Making The Perfect Goldfish Aquarium
Making The Perfect Goldfish Aquarium
Getting a goldfish involves more preparation than bringing home the fish in a bag and dropping it into a bowl of water. Goldfish can live up to twenty years when they are cared for properly. Setting up a goldfish aquarium is the start of a long relationship with this beautiful fish.
Many people don’t realize how fast goldfish grow. If they do survive a bowl, they will quickly outgrow it. When an environment is created for the fish where they can thrive, you will be able to spend much more time enjoying your fish.
Choosing the goldfish aquarium and its location is going to be a big decision. You are going to need to plan on a twenty gallon tank for one fish and ten more gallons for each additional fish. It doesn’t sound like you will need this much space for the little fish that is in the baggie. But, a goldfish can grow up to two feet long. The cute little fancy goldfish can grow to over a foot long. Your goldfish are going to need their space.
Putting your aquarium in an area where there will not be a lot of heavy traffic will keep your aquarium safe and your fish happy. You also do not want to put your aquarium in direct sunlight. The temperature of the water needs to be between 74 and 76 degrees. If you are in an area where the temperature changes in your home, you are going to need to add a heater to your list of items for the tank. Algae will grow in the tank because of the waste that the fish have, if the tank is in direct sunlight the algae will be worse.
Most of the equipment that is needed for tropical fish are needed for goldfish. You are going to need a filter that is made for goldfish. The filters made for these fish have a stronger filtering system that for other types of fish. Goldfish are not clean, they expel a lot of waste. With the filter you can cut down on the amount of time you spend cleaning the water and tank.
Sometimes people consider getting a filter that lies under the gravel on the floor of the tank. This is not a good idea with goldfish. They like to root in the gravel and will disrupt a filter if it is under the gravel. By getting the filter and a goldfish aerator, you will be getting your fish the clean and oxygen enriched water they need.
Some people say that two inches of round gravel is the right amount for tanks. Other people say that a thin layer of gravel is best. Using clean, round gravel is the only certainty. You will need to find how much gravel works best for you through experimentation. When the gravel is too thick, it gets very dirty and needs to be cleaned regularly. When it is too think the fish will make little gravel piles across the floor of the aquarium when they are rooting.
Plastic plants are a great idea for a goldfish aquarium. There are some species of live plants that can survive with goldfish. But, most live plants do not do well when fish are poking and rooting at their roots. Goldfish like to root and poke things. Once the tank has been set up and run for a few days, you will be ready to put your fish in it.
Bill Leaper is an online author who writes about topics such as a goldfish aquarium and other topics