Choosing a Goldfish

When you go to your local aquarium or pet shop that specialize in fish, be sure to check over the fish that they have in the store. You are looking for healthy fish that are well kept and well maintained. Make sure there are no dead fish, or that the tanks are not overcrowded and that the water is clear, not cloudy, if you see any of those signs, you should look to buy fish from elsewhere.

Raise a Healthy Goldfish

A healthy goldfish has no sore areas or fungal growths on its scales. The fins should be erect, moving and undamaged. If the gills of the fish are moving very rapidly this could be a sign of a lack of oxygen, this is also true if the fish keeps swimming to the top of the tank for air. The eyes of the goldfish should be bright and clear and its body colour should be dense and even. Overall look for a happy healthy looking fish that is swimming effortlessly through the water, remember long finned fish will be slower swimmers.

Do goldfish get lonely? That is a question we don't know the answer to, although, in the wild, goldfish swim and live in groups, so it's best to assume that they would prefer some company in the tank. Be sure to keep an eye on the fish when you have more than one, as sometimes they can fight or bully one another, something to look for is torn fins. Goldfish are best kept with their own kind or breed, twin tailed are best kept together, common goldfish should not be mixed with wild caught fish as they are unlikely to settle together.

How big is your fish tank ?

There are a lot of factors to consider when thinking about how many fish to get. How big is your fish tank? What size are the fish? What is the room temperature? A warmer room will mean less oxygen for the fish, so it's best to have less fish if you know the room temperature that they will be living in is warm.

Oh, and remember, fish GROW! So make sure you know the rough sizes that the fish will grow to and start you fish tank at much less than it's maximum capacity.