i have a simple gold fish......a new one and i duno anything about fish ..wt shod i do?

Question

-how can i entertain "them"
-keep'em alive (lol)
additional information would b gr8

Answer 1

First, don't make the mistake of the bowl thing. They need a bubbler and filter. Have you seen those big, beautiful pond goldfish? If you give them a big enough tank, yours will get that big. Mine was 1/2 inch long when I bought her and her tank mates. She has outlived the others and is now over a foot long.

They don't need much by way of entertainment, especially if you have more than one. Mine likes pebbles, marbles, and shells that she can toss and move around. Some like plants, but she doesn't. As they grow you will have to replace the toys with larger ones that they can't swallow. You don't want a trip to the vet to unlodge a marble from a fish's mouth.

The cartoons are wrong. The ones with the long tail and fins are the males. Females have shorter, rather stubby tails and smaller fins. That's right, Pinocchio's fish is actually a boy.

Goldfish tend to be rather slimy. They need that coat of slime to stay healthy, so don't add much to remove the slime. You may have to clean your filters more often when they get bigger or add another filter, which is how I handle the extra slime.

Feed them goldfish flakes or pellets, whichever they prefer. You can buy other snack foods for them, but they are unnecessary. Unlike dogs, goldfish are thrilled to get just their regular food without the treats. Like a dog they will try to convince you they are starving even if you just fed them. Only put the amount that they will eat in 5 minutes. If there is any left after 5 minutes, feed them a little less next time. I generally only feed mine once in the middle of the day, because she won't eat more than that. You can feed them twice a day and probably should until they are at least a year old. Again it depends on how much they will eat. Uneaten food gunks up the tank.

Water temperature should be around 70 degrees F. If they prefer it warmer or cooler, that's okay as long as it isn't too much. You can buy a cheap little thermometer that sticks on the outside of the tank. They work great and you don't chance a rough player shattering the glass ones.

If your tap water doesn't contain much chlorine, they will be fine with it. If you aren't sure or you have a lot in it, the chlorine has to be removed. You can buy drops that remove it, but they aren't necessary. Fill a clean bucket with water and let it sit for a day or 2 before adding it to your tank. The chlorine will evaporate from it, making the water safe.

Some things to absolutely never do: Never wash any part of your tank or accessories with soap. Use only hot water. Soap leaves a film that will kill your fish. Never put your hand in the tank if you have just washed them in soap. Never get soda or any carbonated drinks around the tank. Carbonation is deadly to fish and just a few drops can wipe out an entire tank.

Goldfish, as well as many other breeds, can be trained. All of my fish know the exact spot I will feed them in on what day. It took lots of patience to get them going to more than one spot, but it can be done. As long as the trick doesn't have them out of water long and is something they are physically able to do, you can teach them. Most people don't realize how smart goldfish are.

I hope this will help you care for your fish for many years to come.

Answer 2

A brief couple of ideas:

1. The water bowl should be rectangular and NOT ROUND. The round ones are disturbing to the fish's vision. He will be calm behind flat glass.
2. OXYGEN. Without a filter or air bubbles, the fish will use up all the dissolved oxygen in one day. He will swim near the top trying to find O2. So, buying a little air pump is a good idea, otherwise you'll need 5 gallons minimum for the fish to grow larger.
3. Feed only as much food as he can eat in 10 minutes, then remove the uneaten food with your net or siphon. This clouds the water.
4. Change at least 30% of the water each week, but NOT water directly from the city water tap. Use water that has stood for a day to release its chlorine gas and become room temperature. This reduces dissolved nitrogen (fish pee/poop)
5. Go to a pet store and buy a little book for $2.99. You will become an expert overnight.

good luck....

Answer 3

You should have at least a 20 gallon but if you absolutly cant a ten should do, goldfish will not survive very long in something smaller than ten, they should live 20 years.
Provide extra filtration, I recommend getting hte aquarium kit from walmart then in addition to the filter that comes with it get an undergravel filter.
Get a siphon and change about 30 percent of the water each week.
Dont overfeed, goldfish will eat all day if you let htem, but only give what it will eat in a few minutes, feed twice a day

Join aquariacentral.com, say that u heard about it from malbri

Answer 4

go to the libary and borrow some fish care books out!!! thats what i did when i got my first fish! you can also ask vets and people at pet stores for information, as they know heaps and are very helpful! also try google.com and search it!!!!

hope i helped!!!

p.s: u dont really need to entertain them just give them some cool shapped objects and lots of plants--they love plants--coz they can play, hide and eat (all in the plants!)

Answer 5

nothing cuz it will probably die in a couple of weeks. so i hope ur toilet is working cuz u need to prepare to flush the fish.

Answer 6

do not overfeed them