Goldfish are good pets for people that don't have a lot of time to take care of a pet. Also they are good for people that don't have that much money and space in their house. There are two types of fish you can get. There are cold water fish like gold fish. Their water stays at room temperature. Tropical fish need more care than goldfish. Their tank has to be at a special temperature, but there are more kinds of tropical fish and they are usually prettier than a goldfish.
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There are many kinds of goldfish. Some of them are common, comet tail, shubunkins, fantails, and goggle-eyed goldfish. These goldfish aren't actually gold. They are more orange. A common goldfish is your regular goldfish. It is the easiest kind to keep alive. They are good for people getting their first goldfish. Comet tail goldfish have a long tail. The shubunkin is orange and silver with black spots. A fantail has long, wavy fins and a long, wavy tail. The goggle-eyed goldfish has eyes that stick out of its head. Goldfish don't like to be alone. If you are going to buy goldfish, buy more than one.
This is
a Shubunkin goldfish.
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Where do you keep the fish and what special equipment does a fish need?
This is a
tank that the fish need to be in. It has a filter and rocks
for the bottom of the tank.
Goldfish need to be in a coldwater tank. The tank should be big enough for the goldfish to have a lot of room to move around. You should put a filter in the tank because goldfish are not as clean as some other kinds of fish. The filter will help to clear the water and keep it clean. You also need an air pump. The air pump puts oxygen into the water so the fish can breathe. You will also need a few plastic trees in the tank. Goldfish like rocks or gravel at the bottom of the tank, and the rocks help keep the trees in place. You also need a cover so the goldfish don't jump out. The tank should not be put near a window because the goldfish can get too hot or too cold.
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How much exercise does a goldfish need?
Goldfish get exercise in the tank by swimming around. It is important you don't have too many fish in your tank. The bigger the tank, the more fish you can have.
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How to hold and touch it properly?
You should never tough a goldfish. It can hurt their body. When you need to clean the tank or move a fish you should use a special net. Goldfish don't like sudden changes. When you move a goldfish into a different container of water, make sure it is the same temperature as the water it is coming from.
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What does it eat? How much? How often?
Goldfish eat special fish food. You take some and crumble it up. If you give your goldfish too much food, it can kill the fish and make the tank dirty. So follow the directions on the bottle the food comes in which says how to feed the fish properly. You should take away any uneaten food after 10 minutes to help keep the water clean. Little bits of lettuce, spinach, and oats can be given to goldfish to eat.
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Even if you have a filter, you need to clean the tank and change the water. Every couple of weeks about 1/5th of the water should be taken out and replaced with fresh water. Make sure the fresh water is the same temperature as the water in the tank. Let the new water sit overnight so it will be at room temperature. The filter can be cleaned by rinsing it in fresh water. When the filter gets really dirty, buy a new one.
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Breeding
and babies three babies Can
you see the three baby goldfish in the
picture?
When fish are old enough and if they are healthy, they have babies. They lay eggs which are sticky. The eggs will usually stick to plants in the aquarium. When your goldfish lays eggs, you have to quickly put the eggs into a different tank. The eggs must be separated from the adult goldfish because the adult goldfish will eat the eggs and the babies. If you move the eggs to a different tank, you have to put plants with the eggs into a tank with the same temperature as your first tank. In four to fourteen days, the eggs will hatch.
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A goldfish can live for 25 to 30 years. They do have problems that hurt them. These are some fish diseases. Goldfish can get small white spots on their body and fins. Another disease is fungus. Fungus looks like white cotton wool growing on the body and fins. Fin and tail rot is another problem. If your goldfish has fin or tail rot, the fins will be torn or have streaks of blood.
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This goldfish is sick. His stomach is bigger than it should be. |
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