Need goldfish tips and maybe a short guide

[Iwillbeatyoutwice]

Just need some tips and a summed up guide that would be greatly appreciated!

 

[jlk]

What exactly do you need help with with? General rules for stocking different types of goldfish, feeding, care, different breeds? The list goes on and on and on!!!

 

[Iwillbeatyoutwice]

Yeah pretty much anything you know about em

 

[jlk]

Do you know what type of goldies you are interested in? This will help narrow it down a bit!

 

[Iwillbeatyoutwice]

Oh I'm really sorry fantail goldfish

 

[jlk]

Ill give you a few basics- ask more questions if you have them.

Tank size- minimum of 20gallons for one fish, 10gals for each fish after
Filter- minimum of 10x the tank size (ie 20gal tank needs min 200gph filter)
Substrate- pfs (pool filter sand) or very large gravel to prevent choking
Aeration- additional source besides filter
Heater- not necessary unless there are drastic temp fluctuations
Food- quality sinking goldfish pellet food (such as Hikari), daily fresh veggies, etc

Fantails can grow quite large (10+inches) and they are very social creatures with puppy-dog personalties. This is a very basic outline- do not hesitate to ask questions!

 

[Iwillbeatyoutwice]

Cleaning and maintenance

 

[jlk]

Goldies are extremely messy creatures and carry a huge bioload. Pfs makes cleaning up after them very easy as their mess does not fall down below the gravel & create more issues with water quality. I can not stress the importance of regular weekly water changes enough--the bigger & more frequent you do them, the healthier & happier your fish will be. Goldfish breeders actually follow an extremely aggressive water change (100% daily) but this is not practical for most hobbyists. 50% 1-2x week would be my minimum suggestion.

 

[jlk]

Check out these forums as well for more goldfish specific information in respect to health, care, & feeding- they all have 'stickies' with plentiful information:

Aquapuppies
The Goldfish Keepers
The GAB (goldfish & aquarium board)

If your interested in purchasing quality goldfish (and live in the US), these sites are worth checking as well:

The Goldfish Connection
Raingarden Goldfish
GoldfishNet