Q&A for How to Take Care of Goldfish

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  • Question
    Is it okay to feed goldfish fruits and vegetables?
    Doug Ludemann
    Professional Aquarist
    Doug Ludemann is the owner and operator of Fish Geeks, LLC, an aquarium services company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Doug has worked in the aquarium and fish-care industry for over 20 years, including having worked as a professional aquarist for the Minnesota Zoo and Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. He received his Bachelor of Science in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from the University of Minnesota.
    Professional Aquarist
    Expert Answer
    I'd avoid it in general. Goldfish get buoyancy issues, indigestion issues, and bloat issues really easily. Keep them on a diet that's specifically made for goldfish.
  • Question
    How can I vary my goldfish's diet?
    Doug Ludemann
    Professional Aquarist
    Doug Ludemann is the owner and operator of Fish Geeks, LLC, an aquarium services company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Doug has worked in the aquarium and fish-care industry for over 20 years, including having worked as a professional aquarist for the Minnesota Zoo and Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. He received his Bachelor of Science in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from the University of Minnesota.
    Professional Aquarist
    Expert Answer
    There's a lot of different things you can do to vary their diet. Variety can come in the form of flakes versus pellets and floating food versus sinking food. Even different brands can give you different ingredients and different ratios.
  • Question
    How can I quarantine my goldfish?
    Doug Ludemann
    Professional Aquarist
    Doug Ludemann is the owner and operator of Fish Geeks, LLC, an aquarium services company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Doug has worked in the aquarium and fish-care industry for over 20 years, including having worked as a professional aquarist for the Minnesota Zoo and Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. He received his Bachelor of Science in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from the University of Minnesota.
    Professional Aquarist
    Expert Answer
    Put the goldfish in a hospital tank, meaning a bare bones aquarium with a simple filter and simplistic decor, and watch the fish for a period of time. Don't add the goldfish back to the original system until it has been healthy for a period of 30 days straight.
  • Question
    How often should I do a water change in my goldfish tank?
    Craig Morton
    Aquarium Specialist, Aquarium Doctor Inc.
    Craig Morton is the CEO of Aquarium Doctor Inc. based in Huntington Beach California and servicing Orange County, Los Angeles County, and the Inland Empire. With over 30 years of aquarium experience, Craig specializes in creating custom aquarium designs along with aquarium installation, service, and maintenance.
    Aquarium Specialist, Aquarium Doctor Inc.
    Expert Answer
    Do a 25% water change every week to keep your goldfish tank clean. Goldfish waste can be hard to filter out, so change the water often.
  • Question
    What should goldfish parameters be?
    Craig Morton
    Aquarium Specialist, Aquarium Doctor Inc.
    Craig Morton is the CEO of Aquarium Doctor Inc. based in Huntington Beach California and servicing Orange County, Los Angeles County, and the Inland Empire. With over 30 years of aquarium experience, Craig specializes in creating custom aquarium designs along with aquarium installation, service, and maintenance.
    Aquarium Specialist, Aquarium Doctor Inc.
    Expert Answer
    Use an aquarium testing kit to monitor ammonia, nitrite, and pH in your goldfish tank.
  • Question
    How often do you feed a goldfish?
    Craig Morton
    Aquarium Specialist, Aquarium Doctor Inc.
    Craig Morton is the CEO of Aquarium Doctor Inc. based in Huntington Beach California and servicing Orange County, Los Angeles County, and the Inland Empire. With over 30 years of aquarium experience, Craig specializes in creating custom aquarium designs along with aquarium installation, service, and maintenance.
    Aquarium Specialist, Aquarium Doctor Inc.
    Expert Answer
    Feed your goldfish 1 or 2 times a day. Feed them only as much food as they can eat in 1 minute. Make sure you don't overfeed your fish.
  • Question
    What can it mean when your gold fish are hovering around the top of your tank?
    Community Answer
    Your fish are in danger. There's not enough oxygen in the tank and you will need to fix this as fast as possible. They can die quickly if they don't have enough oxygen.
  • Question
    How can I tell if my fish is dead or sleeping?
    Community Answer
    Sleeping fishes usually move around. If its gills are moving, then the fish is alive. If you can't see its gills, then you can lightly tap the aquarium glass on the spot where your fish is. If it moves, then it was sleeping.
  • Question
    Do fish like being in sunlight?
    Community Answer
    They do not tend to like a lot of direct sunlight because it often heats up the water to an uncomfortable level.
  • Question
    How can I tell what the gender of a goldfish is?
    Community Answer
    Female goldfish have rounder and thicker bodies than males. The female's back tail is larger than a male's as well. The anal vent on a female looks like a raised surface on her abdomen. Male goldfish have a thinner body and their vent looks like it is concave. Look for a midline ridge, a raised line from the back of his pelvic fin to his vent underneath his belly.
  • Question
    My fish has a big belly. Is she sick or is she having eggs?
    Community Answer
    It's normal for goldfish to have big bellies, but make sure you're not overfeeding them. If you have both male and female goldfish, it's possible that she's pregnant.
  • Question
    I'm 9 years old and I'm getting a goldfish. Should I be scared because I have school and I have to take care of it myself?
    Community Answer
    No, because you only have to feed it twice a day. Other than that, goldfish are pretty independent.
  • Question
    How do parasites harm fish?
    Community Answer
    Parasites are found in dirty water, dirty tank accessories and infected fish. The parasite clings on to the fish and slowly eats away their fins, scales, etc. Infected fish should be kept away from healthy fishes so that the healthy fish don't catch the parasite.
  • Question
    Will putting your fish in tap water kill it?
    Community Answer
    Yes. Make sure you add water conditioner to tap water before adding it to your fish's tank. Saltwater fish are especially sensitive to water changes.
  • Question
    Can I keep goldfish in a plain bowl of water?
    Community Answer
    No, that will be too small. If you don't want to spend a bunch of money on a tank, get a betta fish tank. You will have to clean the tank with room temperature water every day. Goldfish are water breathers, not air breathers. If you don't keep it clean, your fish might die due to low oxygen.
  • Question
    How can I get rid of algae on the glass?
    Community Answer
    Don't keep the tank near a window as this will increase the amount of algae growing. The amount and type of food might also increase algae. The leftover food, hidden in the gravel, turns into ammonia. All of these things help prevent algae from growing on the glass. In order to get rid of current algae, scrub the sides of the take a little every two days.
  • Question
    Why is it that my goldfish keeps racing to my hand when I put my hand in the water?
    Community Answer
    This is completely normal. Your fish associates your hand with food and so it attracted to it when you put it in the water.
  • Question
    Why does my goldfish start to go nuts when I turn off the light at night?
    Community Answer
    Your goldfish probably is used to the light during the day. After about five to 10 minutes, it should get used to the dark. About after a week or so, it won't panic as much.
  • Question
    Is it okay to use drinking water for my fish's tank for a week?
    Community Answer
    It is okay, but tap water has more essential minerals. Make sure to dechlorinate it.
  • Question
    Is it normal for goldfish to act like I'm going to feed them every time I go past their tank?
    Community Answer
    Perfectly normal. The goldfish just wants to see if you'll feed it. If you wish to stop this behavior, feed the fish only as many times you would normally feed it, so that the goldfish gets to understand that you refuse to feed it when it isn't supposed to eat.
  • Question
    I had three goldfish, but they developed black on them. Within the next day or two, they were dead.
    Community Answer
    Fin rot can lead to fish death if not treated quickly enough. Seek out an appropriate medication, and follow the directions on the container.
  • Question
    What should I do if my fish stops eating?
    Community Answer
    Your goldfish shouldn't stop eating if it is healthy. In fact, due to their short attention spans, many goldfish can eat themselves to death. You should probably take your fish to a vet, pet store, or aquarium shop, and have them make sure it is okay.
  • Question
    How do you treat swim bladder?
    Community Answer
    You don't treat it. Swim bladder disease should go away quickly and easily, and usually without human intervention. If you are worried anyway, you can quarantine your fish and put it back in when it's healthy again. See further: How to Fix Swim Bladder Disease in Goldfish for more help.
  • Question
    Once, my littlest sister emptied half a pot of fish food into the goldfish tank. A couple of days later, they were all dead. Was this her fault? (I had the fish for about 3 years.)
    Community Answer
    Probably. Goldfish won't stop eating in the presence of food, so most likely the goldfish ate so much they ruptured their own internal organs, or the decaying food caused toxic levels of ammonia in the water, which would also kill your fish. That being said, little kids make mistakes, you should try to avoid making her feel too bad about it.
  • Question
    How long do goldfish typically live?
    Community Answer
    With proper care, a goldfish can live an average of five to ten years.
  • Question
    Can I have comets and fantails together?
    Community Answer
    Yes, but the comets are faster to get to the food, so you need to make sure that the fantails are fed as well.
  • Question
    Is it okay to have multiple goldfish in a tank?
    Community Answer
    Yes, but make sure it is a big enough tank. And don't keep a big one and a small one in the same tank, sometimes big goldfish will eat the smaller goldfish.
  • Question
    Can I raise 8 goldfish in a 4-liter beaker?
    Community Answer
    You should only have 1 goldfish in a 4 litre tank, 2 goldfish in an 8 litre tank and so on. The fish need that kind of space due to oxygen levels.
  • Question
    Can I draw on the outside of the tank with an Expo marker so the goldfish can see the decorations?
    Community Answer
    Yes, you can. This will make the fish more curious about their surroundings.
  • Question
    Can a goldfish eat Beta food?
    Community Answer
    Yes, but it won't be getting the right nutrition, which can cause a short life span.
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