Quick Introduction To The Care Of Gold Fish

It's great when you first get a gold fish for a pet. I remember it well.

But all too often, it quickly ends in disappointment. And when the first fish is gone, you don't want to get another.

Unfortunately, it's all too easy to unintentionally end the poor thing's life, because most of us haven't the first idea when it comes to care of gold fish.

Some people think that you just need to get some sort of container and fill it with water. Then you just plop the sad creature into the water and scatter a few fish flakes from time to time.

This sort of "care" is not likely to encourage a long and happy life for your gold fish. And if you're first fish goes quickly, you're probably not going to bother with another. Are you?

So I'm going to set out a little guide to the care of gold fish. It might seem pretty obvious when you read it, but follow these simple steps and your gold fish keeping should be a lot more successful.


1. We are all familiar with the image of a gold fish swimming in a round bowl, but this is just about the worst thing you can use. You must get a decent sized tank. A fish needs space to swim in and also a larger surface area of water, so that oxygen can dissolve. A bigger volume of water also means the fish waste can disperse.

2. You need to clean out the tank regularly. Fish excrete quite a lot and this must be removed by changing the water. If you have a larger tank, then every week or two should be fine.

3. Don't touch your fish. You might want to, but it will cause damage to the skin.

4. Give the tank and the fish, plenty of light. Don't hide it in a dark corner.

5. Don't overfeed. Follow the fish food directions and give less rather than more.

6. Keep the tank in a spot where the temperature is fairly constant. Gold fish really don't like sudden rises or falls in temperature.

That's six simple points to follow when caring for gold fish. Establish a routine and you should be enjoying the company of your pet gold fish for a long time, possibly years.