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The name goldfish is misleading as not all fish of that breed are gold in color. Some goldfish have patches of black or silver. Despite common depiction of goldfish swimming in bowls, they should not be kept in such cramped containers. The limited space gives stress to your goldfish and eventually stunts their growth. A tank provides wider surface area for the goldfish to come up to the water surface to breathe.
To prevent predators fishing into your tank, protect the opening with a secure cover. Maintain the cleanliness using a filtration system and an air pump. It is customary to line the bottom of your tank with gravel or glass marbles.
As the size of your tank matters, you need to buy a tank that your fish can grow into. For every inch of goldfish length, you need 30 square inches of surface area to keep your fish happy. It is a common practice to transfer fish longer than 5 inches to a pond.
Goldfish thrive in clean environments. Change the aquarium's water once fortnightly. Before you substitute the new water, let it sit overnight for the chlorine to evaporate.
Goldfish are omnivores. They feed on vegetables and meat. You can buy flaked food for goldfish. Supplement this with steamed vegetables and frozen live foods. The vegetables are partially cooked to soften them. Frozen meat foods are used to avoid the risk of disease from livestock. Meat is extra protein for your fish and is to be given sparingly, like once weekly.
Frequency of feeding is preferred over 1 large meal daily. Breaking up into 3 smaller feedings is good for your goldfish. Goldfish are grazers and scavengers and will always be looking for food although they do not need it. Don't overfeed your fish as they will excrete toxic wastes and ammonia, which poisons the water.
Other health hazards are poor fish diet, sudden temperature changes, bacteria and parasitic illnesses. Signs of sick fish include gasping for air at the waterline, unhealthy or unusual appearances, odd behaviors, swimming at odd angles and loss of appetite.
Common illnesses are swim bladder disorder ( SBD ), white spots and Dropsy. For SBD, the fish can be seen swimming oddly. You can try self-treatment by fasting your fish for 3 days, followed by a diet of steamed skinless peas for the next 3 days. After this, soak your dried fish food in some aquarium water before feeding them to your goldfish. Keep the water shallow and add salt to make it easier on your fish to swim. White spots remedies are readily available at aquarium shops. For Dropsy, take your fish to the vet for treatment.
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