Caring for Your Goldfish
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Adding a Goldfish to a Cleaning Your Fish Bowl Dirty fish bowls not only look bad, they Bowl or Aquarium Caring for Now it’s time to put your new Goldfish in are also unhealthy for fish. By following a their new home! Whenever fish are netted few simple maintenance steps your fish Your and handled, their protective slime coat is bowl will always look beautiful. The following steps are an ideal regiment for rubbed off. When adding fish to any keeping your fish bowl looking great. Goldfish aquarium, be sure to add additional water conditioner to help relieve stress. The best To keep your fish healthy, you should method to add new fish is to float the unopened bag of fish in their new home change at least half of the water in your for 10 minutes to allow the fish to adjust Goldfish bowl or aquarium every 3 days. Follow these easy steps: to the water temperature. Then, open the bag and gently release the fish into their 1. Fill a separate container with tap water. Mix hot and cold tap water new home. The bag water may contain fish waste (ammonia), so try to avoid until it is the same temperature as adding the bag water to the aquarium. the water your Goldfish is swimming in. 2. Add a water conditioner to the tap water to remove the disinfectants Feeding Your Fish that are toxic to your fish. It is best to feed your Goldfish only 3. Add the aquarium salts and test the enough food that it can eat in five pH level, adjusting the pH level as minutes. If food is sitting on the bottom of necessary. the aquarium or bowl, the fish have been 4. Remove half of the old water in your fish tank. overfed. Overfeeding promotes fish waste (ammonia) to build up to a harmful level, 5. Refill your Goldfish bowl to the and is one of the major causes of fish loss. usual level with the treated tap water. Do right by your pet. Do right by our environment. Don't release unwanted pets. VisitHabitattitude™on www.pijac.org Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council www.pijac.org Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council www.pijac.org While Goldfish will adjust too many pH About Goldfish What Else Do I Need? levels, they will do best at a pH of 7.5. If Goldfish aren’t just gold anymore! Decorating your Goldfish home provides Goldfish are available in many different a hiding place for your fish during times your pH is far off from this level, your shapes, colors and patterns. The original of stress. You should only use Goldfish may show signs of a loss of breeders in eastern Asia began to see decorations, such as gravel, ornaments, appetite, sluggishness, and poor health. To different markings in the offspring they and plants, designed for use with fish. A help you determine the pH of your were breeding and started to breed them small plant, either plastic or real, will help aquarium, purchase a pH test kit. In for these unique traits. to duplicate a more natural environment addition, there are several products available to help set the proper pH level for for your fish. your Goldfish. The most common goldfish, often called a Comet, is the least expensive. Ryukins Make sure to purchase aquarium cleaner And of course, don’t forget the fish food! Orandas and Fantails are wide, deep- along with the container. Household bodied goldfish. There are goldfish with cleaning products, including soap, are unique eye structures, such as the Bubble- harmful to fish. Preparing Your Eye or Telescope-Eye. You could also opt Goldfish’s New Home for the Pearlscale goldfish that has scales In addition, you’ll need to purchase a Find a location for your bowl or aquarium resembling pearls. Shapes are not the only water conditioner, which will instantly where it won’t easily get bumped or be choices available. Goldfish can also come neutralize the chemicals in tap water, disturbed. The location should not be in in colors, such as the Black Moor making the water safe for your Goldfish. direct sunlight or near heating or cooling Telescope. Take your time and choose Tap water can be full of dangerous vents. what you like and enjoy. chemicals that can harm your fish, such as chlorine and chloramines. These are Rinse and clean the container with tap water poisonous to Goldfish. Selecting the Container and aquarium cleaner. Clean both the inside and outside of the container, as well as the Goldfish can live a fish bowl or aquarium, A small filter is the best way to keep your decorations you have purchased. but the larger the container, the better. If new Goldfish home clean. Select the filter you decide on an aquarium or larger bowl, most appropriate for your fish and the First, prepare the water that will go into the water will need to be changed less often, new home you’ve chosen. and the Goldfish will have more room to your Goldfish’s new home in a separate swim around. container. Goldfish prefer a temperature Electrolytes are essential for the uptake of of 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the oxygen and release of carbon dioxide and Air pumps are a great addition. They water conditioner, following the ammonia through the gills. Without the instructions on the label. Add the increase the oxygen which helps your proper amount of electrolytes, Goldfish goldfish breathe easier. You can hook the aquarium salts and test the pH level. If cannot properly breathe, making them more you need to adjust the pH, add the air pump to a bubbling ornament or air vulnerable to disease. Aquarium salt adds stone. required amount, following the package the important electrolytes Goldfish need to instructions. Add the decorations and help them breathe easier and remain active. filter to the aquarium, and then add the prepared water. .