Your First Goldfish Tank: Which Is the Better Option?

Buying a goldfish tank that is large enough and designed to house the number of goldfish you plan to keep is the first step to raising healthy fish that thrive. The type of aquarium you choose can determine whether your goldfish flourish for many years to come or just survive a couple of years, never reaching adulthood or growing to their full potential.

Remember that your goldfish will grow rapidly and will not be an inch long for very long, so you should plan on a larger aquarium to start. – Quick & Easy Goldfish Care by TFH Publications, Inc.

You want an aquarium that your goldfish can comfortably live in.

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Buying Goldfish from the Pet Store: What to Look For

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Photo by Wetwebwork (Flickr)

After taking a look at a few common goldfish types, you’ve chosen the perfect goldfish for your aquarium. You also have a tank that can hold at least 20 gallons of water, and you’ve made sure to cycle it beforehand. Now you just have to buy the fish.

If you’re new to fish keeping, you’ll want to get a hardy goldfish from the start while you build experience and learn everything you can about goldfish care. You’ll also want to buy a goldfish already well cared for and in good condition. After all, the fewer problems you face later the better.

While you’re likely bubbling with excitement, eager to get that aquarium filled with goldfish, it’s important that you take your time. Don’t take buying goldfish lightly – you shouldn’t just buy the first goldfish you see. Look around for good specimens and consider your options. Visit several different pet stores if you have to. You’ll want your goldfish to arrive home healthy.

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Week 3 in Gold Articles: Goldfish Forum Communities

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I’m going to do things a little differently in this week’s series. Instead of reading individual articles evolving around a theme, you’re going to get access to several different resources with pages and pages of useful goldfish care information.

In short, this week’s Gold Articles is all about goldfish forum communities.

Let’s dive in.

Join a Goldfish Forum Community

Forums are a great way to connect with individuals who share the same interests and goals. Not only can you get to know other people who also practice your hobby, but goldfish forums are good sources of information, help, and support.

The following are a few of the most active and most popular forums in the goldfish hobby. I highly recommend that you register for each one and take a moment to browse through the forum threads. When you’re ready, contribute to each forum community by asking questions or providing value.

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12 Most Common Goldfish Types

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Photo by Katie Brady (Flickr)

Since The Orients first developed goldfish from carp, these fascinating fish have expanded to include a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. Some goldfish types are even bred to develop special features for a truly unique appearance, including but not limited to bulging eyes, raspberry-like head growths, eyes that gaze upward, round fluid-filled eye sacks, cotton-like growths in place of nostrils, and flowing veil-like fins.

Few aquarium fish have been developed in as many varieties as the goldfish. It has been estimated that there are over 125 varieties! – Marshall E. Ostrow, author of Goldfish (Barron’s Complete Pet Owner’s Manual)

Goldfish also aren’t just in gold hues. You can find goldfish in striking reds, yellows, whites, purples, blues, and blacks – even in calico. And think that goldfish are just solid colors? Think again! You can buy goldfish in a mixture of several different color combinations to fit your personality and tastes.

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Week 2 in Gold Articles: Treat Those Goldfish Diseases

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Have you ever come home only to find that your goldfish were suffering from a most dreadful disease, and you had no clue how to cure it?

Goldfish diseases can be deadly, and some can even take over the tank. Just knowing what goldfish disease symptoms to look for won’t help if you have no idea how to treat the infection making your goldfish miserable. And if you don’t treat the disease in time, well, your goldfish may not even make it to see tomorrow.

This week’s theme in Gold Articles is goldfish diseases, and boy do I have a treat for you! Never do you have to be left in the dark again. If you don’t know what on earth Gold Articles are, read the post that started it all!

So without further ado, let’s get to it.

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Goldfish Disease Symptoms: 14 Early Signs that Your Goldfish Are Sick

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Photo by Ajari (Flickr)

Goldfish are remarkably hardy creatures and don’t often fall prey to goldfish diseases if you maintain good water quality, keep up with tank maintenance, feed your goldfish a varied diet, and test the water regularly. In fact, chances that you’ll find goldfish disease symptoms are slim if your goldfish are kept in a healthy aquarium environment with proper goldfish care.

You may be surprised to find out that most experienced aquarists have very little experience treating fish diseases. This is because they are experts at keeping their fish healthy. – David E. Boruchowitz, author of Aquarium Care of Goldfish

But even under the best conditions, goldfish aren’t entirely immune to diseases. When your goldfish get sick, you want to be prepared and catch signs of illnesses early on to prevent goldfish diseases from spreading and infecting other fish in the aquarium. Some infections are even fatal and can quickly kill your goldfish in a matter of days, making it even more important to treat the problem quickly.

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Week 1 in Gold Articles: Everything Goldfish Care

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It’s been a long Friday afternoon. And like most slow afternoons, I open up my browser and lazily surf the Web – not knowing what I’ll find moments later. Mug of coffee in hand, I sip slowly as my eyes browse through the blocks of text in front of me.

I like to do my reading late in the afternoon and dedicate my mornings for work and brainstorming. The afternoon is my break in the day and, being a prolific reader, I tend to spend it on my Kindle or, in this case, surfing blogs.

Naturally I came across several goldfish-related websites, many of which were information-packed and filled with words of wisdom. Then, like a bright, flashing light bulb, I thought: Why not share some of these incredible pieces? The authors deserve it!

And so the series Gold Articles was born.

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5 Goldfish Care Disadvantages: Are Goldfish Right for You?

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You’re all set to pick up your goldfish from the pet store. There’s only one problem. Have you really thought this through? Have you weighed the pros and cons of goldfish care?

Photo by Erik Charlton (Flickr)

The Internet is filled with goldfish myths and misinformation. Just browse the Web, and you’ll see tons of advertisements and catalogs featuring goldfish bowls (you do know that goldfish shouldn’t be kept in bowls, don’t you?). In fact, most goldfish won from carnivals or bought from pet stores are dropped into small glass bowls without a second thought.

With so much bad information circulating the Net, it’s sometimes hard to separate fact from fiction. I was just arguing with someone the other day about why goldfish and tropical fish shouldn’t be kept together in the same tank, because apparently people are still saying they can!

Of course, going through all of this information and siphoning out the truth from the myths is a whole different story and deserves a new article of its own. The fact of the matter is: You can’t always trust what you hear. And one wrong move can be detrimental to the well-being of your goldfish.

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Goldfish Care Benefits: 8 Reasons Why You Should Own a Goldfish

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Photo by Lachlan Donald (Flickr)

There are both pros and cons to raising goldfish. But while caring for goldfish can have some amazing and wonderful advantages, you’ll need to keep up with a routine cleaning and feeding schedule and have a good grasp of the requirements for proper goldfish care. You’ll also need to prepare your aquarium first before actually introducing your goldfish to their new home. This includes buying a good-sized goldfish tank, along with aquarium ornaments and plants.

In the end, if you take the time to really understand the fundamentals of goldfish care, your aquarium will quickly become the highlight of any room.

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Goldfish Food and Feeding: The Ultimate Guide

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Note: This guide is massive! To aid reading, I condensed each section and included links to other articles on Complete Goldfish Care that talk about the section in more detail. I also plan to turn this goldfish food guide into a PDF that you can print out and use as a reference for more convenience. Happy feeding!

Feeding Goldfish: The Ultimate Goldfish Food Guide

[Goldfish] are hearty feeders and accomplished beggars, and they will gladly encourage you to overfeed them. – David E. Boruchowitz, author of Aquarium Care of Goldfish

Overfeeding is one of the most common reasons why many goldfish don’t even make it to see their first year. If you’re dabbling with the idea of welcoming a goldfish into your home and have absolutely no idea how much (or even what) to feed your new finned companion, you’re not alone.

Sadly, a majority of new fish owners don’t take the time to learn the essentials of proper goldfish care before buying their first goldfish. Instead, they’ll buy a goldfish from the pet store, put it into a small glass bowl, and feed it to the point where its stomach is about to burst and the filtration system (if they’re using one at all) can’t keep up with the ammonia buildup. Next thing you know, the poor fish is laying on its side – or swimming upside down!

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