish have proven to be every bit as hardy as regular zebra danios. There is, after all, only a single gene that differentiates the two.

Glofish come in a variety of brilliant rainbow colors. They can be purchased for around $6 or $7.

Zebra danios

The zebra danios are a member of the Cyprinidae family. They are native to eastern India. They are hardy and active fish with peaceful temperaments. They make good additions to community tanks provided they are housed with fish of similar temperament.

Zebra danios have a five year life span and will grow to length of about two inches. They thrive in slightly acidic to neutral water (pH 6.5-7.0) and prefer a rather chilly water temperature of 64-74 degrees Fahrenheit. They can, however, adapt to the warmer climate needed for most other tropical fish. They are surface dwelling fish that favor moving water. Zebra danios are shoaling fish. It is not advisable to purchase a single fish for your aquarium. Nature intended them to live in a community.

Zebras are omnivores that can survive just fine on a diet of tropical fish flakes. Both sexes have to pairs of barbels on either side of their mouth.

In their genetically unaltered state it is easy to tell the males form the females. Males have blue and gold stripes. Females have blue and silver stripes. The female tends to be larger and fuller bodied than the male. This would be the distinguishing factor in the genetically altered varieties.

Breeding Frankenfish

Zebra danios are some of the easiest fish to breed in captivity. Spawning can be triggered by raising the water temperature up a few degrees near dawn. This will trick the fish into believing it is mating season. When spawning occurs 3-500 eggs will be scattered across the breeding tank floor. Remove the adults to prevent them from eating the eggs.

The fry will hatch in 2 days. They can be fed liquid fry food or small amounts of powdered eggs. In a week or two they will be large enough to eat brine shrimp or finely crushed tropical fish flakes.

This article is brought to you courtesy of Exotic-Aquariums.com. Helping you have healthier and happier fish is our business. Exotic-Aquariums.com does not sale fish tanks. We sale complete aquariums. We offer unique alternatives to the traditional rectangle fish tank; featuring desktop, wall mount and free standing models. Get the Look of a Custom Aquarium Without the Custom Price Tag!

If you found this article interesting and would like to learn more check out our Online Fish Buying Guide.

Stephen J. Broy

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