Hobby Fish
Basic Guide to
Keeping Fancy Goldfish
Did you know?
Goldfish keeping is an
ancient Chinese tradition
dating back as far as the Jin
Dynasty (265-420)
Aquarium Installation
Install the aquarium on a flat level
surface, strong enough to support it
and any contents.
You should avoid areas where the
aquarium will be in direct sunlight or
subject to large temperature variations
such as over a radiator.
Black Moor
Did you Know?
Aquariums less than 54 litres
& “goldfish bowls” are not
really suitable despite it
being traditional to keep
them in such vessels. You
should allow at least 18 litres
for each goldfish.
Red Oranda
Gravel should be rinsed with cold tap
water before being placed on the
bottom of the aquarium. If tap water is
to be used, the aquarium should be
filled with cold water straight from the
mains. Any hoses or containers used
to fill the aquarium must be clean and
not contaminated by substances
unsafe for fish, eg. soap. Tap water
has things added to make it safe for us
to drink. Unfortunately this makes it
unsafe for fish. To make tap water
safe for fish we must use a Tap water
conditioner. After adding the tap water
conditioner, it takes a little while for tap
water conditioner to work. You must
leave the aquarium setup, full of
conditioned water, with the filter
running for a few days before adding
your first fish.
Did you Know?
Rome has banned goldfish
bowls.
It is best to add some filter start
bacteria an hour or so after adding
the tap water conditioner to speed up
the process of making the aquarium
ready for fish. Goldfish are large,
messy fish that produce a lot of
waste for their size. This waste is
released into the aquarium water.
Without a filter the goldfish will end
up living in their own waste which will
eventually poison them.
Did you Know?
Austria have made fish
tanks smaller than 54 litres
illegal and that in Germany
you can not manufacture
fish tanks smaller than 54
litres.
Pearl Scale
Bubble Eye
We add fish slowly over the course of
several weeks rather than all in one go.
Adding filter bacteria can speed up the
maturation of the filter and make the
water better for the fish. Regular partial
water changes can prevent the nitrate
from reaching harmful levels, and helps
keep problem algae at bay. Changing at
least, 25% of the aquarium water, every
week is recommended. Extra partial
water changes may be required,
especially during the first month or two.
The Guiness Record for the
longest lived Goldfish kept
in an aquarium is about 43
years.
Most goldfish waste is ammonia. A
filter breaks down the ammonia
biologically, via a nitrite stage, to a
less harmful waste product called
nitrate. Biological Filtration relies on
bacteria. A brand new filter will have no
bacteria.It can take 4 -8 weeks of
ammonia being present in the
aquarium for enough bacteria to grow
to enable the filter to deal with all the
ammonia produced by the aquarium’s
first few inhabitants.
Fish waste in the form of
Ammonia and its associated
Nitrite are the main cause of
problems in keeping goldfish.
You can get simple to use
test kits and indicators that
can help you monitor the
level of these in your
aquarium, making it easier
for you to provide a better
environment for your fish.
Feeding
For the first month or so of a new
aquarium, whilst the filter matures, you
should only feed the goldfish once a
day sparingly. They should eat the
amount you feed within a couple of
minutes. Once the filter is mature it is
better to feed the fish 2 to 4 times a
day. Small amounts regularly is better
than one large feed.
Ryukin
Did you know?
Goldfish can normally grow
from between
15 cm to 45cm long.
Goldfish should be fed regularly with
either gold fish flake or pellets. Sinking
pellets have become more popular as
they allow the fish to feed more
naturally and help prevent the fish from
swallowing air that may lead to swim
bladder problems. Occasionally, you
should supplement their diet with some
live, frozen or freeze dried daphnia.
Goldfish also like plants in their diet
and will enjoy vegetable flakes or
granules given from time to time. Some
people like to decorate the aquarium
with plants the fish will eat, as well as
some they normally don’t eat.
Maintenance
Before putting your hands in an
aquarium you should always unplug
any electrical items associated with
it.
The night before a water change, fill a
clean container or containers with
sufficient water to change 25%. If tap
water has been used, add sufficient tap
water conditioner for the amount of
water in the container. Leave overnight
in a room about the same temperature
as the room of the aquarium. On the
day of the water change, take 25% of
the water out of the aquarium. The
easiest way to do this is with a gravel
cleaner that allows you to clean the
gravel and take some water out of the
aquarium at the same time. Many
people drop the water level a little first.
Did you Know?
A traditional aquarium of 25 30 litres should only be seen
as a temporary home for 1 or
2 very small fancy goldfish
Ranchu
Use an algae cleaning pad to rub
round the walls of the aquarium, to
clean them.
Then take out the remaining water to
be changed. A mature filter foam or
bio media should be rinsed in the
water taken out of the aquarium. Just
a light rinse is sufficient, enough to
wash away any sludge.
Remember we want to keep as many
good bacteria that breakdown fish
waste as possible. Carbon or other
cartridges should be changed as per
manufacturers instructions. If after
cleaning any media still reduces the
flow of water through the filter too
much, it should be replaced.
Then using the water that has been
left overnight, top the aquarium back
up to the correct level. Add some filter
bacteria to help replenish those lost
by rinsing or replacing media.
When finished turn back on electrical
items and check they are all working
properly.
Calico Oranda
Did you Know?
Round bowls can reflect
shock waves back into the
centre of the bowl where they
become concentrated
causing the goldfish
discomfort or pain. If a bowl
is the only option use plastic
plants and decorations to
help prevent this.
Goldfish Essentials
Ÿ
Aquarium
Ÿ
Filter
Ÿ
Gravel
Ÿ
Tap Water Conditioner
Ÿ
Filter Start Bacteria
Ÿ
Goldfish Food
Recommended Accessories
Ÿ
Test Kits
Ÿ
Light
Ÿ
Background
Ÿ
Air Pump
Ÿ
Gravel Cleaner
Ÿ
Algae Cleaner
Did you know?
Normal goldfish, Red
Comets and Shubunkins are
Did you know?
best kept in much larger
Individual show goldfish and
tanks or ponds.
highest quality breeding
stock can sell for many
hundreds of pounds.
©Text: Hobby Fish 2010