Keeping Cold Water Fish

People that win a goldfish at a fair ground are usually unprepared and will often keep them in a container that is unsuitable, it is very important that goldfish have enough room to swim freely, confined spaces will stress the fish and disease will follow. Goldfish can live up to 30 years which is uncommon but 10 years would be an average age reached by a goldfish

The most important thing to remember when keeping coldwater fish is that they require good levels of dissolved oxygen in the water, and like all fish produce waste products (amonia etc) that need to be removed. This means the use of an air pump and filter will be very beneficial indeed.

In addition to this small regular water changes of 10 – 20% a week will improve their environment considerably; always use a quality de-chlorinator when doing a water change such as tetra aqua safe.

 

Temperature

The ideal temperature to keep goldfish at is between 70-75f (21-24c).goldfish are classified as “coldwater” fish because unlike tropical fish they can withstand cooler tempretures.Keep a thermometer in you aquarium so you can monitor the temperature.
When the temperatures increase during the summer months it means that oxygen levels will be a lot lower than when the water is cooler so insure that your oxygenation of the water is at maximum levels, fish gasping at the surface is a sign of low oxygen level.

Fancy goldfish

More exotic goldfish such as black moors, orandas, pearlscales, ryukins and redcaps are generally a little more demanding than a goldfish, they tend to be not as hardy and will need a little bit more looking after. Variety of diet and excellent water quality are required to keep fancy goldfish in peak condition, regular water testing and tank hygiene are all key to a healthy aquarium. Generally fancy goldfish are unsuitable for outside ponds as they will not tolerate our cold winters.

Top tips for keeping goldfish and fancy goldfish.

1. Small regular water changes using a quality de chlorinator such as aqua safe.
2. Good circulation of water using an air pump and air stone or a filter with a spray bar agitating the surface would be good.
3. Variety of food to include frozen daphnia and bloodworm, quality flake such as king British and live foods such as brineshrimp,bloodworm and daphnia. Variety will help to stop any swim bladder problems. Try to feed your fish at the same time everyday.
4. Do not overfeed; a good pinch of flake or one cube of frozen once a day is fine.
5.regular tank maintenance, gravel cleaning, filter cleaning, glass cleaning all help to create a more hygienic and stress free environment  for your fish.
6. If you think you need to use a treatment then get advice before tipping any chemicals into your aquarium, you may not need to resort to chemicals.

 

 

Pond fish

such as koi all need more looking after than the humble goldfish, good oxygen levels and low nitrates levels will all help to stop the fish becoming stressed which is a key factor in keeping koi and all other pond fish healthy. Filtration is the key to keeping a pond in good order. try to use a u.v clarifier as this will help to keep you pond crystal clear and will enable you to spot any potential problems that may arise on your fish, so as you can take action and remedy it straight away.koi will tend to bump and scrap the side and edges of a pond from time to time especially in breeding season so look for any cuts bruises or scraps and have handy a wound spray or cream so you can treat immediately before it has a chance to get worse. This is especially important at the start of the pond season (April) and at the end of the pond season going into the winter months. The use of zeolite is very useful when first setting up a pond; it will absorb ammonia and hold onto it until the nitrogen cycle is up and running.

Tips for keeping pond fish.

1. Good water filtration and circulation.
2. Low levels of nitrates, we would advocate the use of a pond test kit on a regular basis.
3. Variety of good quality food including live foods.
4. Do not over feed. Only feed as much as the fish will eat within 5 minutes then remove any surplus food with a net.
5. Feeding is the ideal time to Observe the fish for any wounds and treat immediately.
6. Small regular water changes 5-10% using a de-chlorinator.
7. Open a bottle of beer, sit by the pond and relax.

We will be happy to advise you in the shop if you have any questions, good luck

 

 

 

 

 

 

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