How to Pick a Good Goldfish
August 28, 2010
Installing your first home goldfish aquarium can be an exciting venture. Of course you want it to look impressive to visitors, but you also want to make sure that you are populating your aquarium with good goldfish. What characteristics define a good goldfish? Good health is important. Adult size is important with respect to aquarium size. Beauty and activeness is paramount. Compatibility with other types of goldfish is also important if you are planning upon maintaining a variety of goldfish.
If you purchase your goldfish from a reliable and respected dealer, health is not generally a problem. Most disease and illnesses in goldfish are related directly to their environment and care. Most goldfish that are maintained in a clean well aerated aquarium and provided with adequate and appropriate food will live their expected life spans in good health. Some goldfish have life spans approaching twenty years.
The maximum expected adult size of the fish is extremely important with respect to the size of the aquarium and the number of fish that you intend to actually have living in it. Two Comet goldfish may look quite attractive and happy in your four cubic foot aquarium on the day that you bring them home, but may not look quite as comfortable or content in that same aquarium when they reach their full length of 12 inches.
As your aquarium grows in size and you begin adding other types of fish, it’s important that you know enough about each goldfish type that you select fish that are compatible with each other and with your ability to care for them. If you’re inexperienced with goldfish and aquariums, your first goldfish should be those that are easy to care for like the hardy and extremely active Common goldfish, the beautiful Fantail goldfish, or the Japanese Shubunkin goldfish. It’s important that you do not integrate extremely aggressive goldfish into the mix, as the other fish may not be able to compete for the available food.
When you first decide to start a goldfish aquarium, you’ll be overwhelmed with the many variations of goldfish that are available: Comets, Shubunkins, Fantails, Pearlscale, Oranda, Ryukin, Vail Tail, Lionhead, and my personal favorite Bubble Eye are but a small sample. Most are incredibly beautiful, and all are interesting to watch. There are those with single tails, those with double tails, and those with or without dorsal fins. Before you plan the population of your aquarium, learn about each of the dozen or so fish that are available. Study their feeding and environmental needs.
There are many charts available that rate the compatibility of goldfish with regard to their interaction with other fish and their environmental requirements. Some fish are aggressive and can injure their aquarium mates. Some feed upon food flakes drifting on the surface of the water, while others are bottom feeders. Some hardy goldfish can withstand large temperature variations, while others require a very narrow range of controlled temperature in order to survive, and each type of fish has a specific adequate swimming space requirement measured in cubic feet of water.
It’s clear from the information given above that the term “good goldfish” is in reality the “appropriate goldfish” for the specific aquarium and environment available to it. With a little bit of forethought and planning, you can create yourself a beautiful aquarium populated with an assortment of healthy, contented, and appropriate goldfish that will provide you with years of pleasure.
Goldfish Diseases and their Treatment
January 26, 2010
Like all living creatures, goldfish are subject to illness, and many of these illnesses are contagious to other fish. As with sickness in humans, some illnesses can be easily cured while others can be fatal. With both humans and goldfish, the sooner the illness is diagnosed and treated, the better the chances are that the illness will be cured. As a responsible goldfish owner, it’s critical that you recognize and understand the visual and behavioral symptoms that indicate illness in your goldfish and how best to deal with them. Many of the illnesses that afflict these normally healthy pets are caused by inadequacies in the goldfish’s immediate environment. A dirty fish tank, poor filtration, low oxygen levels, improper feeding, and unsafe water temperatures are the primary causes.
There are seven illnesses that are most commonly seen in goldfish and are reasonable easy to cure: Anchor Worm, Costia, Cotton Wool, Fin Rot (sometime called Tail Rot), Ich (pronounced IK), Trichodina, and Velvet. Each of these afflictions and recommended treatments is described below.
• Anchor Worm: A parasite that is highly infectious. It is often introduced into the aquarium by new fish. The worm itself is visible to the naked eye, appearing as a small white shaft circled by a red ring protruding from the fish. Fish with anchor worms usually rub the area against objects in an attempt to remove the parasite. The worms should be using tweezers. The wound should be treated with iodine using a cotton swab, followed by a daily application of Neosporin salve. Assume that the entire aquarium is infected, and remove the treated goldfish to a clean tank while the infected tank is cleaned.
• Costia: A parasite that attack the gills. It kills quickly and should be treated immediately upon discovery. When afflicted, the goldfish will gasp at the surface and exhibit a slimy substance around the head and the gills. There is often evidence of hemorrhaging under the chin. The proven treatment is adding a .3% salt solution to the tank every 12 hours for three applications. If the situation does not improve, seek the help of a veterinarian.
• Cotton Wool: A fungal infection affecting all freshwater fish. Often occurs to outdoor pond fish in the spring. The symptoms include white, off white, or brown wool-like patches on the fins and body. The best treatment is to move infected fish to an isolation tank. Often, a treatment of swabbing the patches with iodine cures the problem. Adding a .3% salt solution to the water has also been proven effective. If not, a veterinarian may suggest an antifungal medication.
• Fin Rot: A common bacterial infection affecting fish in freshwater aquariums. Appears to be caused by stress, rough handling, overcrowding, and poor water quality. It is recognized by the whitish edge on the fins in the area that rots away. If left untreated it can eat away the fins and continue to damage on the fish’s body. It is easily treated with a .3% salt solution added to the water for mild cases, or an antibiotic for more serious infections. Excellent water quality and uncrowded conditions can usually prevent fin rot.
• ICH: A disease to which all freshwater fish are susceptible. It is caused by a parasite that can be carried into the tank by any new addition, fish, plant, or decorative piece. It’s easily recognized by white spots, like sprinkled sugar, that covers the fish’s body. If it is found on any fish, the entire tank should be treated with a .3% salt solution. The treatment should continue until the fish have been parasite free for at least six days.
• Trichodina: This is an interesting parasite that apparently does no damage to the fish, but uses it for transportation. The parasite is usually found in crowded tanks with poor water quality. Their presence is quite irritating to the fish and causes irritated skin, reluctance to feed, lethargy, and ulcers. Infected fish will often lie at the bottom of the fish tank. The best treatment is potassium permanganate. Salt baths are also recommended.
• Velvet: This is such a pleasant name for a parasitic infestation which can infect an entire aquarium in only a few days. Usually is introduced by new fish which were inserted without a quarantine period. Affected goldfish will flash and scratch and often exhibit a thick slimy coat with yellowish patches on the skin. The usually effective salt baths seem to have no effect on this parasite, and treatment with formalin for several days is recommended.
There are many other common diseases and illnesses that can affect your goldfish. Some are not so easy to cure. If you have a problem that you can’t diagnose with confidence, see your veterinarian. Prevention is the best idea. Keep your tank clean, well aerated, with adequate plant life. Ensure that the goldfish are adequately fed with the proper foods, and avoid rapid or wide temperature changes to their environment. All these procedures, taken together, will give your goldfish a better chance to remain disease free and enjoy a care free, stress free life.