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(130 votes) Published: Aug 06, 2006 1:34 p.m. In 4 Favorites Lists Viewed 986 times
So, you want to Learn How to make your pet Goldfish live a longer and happier life? Well, you’ve come to the right place! Believe it or not, Goldfish should live 10 to 25 years or longer if they are given the proper care. Just follow these easy steps to help your favorite buddy live that long! (Or at least live longer than it would if you didn’t read this!)
What You’ll Need 1.An Aquarium (Wider is better than taller) 2.A Goldfish 3.Gravel or Sand 4.Decor 5.A Complete water Test Kit 6.Filter 7.Air Pump or Powerhead 8.A Gravel Vacuum
Hint Purchase the largest tank possible for your fish. Choose a tank with a large surface area to increase the amount of oxygen in contact with the surface of the water.
Getting Your tank Ready
1. Set up your tank prior to the purchase of your fish. Getting the tank ready may take two or more weeks. You will need to build up enough bacteria to break down the fish’s wastes. In order to do this, you will first need to leave the tank running for a few days to ensure that everything is working as it should be. Each day, add 4-5 drops of household ammonia to the tank. (The ammonia that you use should consist of just water and ammonia. It should have no sents, colors or anything else. If the ammonia foams when you shake it, it’s no good.) Each day, you will need to test the tank for nitrite until it sunndenly increases. This means that the tank now has bacteria that can digest ammonia. After this happens, you will then only need to add 2-3 drops of ammonia per day. You will need to continue to test for nitrite until it goes back down to 0. Once your tank is at zero, you are ready to add fish! You will need to change about 40% of the water in the tank, to ensure that your fish will be okay for swimming.
Note Failure to cycle a tank will result in ammonia poisoning, so make sure that you do this.
Setting Up Your Tank
1. You will need to provide a mental and physical simulation for your fish. Decorate your tank with gravel, plants, bridges, ect. Gravel provides a place for good bacteria to grow, and goldfish like to hide and swim through buildings and bridges. Re-arrange the bridges and plants on a monthly basis to offer the goldfish "new" surrondings.
These Reef’s are just an example of what you could use in your tank
2. Add A Filter, either a large internal or an external is best, as goldfish can be very messy. Without a filter, smaller tanks will smell horrible and they will make the fish’s environment deadly in just a day or two. Keep in mind that having a filter doesn’t mean that you can avoid cleaning the tank. Even with a filter, you should change 20% to 50% of the water about once every week.
Below is an example of a filter that you could use for your tank.
Cleaning Your Tank
Cleaning your tank is essential. How often you will need to do this depends on the size of your tank, the number of fish, and the effectiveness of your filter.
1. When you add/change water, use a dechlorinator that also removes chloramine and heavy metals.
2. Frequently test for ammonia and nitrite. A pH test is also handy to ensure your goldfish’s water is not too alkaline or acidic. This can be purchased at any pet store. Do not modify the fish’s water, however, unless it is significantly different from neutral.
3. Do not remove the goldfish during a water change. Using a gravel vacuum to suck debris out of the gravel can be done with the fish in the tank.
Note If you do need to catch your fish, consider using a plastic container rather than a net, as the fish can injure its fins and scales while thrashing around. If a net is the only option, soak it prior to use. Dry nets are much more likely to cause injury than wet ones.
Feeding Your Fish
Feed your goldfish once or twice daily with food specifically designed for goldfish. If you choose to feed them twice, then reduce the size of the meals. Give them only as much as they can eat in a few minutes, and clean any leftovers immediately.
Below I have shown the correct food to feed your fish.
And obviously, below I have shown the wrong food to feed your fish..
Warnings
1. Avoid using gravel that is sharp or of such size as the fish can get it stuck in their mouths.
2. Be careful when adding multiple goldfish to the same tank, as they can spread diseases. When at the pet store, check to make sure the fish looks healthy. If there is an abnormal number of dead fish, then use caution when buying.
3. Be sure there is no soap or detergent residue in the container used for water changes. This is poisonous to fish.
4. Get a top or lid for the tank so your goldfish cannot jump out.
5. Temperature fluctuation will stress goldfish, so try to keep the temperature as constant as possible.
6. It’s unhealthy to overfeed your goldfish, so only feed it as much as directed.
Overall, if you follow these steps, your fish will be guaranteed to live a happier and longer life! Goldfish aren’t that much work, but you just have to remember to change the water at least once a week, and to feed it the right amount of food. By doing this your fish is guarnteed to live longer!
Aug 06, 2006 1:43 pm - he means take the fish in the bag and change the water in a tank. how did you not know that you change the water in a fish tank???
Aug 06, 2006 4:42 pm - u dont chage all the water in the tank u fucking idiot u just take about a quarter of the water out and replace it be3cuase it needs to still have some of the bactierais to help the fish and it it was all new water it wud ebe to much of a shock for the fics
Aug 06, 2006 5:03 pm - McBomb, you should take a scoop and take the fish out, along with about 2-5 cups (depending on how many fish and how much water is in the tank) and put it back in with the new water, let it sit for like 15 mins with the pump on, then put them back in. If you dont take enough, there is to much bacteria, which will kill your fish if you dont take care of it fast.
Aug 07, 2006 3:16 am - I have kept goldfish since before you were probably born,,AND YOU DO NOT EVER ,NEVER, EVER change the water every week.I have ponds outside that get cleaned 3 or 4 times a year,,the water gets topped up when it evaporates.DONT CHANGE THE FUCKING WATEREVERY WEEK .Maybe a 3rd of a tankk full every 2 months..BUT NOT MORE THAN THAT.
Aug 07, 2006 8:23 pm - You should catch a gummy shark, there really small and if you go to high school steal heaps of clay in and out of art class then make a pool, trust me you need ALOT of clay and since it can’t be dried in a kilm use a hairdrier? fill water and you get a PET SHARK FEeD HIM GOLDFISH OR WHATEVER
Aug 08, 2006 2:27 am - Very well written and informative for peeps that don’t know how to care for a tank..looks straight out a book though. I love the fishes cuz they’re so delicious!
Aug 09, 2006 6:51 pm - I had a dead pet fish for like 2 years it died and I was to lazy to flush em’ so it just sat there floating and then it sunk and made this gross like cacoon out of crap in the tank, who do catch a gummy shark?
Oh, gee, yeah, seventeen cents.
And the life of an other.
Besides, guppies created the universe, I’d be cautious when talking about them like commodities, or you might end up in an enormous aquarium full of fire. The creator can be vengeful at times... Five stars on the egg by the way.
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