What do gold fish need?

Question

I was thinking of getting my doughter a goldfish for Christmas. She has been asking for one for awhile. Does anyone know how to care for them. If so can you give me some tips please. I think it will help in teaching her responsbilty. Thanks alot.

Answer 1

Hi Brandi,

Before you venture into goldfish, please know that goldfish cannot survive in bowls. The myth that goldfish won't outgrow the tank they're in is just that - a myth. If they don't outgrow their tank, it's because they are stunted in die.

So! That being said, goldfish ARE easy to care, you just need a larger tank than you were probably expecting.

If you go with fancy goldfish, you should get a minimum of a 30 gallon tank for two fish. If you just want one, get a 20 gallon tank. Each fancy goldfish needs 15-20 gallons of water. Don't get a common or comet or koi, as they can grow 2-3 feet long and need to live in ponds.

Other than the tank, you'll need a filter. Get a hang off the back filter rated for 20 gallons MORE than whatever size tank you get. Goldfish are huge waste producers, and you need to overfilter to cope with the amount of toxic ammonia they produce.

You should also get an air pump. Because they produce so much waste, goldfish tend to need extra oxygen in their water so they don't suffocate. An air pump looks like and will be highly beneficial.

You don't need a heater, because goldfish are coldwater fish.

You'll need dechlorinator to neutralize the chlorine in your tap water. You should also get a testing kit so you can keep track of your ammonia, nitrite, pH etc etc levels. It will cost you 30$ and it'll be your best friend!

And you'll need gravel, plants, ornaments, etc.



If this is a little more than what you were planning for, consider getting a smaller thank with smaller fish. You could get a 10 gallon tank and lid, with a filter and heater, and have some community fish like tetras, a dwarf gourami, and some corydoras.

Or you can go as small as 5 gallons, with a small filter and a small heater, and get a lovely male betta. Contrary to what some might tell you, they DO need heat (in the wild, they are in 80F waters) and they DO need filtration and heat.

Fish are great pets for kids, and they definitely teach responsibility. Encourage your daughter to do her own research (before or after you buy the fish), and she'll be a great fish parent. Also, take everything the petstores tell you with a grain of salt. They are usually only interested in SELLING the fish, not caring for them. So do you research before you buy anything.

Don't forget that you can buy a lot of stuff used. Craigslist, local classifieds and local aquarists' society are great places to get equipment and healthy fish at half price or less.

And lastly, the most important step in starting a fish tank is proper cycling. In the wild, and in established tanks, there are nitrifying bacteria that break down toxic ammonia from fish waste and excess food into less toxic nitrates. In a brand new tank, these bacteria don't exist, so any fish in the tank will produce ammonia, which, not being broken down by bacteria, will kill or weaken the fish. So, of course, it is vital to cycle your tank.
There are a few methods. Do you have access to an established tank? These bacteria live in the gravel and in the filter cartridge, so if you can get some from another tank, you can put the bacteria right into your tank (don't let the gravel or filter cartridge dry out). If you do this, in a day or two, your tank will be A OK.
Another way is to get Bio-Spira. It is the actual live bacteria in a little pouch, and your tank will instantly be ready for fish.http://fishstoretn.com/bio_spira.html

You can also put a source of ammonia into the tank, such as fish food every few days, or a piece of shrimp. You can also use a fish as a source of ammonia, but I don't recommend this - it borders on animal cruelty. Without bio-spira or bacteria from another tank, the bacteria will eventually develop, but it will take at least 2 weeks.


*Contrary to what someone else said, goldfish DO live a long time, if you don't stick them in a bowl. Properly cared for, they can live well over 10 years.

Answer 2

A few of the people answered your question correctly. But rule of thumb for tank size is.........tropical fish is 1 inch of fish per gallon...........goldfish is 1/2 inch of fish per gallon. Yes they will grow. I started with a Comet goldfish won at a carnival three years ago that was about 3/4 of an inch. Now he is 5 inches long and still growing. He is in a 20 gallon tank with a Black Moor that is about 3 inches long. I'm sure they will outgrow the 20 tank soon.

Answer 3

Umm Goldfish are like one of the easiest fish to take care of so alls you really need is a tank(the size will depend on the kind of goldfish), gravel,a filter(most tanks you can buy with a kit that comes with one), food(pretty easy to find go to a local pet shop or even some super stores have them), and a head lamp(most come with the tank). I would advise to get a heater if the tank is 10g or up anything smaller shouldn't really be a problem as long as its kept inside. and goldfish can live for like 25yrs as long as they are kept in a pretty clean tank, i had one for about 10 years. oh and i would feed it once a day(in the mornings is best) DONT OVER FEED THEM THEY WILL GROW NONE STOP!!!!

Answer 4

Goldfish are beautiful but dirty fish, so try and maintain 1 goldfish per 8-10 gallons of water.
Choose a goldfish from a reputable store that has healthy fish and stay away from feeder goldfish, not because they are "bad" but because they are not well cared for and therefore are rather sickly and may be a disappointment to your daughter.
Personally I like Orandas and Ryukin Goldfish.
Make sure to provide good filtration, two filters are best for redundancy and the fact of the high amount of bio waste goldfish produce. An HOB and sponge filter make a good combination.

Water Conditions:
Although goldfish are not very particular about water conditions, they still do better at a ph of 7.2 to 7.8 and a high mineral content (especially calcium and magnesium- KH of 80 ppm or more).

Basic Feeding:
Goldfish also are basically “grazing fish” and need to be fed frequent small amounts of fish food that are not made from animal based products. Goldfish do well on foods high in vegetable based proteins (such as spirulina), they need a high fat content and Vitamins C & E, and carotenoid for color enhancement. DL-methionine is an essential amino acid for producing the “Lionhead” feature in goldfish. High levels of methionine can be found in the vegetable proteins of spinach, green peas, and garlic. DL-methionine can also be found in fish meal.

Basic Filtration:
Canister filters are great for goldfish, due to there high efficiency and great bio load and mechanical filtration abilities (although make sure to clean them regularly, or they become nitrate factories). Unfortunately they are generally expensive. A combination of “hang on back” filters (such as ReSun and Aqua Clear) and sponge filters are an excellent combination for less money. Goldfish are very dirty, so good filtration and cleaning is a must (along with a proper kH).

Cycling your Aquarium:
Goldfish are dirty and it is important to a fully functional bio filtration system running, so it is important to start your aquarium and have it running at least two days before fish introduction.
Your aquarium will not be at peak biological filtration for 6 weeks (or more). To start your biological filtration, there are many cycling products available, such “Cycle” by Hagen. My success with these products is mixed at best, it is very difficult for the aerobic bacteria that are needed for cycling your aquarium to live in a sealed container kept at room temperature, as they die very quickly without oxygen.
I prefer to add gravel and/or used filter sponge or cartridge from another aquarium.
This method of adding media is much faster (you still have to take it slow), and provides all the necessary bacteria, the only negative is adding disease pathogens to your aquarium, but I have rarely encountered this problem.
If you add plants (many such as hornwort remove nitrogenous waste), you can stock somewhat faster as the plants will remove ammonia too.
We used this method for our Aquarium Maintenance route for years and never lost a fish to Ammonia or nitrite poisoning.

Another newer method is with Bio Spira, if you use this product, make sure you purchase it from a dealer that keeps it between 34- 40 F otherwise this product is no better than Cycle.

Basic Cleaning:
Regular water changes are a must. A small 20% change once per week is best (sometimes larger less frequent changes can be performed as per one’s busy schedule). Using a gravel vacuum is the best and easiest way to change. Make sure the water is of similar ph and temperature and has no chlorine or chloramines when you add it to your aquarium.

Remember, goldfish are dirty animals, can grow up to 12” (or more), so house them in an appropriate aquarium for good health and long life. Even if you start out with a ten gallon aquarium, I recommend moving up to a 45-60 gallon aquarium as soon as possible.

For more up to date information about goldfish filters, feeding, cleaning, and more; please visit this site:
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Goldfish_disease.html

Answer 5

Well, I thought gold fish were easy to care for so i bought one a tank and just added water (no filter or anything) the fish died in a couple days... Gold fish need filters fresh water mixed with cleaner (you can buy at pet stored) FEed them once a day a tiny tiny pinch.. but may i suggest a betta fish, there prettier and in the long run cheaper, they dont need filters and you can just throw them in treated water. Only have one in a tank at once!

Answer 6

Goldfish basics (this is the most informative site I've ever ran across):
http://www.thegab.org/Articles/GoldfishBasics.html

Answer 7

A tank, air and water filters, and food.

Answer 8

thats a good idea but goldfish dont live very long and you have to think about the effect will have on your daughter, mabey get her a hamster or a bunny they live longer. btu a fishey is a good idea also i just know they dont live too long and thinking of how she will react

Answer 9

Not too much food, and chlorine-free water.