| Goldfish care: 5 things you must do to keep them | | | | conditions in your tank. Even an air pump will help |
| happy | | | | - the bubbling improve the oxygen levels in the |
| 1. Do set up their aquarium before you buy any | | | | water, which goldfish really appreciate. |
| goldfish | | | | 5 things you must never do when caring for |
| Don't buy goldfish and their home in the pet store | | | | goldfish |
| on the same day. Instead, set up the tank with | | | | 1. Don't keep goldfish in a bowl |
| gravel, decorations and a filter in good spot (one | | | | Yes, some people keep their pets alive for years |
| that is quiet, away from a window or radiator, | | | | in a bowl, but many more lead short, unhappy |
| and near a power supply) and fill it with water, | | | | lives. Goldfish are inquisitive fish that like to swim |
| then switch on any pumps you're using. It takes | | | | about and explore. Give them a tank at least |
| time for chlorine and other chemicals in tap water | | | | two-foot long. Also, goldfish bowls pollute easily |
| that can harm your fish to be expelled. | | | | and the design hinders the transfer of fresh |
| 2. Do consider maturing your tank in advance | | | | oxygen into the water. |
| A new aquarium takes time to 'mature'; this odd | | | | 2. Don't overfeed your goldfish |
| word basically means that the tank filters and | | | | Your fish should eat all the food you add within |
| gravel are capable of breaking down waste | | | | five to ten minutes. If there is food lying about on |
| before it pollutes the water. You can buy | | | | the floor of the aquarium, you're overfeeding. This |
| products to start this process off from the fish | | | | excess food will rot down and pollute the tank. |
| store. Such 'cycling' usually takes about two | | | | 3. Don't overstock your tank |
| weeks, and prevents your new fish being | | | | An aquarium can only hold so many fish before it |
| exposed to pollution. | | | | starts to get polluted too quickly, or before the |
| 3. Do stock your goldfish tank slowly | | | | oxygen level in the water drops. A three-foot |
| Get just two fish at first (goldfish are sociable | | | | long aquarium will hold about four fully-grown |
| animals) and give them a week or two in the | | | | goldfish happily - you can add a couple more if |
| tank before buying any more fish. This gives your | | | | you must, especially if you've got an air pump, |
| tank more time to mature to deal with the | | | | but it's not advised. |
| increase in waste products. | | | | 4. Don't keep standard goldfish with fancy goldfish |
| The very best thing you can do to keep your | | | | Fancy goldfish, such as bubble-eyes and twin-tails, |
| goldfish healthy is to regularly change some of the | | | | are much more delicate and slower moving than |
| water. Using a siphon tube, remove about a fifth | | | | standard goldfish. You'll have fewer problems if |
| of the water once a week and replace it with | | | | you keep one or the other kind in the same |
| new water, preferably water that you've left | | | | aquarium. |
| stand overnight. Changing water like this dilutes | | | | 5. Don't add a heater |
| down the pollution, and adds fresh minerals to the | | | | Some people use heaters meant for tropical fish |
| tank. | | | | tanks in their goldfish tanks. This isn't just |
| 5. Do consider buying a filter | | | | unnecessary - it can harm the fish. They will be |
| Many people keep goldfish in tanks without filters | | | | quite happy at normal living room temperature, |
| or even air pumps. But adding a filter will greatly | | | | and in fact would probably prefer it a bit on the |
| improve the quality and stability of the water | | | | chillier side! |