Can you tell me some basic tips for caring for a Goldfish?

Question

I'm planning on getting a goldfish this weekend. I'm only getting 1 and putting it in a medium sized tank, like, those plastic ones that you can get with the filter and stuff. But yeah, I was just wondering of any tips of basic care for them. Thanks!

Answer 1

Let the tank cycle, filter it, do a partial water change weekly and don't overfeed.

Answer 2

define medium size

commens and comets need 50 gallons for the first and 10 for each exceding

fancys need 20 gallons for the first and 10 for each exceeding

just because you have a filter dosent mean you dont have too clean the tank

Answer 3

First this is first, clean out the tank of any dirt, you can use a VERY mild soap to clean the tank out, but make sure to get all the soap out.  I have used dish liquid soap rather than bars of soap or hand liquid soap (These tend to harden and make the tank look cloudy from the film the soap leaves behind....You can dry the tank if you want, (OUTSIDE ONLY)...If you dry the inside, you might end up with spicks of cotton from the towels or even strands of hair in the tank, and what fish wants to swim in that?.....Next you can put in the rocks, castles, underwater diver people etc. Next, SLOWLY fill up the tank with water using bowls or buckets of water...Make sure to pour SLOWLY...If you pour the water in too quickly, debis from the rocks or what ever else that is in the tank with start to turn the water cloudy.....After the tank is set up, you can hook up the filter and start it going....Make sure of one thing though......DONT put the fish in the tap water that is in the tank (IT HAS CHOLORINE & OTHER CHEMICALS IN IT)....First make sure that you have purified the water with a chlorine chemical disolver(Sold at the petshop)...(If you put your fish in the tank without the chlorine treatment chemical disolver, The fish will be doing the backstroke in your tank by next morning....(And I dont mean swimming the backstroke)...But after the water has been treated, then you can start putting in the fish, (Sometimes you can put in the fish while the disolver is doing its work) I have put the fish in while the purifier was working and my fish have NEVER died....Last thing is to make sure to give the fish their daily feedings....Depending on the type of gold fish, you can either feed them once a day, twice a day or even three, it just depends on the type of gold fish you have.......Well I hope this helps, Fish are my favorite pets, I hope you enjoys yours when you get them this weekend, They will last for years if you take good care of them.

Answer 4

add water to the tank and don't try to walk it.

Answer 5

since your tank is not that big,  if you want optimum water quality do 10 percent daily water change.  Feed once is enough to a maximum of 3 times if your filter can handle.  Use a two to 3 day old water in a gallon to save money buying conditioner.

Answer 6

You will need 2 gallons of water per inch of goldfish (not including the fins). So a ten gallon tank can comfortably hold two 2-inch goldfish, or five 1-inch goldfish. Make sure you know how much water your tank holds before you buy fish.

You will need to clean the tank even with a filter. All a filter does is make it so you don't have to change the water nearly as often. But you will still need to do maintenance even with a filter.

Do not forget to de-chlorinate the water before you put the fish in. Regular tap water that has not been de-chlorinated will cause a great deal of suffering to your fish before they die from it. Chlorine in tap water is toxic to fish.

Until your tank is cycled, I would not buy more than one small fish for it. "Cycling" is the process by which good bacteria populate the tank. You cant see them, but they grow in the rocks and on the plants. They eat chemicals in the water that are harmful to fish. It usually takes about 2 weeks before they fully colonize your tank. If you buy too many fish before they have a chance to colonize your tank, your fish will probably die.

The website below has a lot more information.  

Answer 7

ok well its fairly easy all you need is a bowl a fish net and gold fish food!!! you can e safe by asking the person you are getting the gold fhis from!!

Answer 8

just fyi even if you have a filter you'll still need to do routine water changes and some cleaning. a filter just helps you keep it cleaner for a little longer

Answer 9

with just one fish i would say just clean the tank ever two weeks and give it a small amount of food twice a day goldfish are very easy you dont have to do more than that to keep them alive  

Answer 10

make sure you get some kind of conditioner for the water to kill off any chlorine or etc... ask the shop owner for the best one.

Answer 11

A Few Tips....

1. Do a fishless cycle before you add any fish. It takes alittle time but it's well worth it at the end. Here's a link: http://www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/profiles...

2. Depending on what kind of goldfish you are getting you'll need a minimum tank size of 30 gallons for a fancy goldfish. For a single comet/common goldfish a minimum tank size of 55 gallons.

3. Get a filter that is twice the size of your tank. So say if you get a 30 gallon tank get a filter rated for a 60 gallon tank

4. Do weekly 10-15% water changes. (Goldfish are really messy fish)

5. Make your tank look as natural as posible. Get natural looking gravel, Maybe some lava rock or other safe rocks for fish tanks, diftwood etc.

I'm sure i'm forgetting something but i'm sure other answers will cover it.

Answer 12

Even with the filter you might still have to clean the tank once in a while.If it gets too dirty your fish might die. Also give your goldfish one pinch of fishfood a morning. DO NOT OVERFEAD. This can lead to death. One pinch is all you need.