Information on Goldfish
Originating in China, goldfish were once highly valued pets of high royalty and people who resided outside of the palace were prohibited to keep them. They originated as the common carp, but somehow developed a genetic mutation which gave them the gold color. The Chinese began to breed the new gold colored fish and this is where we get our goldfish of today.
Goldfish have been bred for pets for thousands of years. They are fun to watch, easy to care for, and can be very striking in appearance. Goldfish are very sociable animals and they prefer to swim in groups rather than live a solitary existence. They are the very first fish to ever be domesticated as household pets.
Their normal life span is around 5 to 10 years, but some types of goldfish can actually live to be 20 years of age. Native to Asia, goldfish are primarily freshwater fish although some breeds prefer to reside in warmer waters than others.
If you do decide to keep goldfish as pets, there are very simple ways to distinguish between the males and the females. Male goldfish have a narrower body and appear to be more symmetrical than the females. Their anal opening is inverted in contrast to the female whose opening protrudes slightly. Another way to differentiate the two genders is to observe their behaviour during breeding. The males will be actively pursuing the females around the tank. Goldfish reach their sexual maturity around nine months to year years of age.
Goldfish can be prone to several diseases; the most common being Ich. Ich is a parasite that tunnels its way into the fish and feeds on its tissues. If untreated, the fish will eventually die from either the parasite itself or from a resulting infection. Your fish has most likely contracted Ich if you notice salt-like white spots scattered over its body. It may begin to swim erratically and appear to struggle while breathing. Ich will start to infect a fish if it is highly stressed and the immune system has been weakened. The best way to treat this is to disinfect the entire tank and all of its contents. You can also purchase medications at your local pet store.
Another frequently contracted disease in goldfish is fin rot. This occurs when a fish has sustained an injury and bacteria begin to accumulate in the wound. The area will appear whitish and eventually the fins will rot away. This is normally a secondary infection as your fish will probably already be suffering from stress and a weakened immune system. The best way to prevent fin rot is to eliminate all possible causes of stress for your pet and maintain a clean tank and healthy diet. If your little fish still manages to develop Fin rot, a simple treatment is to pick up medication, in the form of tablets and drops, from the pet store and place them into the tank. This should work as long as you haven’t allowed the disease to progress too long.