Water Quality

Goldfish are notorious for producing a large amount of waste. While some of this waste (especially fecal material) may be due to a diet that is too high in protein, this is not the only type of waste that goldfish produce. Goldfish secrete harmful chemicals through their gills as well, which can quickly reduce their water quality. To help prevent your goldfish from dying unexpectedly, it’s important to closely monitor the water quality. Replace at least 10% of the water in your goldfish’s tank once per week, using a siphon to remove waste from the bottom of the tank.

Feeding

Goldfish require a diet that is slightly lower and protein, while higher in carbohydrates than the diet of most other fish. This is because goldfish aren’t able to completely digest a diet that is high in protein. To give your goldfish a proper diet, be sure to purchase either a flake or pellet food that is specifically designed to be fed to goldfish. Since goldfish are opportunistic eaters, they generally will overeat if given too much food. As a general rule, only give your goldfish as much food as they can consume in a period of 3 – 4 minutes.

Types of Goldfish

Due to selective breeding, there are many different types of goldfish that can be kept both in aquariums and in outdoor ponds. Most of the variations are referred to as “fancy goldfish”, and are not as tolerant of varying temperatures or water quality. In addition to this, some goldfish that have been selectively bred to display a specific body shape may have swimbladder problems, which may affect that fish’s ability to swim. In addition to this, certain “telescope eye” goldfish have notably poor eyesight, and may not be able to compete for food with some other goldfish types. When selecting the right type of goldfish for your tank, it’s important to choose carefully.

DWARF PUFFER FISH
The Dwarf Puffer Fish is a species of fish that thrives in freshwater environments. Many people associate puffer fish with saltwater environments, but this is not the case with the Dwarf Puffer. It’s important to remember that Dwarf Puffer Fish can be a bit aggressive, so choose the other fish in your aquarium carefully.  Most Dwarf Puffer Fish will do well when given at least 5 gallons of “space” designated for their territory.

KOI FISH
Koi fish are most commonly associated with Asian culture, mostly due to the origin of the Koi in Central Europe and Asia. They are featured as design elements in many paintings, fish pendants and even stone sculptures. As a pet fish, the Koi is fairly low-maintenance. There are many different color variations for Koi fish, which make them a really cool fish to have in an aquarium. However, it’s important to remember that some Koi can grow to be fairly large, and may require a fairly large fish tank.

PARROTFISH
If you have a fairly large saltwater tank, you may want to look in to purchasing a Parrotfish for your tank. Parrotfish can grow to be fairly large, some breeds even reaching up to 4.5 feet in length! For the majority of captive Parrotfish, 2 feet is the average maximum size for most breeds. Caring for Parrotfish can be a full-time job, especially since Parrotfish cannot be kept in a reef tank. Parrotfish have a habit of destroying coral, which can be especially destructive in a closed aquarium environment.

MARINE ANGELFISH
Not to be confused with freshwater angelfish, Marine Angelfish thrive in saltwater environments. Most Marine Angelfish are characterized with bright colors and striking patterns. Marine Angelfish tend to be territorial, so should not be kept in groups in any aquarium.