Pet Fish - Goldfish (Carassius auratus)

The goldfish (Carassius auratus) is probably one of the easiest fish species to care for. These fish can live for up to 50 years if they are well taken care of.

The first thing you should consider when you are caring for your goldfish is the aquarium.

You should buy a tank for your pet fish that has 10 gallons of water for each goldfish.  Keep in mind that small fish will eventually grow larger.  The larger the tank, the better the environment will be for your fish, since a larger tank has a greater surface area.  This large surface area allows for plenty of oxygen for the goldfish in the tank.

Goldfish are omnivorous, meaning they eat both plants and animals.  You can buy food specifically made for goldfish at any pet store, most supermarkets, and "big box" outlets like WalMart.  They can also eat frozen foods, just make sure you thaw them out before feeding the goldfish.  Goldfish tend to constantly graze on food because they like to eat a lot, but you must be careful not to overfeed them.

Overfeeding goldfish will lead to food remaining in the tank longer than necessary.

This uneaten fish food will eventually rot on the bottom of the tank, causing the water quality to be unhealthy for the goldfish.  Also, when goldfish eat more than necessary, they produce more waste.  This means you will have to change the water in your pet fish tank more often.

Even so, you should plan to change the water in the tank at least two to three times a week.

The cleaner the water, the less likely the fish will become ill.  Remember never to completely remove the water in the tank all at once.  Remove between twenty and fifty percent of the water at a time, as the fish get used to the quality of the water and removing more could lead to illness in your goldfish.  As always, make sure that the water is dechlorinated.

If you add plants and decorations to the tank, make sure you don't add any that have sharp points.  Goldfish prefer having something to hide behind, as this makes them feel safer.  If the plants and decorations in the tank are sharp, the fish will possibly get hurt.

The temperature in the goldfish's tank should be between 65 to 68 °F (18 to 20 °C) or the fish will become ill.  The higher the temperature, the more oxygen deprived they will be, which could eventually cause damage to their organs.  To properly care for your Goldfish, avoid putting the fish tank near places that drafts can pass through, such as heater vents, doors and windows.  Temperature fluctuations are harmful to fish...not just Goldfish.

As with most pet fish tanks, you will need to have some sort of filtration for the tank.  Aquarium filters usually provide a combination of biological, chemical and mechanical filtration.

Each filter has a different function.

Biological filters make the tank less toxic, while mechanical filters keep the water clear, and chemical filters prevent water from turning yellow.  If you don't want all three types of filtration, you should have a biological filter at the very least.  You should regularly use test kits to check ammonia and nitrate levels to prevent your goldfish from getting diseases.

Learn more about caring for Goldfish at Goldfish Secrets.

Caring for Pet Fish