Ever wondered what the scientific name for goldfish is? Carassius Auratus is known to be the name referred to goldfish by the scientific community. Goldfish are popular to the extent that even those who do not participate in the hobby of fish keeping have probably heard of or seen a goldfish, which is a testament to the tremendous appeal of this species.
Despite their widespread popularity, goldfish are often mistreated due to faulty practices and misconceptions that have been passed on by certain aquarists. However, by following the correct methods and practices, you can provide a healthy and happy lifestyle for your pet goldfish.
Through years of experience with owning numerous healthy goldfish of different varieties, I have compiled in this article all the facts and information to ensure your goldfish lives longer! Below listed are the topics that will be explored to assist you in mastering the skill of having thriving goldfish:
- Origins of goldfish and their features
- Temperament
- Tank setup for goldfish
- Feeding and diet
- Ideal tankmates
- Reproduction and life expectancy
Origin of the Goldfish and Its Features
Goldfish being a species native to China, they were considered as a type of carp who were first discovered as a silver-colored fish. With continuous attempts at cross breeding, Chinese breeders were successful in producing colorful goldfish, similar to the ones in the present day. Depending on the variety, the common goldfish can grow up to six inches when provided with a spacious tank.
The most common color of this breed is orange with a gold shine and other colors available of this species are red, white, grey, black and yellow. These fish are usually bright in color and their caudal fin (tail fin) is rather large, which makes it pleasing to the eye when they swim.
A few different variations of goldfish are telescope goldfish, black moor, ryukin, comet and oranda. The primary distinctions between these variants are largely in their physical features and do not necessitate a substantial modification in terms of care.
Did you know that studies have shown that goldfish are capable of recognizing their owners and distinguishing between people? This would explain how these fish develop bonds with their caretakers or anyone who often feeds them.
Life Expectancy
When given a good environment and timely care, a healthy goldfish can live up to 10 years or even longer. The fact that goldfish kept in large tanks can live significantly longer than those kept in small tanks or bowls emphasizes the value of providing an appropriate and spacious aquatic environment.
Temperament
Goldfish is a non-aggressive species towards any fish due to their sociable nature. In addition to that, they tend to develop trust with humans quite easily when compared to other species of fish. When goldfish are used to the procedure, they usually get accustomed to being fed by hand after a few feeding sessions. This would be an impressive experience for keepers as they may have the opportunity to get along with their pet quite lovingly.
However, the danger of this is when goldfish who are kept in outdoor ponds, would get used to swimming close to the surface, which makes them an easy target for predators such as cats or birds.
In instances when sufficient food is not provided, goldfish might show signs of aggression, such as fighting when feeding. When feeding is done routinely, this would not be a worry as most of the time, they are a peaceful breed of fish.
Tank Setup for Goldfish
As aquarium sales staff frequently advocate this viewpoint, it is common to see goldfish housed in bowls, and without a doubt, it can be said that the fish would survive only for a short period of time. The ideal tank size for a two-inch goldfish is a tank of at least two gallons of water for it to have enough space to move around. Overcrowding the tank with fish is a typical error because, unintentionally, fish keepers get captivated and eventually purchase too many with the intent of making the tank appealing.
The ideal water pH level for this species is between 6.0 to 8.0 and goldfish usually do best at room temperature. It is vital to add any sort of water conditioner to minimize the risk of chlorine shock towards fish, which could end up being deadly. When choosing a filter, it is advisable to select one with both mechanical and biological filter media, as it may help to maintain healthy bacteria whilst cleaning the water. Simply having a sponge filter would work too, but it is important to note that the powerhead pressure should not be too strong as it could make it difficult for the goldfish to swim.
Goldfish attempt to chew on pretty much everything placed in the tank, so it may not be the best idea to spend time on aqua scaping or placing aquatic plants for decorative purposes. Nevertheless, plants such as Hornwort and Amazon swords could be placed with goldfish because they are less likely to cause any harm to them.
Feeding And Diet
Types Of Food
Feeding goldfish is not a difficult task, as they will consume almost anything that you provide. Floating pellets or flakes, which are available at aquarium stores, could be fed as a staple along with a mix of other foods to provide a balanced meal. Foods such as peas, lettuce, cooked rice and brine shrimp could be used as substitutes for pellets whenever convenient. However, it is preferable to avoid feeding starchy food regularly, as they may cause harm to the fish’s digestive system.
Feeding Schedules
The feeding routine should be restricted to a maximum of three times a day while feeding twice a day, is sufficient and recommended. It is important to note that food must be provided only in amounts that they are capable of consuming within five minutes. If not, the leftover food particles may contaminate the water and make the aquarium cloudy.
How Long Can Goldfish Stay Without Food?
In case you have the need to leave home for a couple of days, an automatic feeder could be set to dispense food timely. However, there are occasions where automatic feeders drop too much food in to the tank, which can cause the goldfish to overfeed, and any remains would harm the water as well. In such instances, goldfish have the ability to go without food for up to two weeks! Therefore, it could be convenient to let them be while you are gone unless someone is available to feed them on your behalf.
Ideal Tankmates
The peaceful behavior of goldfish allows fish keepers to select tankmates from a wide variety of ornamental fish. When considering a tankmate, the factors to be considered are temperament and size. Aggressive or territorial fish should be kept away from goldfish as they may chase or attack them and goldfish are generally slow swimmers, which makes it difficult to defend themselves. On the other hand, when placing small fish such as cory catfish, goldfish may attempt to nibble and swallow them for food Following are some suitable tankmates who are compatible with goldfish: rosy barbs, plecos, zebra danios, platies and cardinal tetras.
Be mindful that any sort of monster fish cannot be housed with goldfish at any time since doing so would end up injuring or killing the goldfish.
Breeding And Reproduction
Hand Breeding Method
Goldfish may not be the easiest species of fish to breed for beginners but, nowadays breeders strive to produce large amounts of goldfish to cater to the global demand. The first step of the breeding process is to differentiate the genders of goldfish. A male goldfish can be identified by their longer and slimmer-shaped fins, whereas females have shorter and much thicker fins.
When breeding goldfish, workers tend to manually couple pairs of goldfish in order to hasten the process because doing so naturally would take a lot of time.
Natural Breeding Method
The natural method of reproduction could be performed by placing a breeding sized pair of goldfish into a tank with fairly enough space to swim. This means that the breeding tank should be neither too small nor too large, as either would hinder the mating process.
Placing aquatic plants will provide surface area for the fish to nest their eggs and it is vital to monitor the breeding tank regularly to see if the female has laid her eggs. Once the eggs have been laid, it is time to remove the parent fish from the tank to prevent them from eating their eggs.
Care For Goldfish Eggs and Fry
By adding a few drops of methylene blue, the eggs would have a higher hatch rate as it prevents the eggs from dying due to impurities in the water. Moreover, placing an air pump is vital to help the eggs hatch and once the eggs have been hatched and are now attempting to swim, add a drop or two of finely powdered egg yolk mixed with water. This meal provides the necessary nutrition for the fry and once they start to freely swim, brine shrimp could be fed, followed by fry food.
What’s The Scientific Name For Goldfish? Wrap-Up Thoughts
A goldfish would be a great pet for both beginners as well as experienced fish enthusiasts. Due to their lively temperament, they are enjoyable to care for and also followed by the ease to maintain. In conclusion, it is possible to raise a healthy goldfish with a long lifespan by following the above-mentioned instructions.