How much salt do you need to keep your goldfish alive and paddling?

It depends on what you’re using the salt for. If you want to prevent goldfish diseases, you won’t need much of it. But if you’re treating goldfish parasites, you might consider a salt bath.

Don’t worry if this all sounds confusing. We’ll walk through it, step by step.

First, we’ll compare different methods on how to use aquarium salt. Then we’ll determine the aquarium salt treatment that’s right for your tank.

Let’s dive in.

Aquarium Salt Treatment #1: Keep Your Tank Salted at All Times

Maintaining a low level of salt in your tank not only treats ugly goldfish diseases.

It prevents them.

An aquarium salt treatment can also be used regularly to reduce goldfish stress and stimulate slime coat production. Plus, salt can kill off parasites harmful to goldfish, nipping one problem in the bud!

How to Use Aquarium Salt Regularly

You don’t need a lot of salt for it to be effective. In fact, I recommend using very little aquarium salt as a preventative.

Let’s take a look at how to use aquarium salt, whether or not you’re treating infections.

• When preventing goldfish diseases: Add ½ teaspoon (or less!) for every gallon (about 4 liters) in your aquarium. After a partial water change, treat the amount of water you took out of the tank.
• When reducing stress or treating parasites: Add 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) for every 5 gallons (19 liters) of aquarium water. If you’re performing a partial water change, only add the correct amount of salt to water taken out.

The higher the dosage, the more concentrated the salt.

When you’re dealing with parasites, you’ll want salt concentrations to be slightly higher than your routine salt treatments. The higher concentration makes the aquarium salt treatment more effective.

This means that killing off icky parasites will be much easier. And at the same time, you’re not stressing out your poor goldfish with the increased salt concentration.

But never add salt when topping off the goldfish tank (replacing evaporated water).

Salt doesn’t evaporate, so you’d be adding more salt than your goldfish need. Too much of an aquarium salt treatment can be very stressful. Only add salt with every water change (and only for the amount of water you took out).

But watch out! This type of treatment does have its drawbacks.

Pitfalls of a Routine Aquarium Salt Treatment

While adding salt regularly can help prevent goldfish diseases, you might run into a few problems.

• Using salt as a preventative can make parasites resistant to salt treatments. So if your goldfish get sick, you may have to stick to medications instead.
• By adding salt all of the time, your goldfish are constantly producing extra slime. This can be as uncomfortable as wearing an extra jacket during the winter season, even if you’re guarding against cold. Salt also acts as an irritant (that’s how it thickens the slime coat!).
• Salt and aquatic plants don’t mix. And some plants simply don’t tolerate salt well. Even so, most plants should do fine with a little bit of aquarium salt.
• A regular dosage can reverse the effects of zeolite (filter media that removes ammonia). Sure, salt recharges zeolite (but only by making it release all of that pent-up ammonia it had absorbed). So if you’re using zeolite in your filter, remove it before an aquarium salt treatment.

With so many disadvantages, should you even add salt regularly?

If you’re maintaining healthy conditions in your aquarium, your goldfish aren’t likely to get sick in the first place. So you wouldn’t really need to use salt as a preventative.

But it’s up to you. This type of aquarium salt treatment might be useful if you’re keeping goldfish in uncomfortable conditions temporarily. It will help prevent infections until you can move your goldfish to their primary home.

If you prefer only to use salt when your goldfish are sick, there’s a better method. It’s called the salt dip.

Aquarium Salt Treatment #2: Only Treat Your Tank When Needed

One school of thought is that salt doesn’t belong in tanks at all times.

Instead, many aquarists like to use salt only to treat stress and parasites – when there are symptoms. Aquarium salt can also be used in emergency situations, when nitrite levels are at their peak. And it’s particularly effective in quarantine and hospital tanks.

You can either add salt directly into the aquarium (1 tablespoon or 3 teaspoons per 5 gallons) or perform a salt dip (a short-term salt bath).

Below, we’ll talk about the latter – how to give your goldfish a salt bath. But first, you’ll want to set up a hospital or quarantine tank your goldfish will stay in until you’ve eradicated all parasites in the main aquarium.

Already have a quarantine tank up and running? Great! Let’s move on to the next step…

How to Use Aquarium Salt in a Salt Dip to Treat Infections

Doing a salt dip is actually pretty easy (even though the very idea may be a bit scary!).

By exposing your goldfish to salt temporarily, you can quickly eradicate parasites. And all you need is a 5-gallon bucket or tank with a working airstone (make sure to attach it to the appropriate air pump), some aquarium water, and the salt of course!

How to use aquarium salt in a salt dip? Let’s walk through the steps.

1. Fill a bucket with aquarium water (remember how many gallons that bucket can hold). Make sure it has the same temperature and pH as your tank water. You don’t want to shock your goldfish!
2. Mix the salt solution. Pour in 30 teaspoons of non-iodized salt for every gallon (4 liters) of water (source). Stir the solution until the salt is dissolved.
3. Gently scoop your goldfish into the aquarium salt treatment. Wait five minutes, observing how your goldfish react to the water. If your goldfish act a bit odd, that’s normal. But if they roll over or rest to the side and can’t right themselves, return them to the quarantine tank (you may have to use the former salt treatment method or medicate instead). If all is well and your goldfish continue to swim upright, keep up treatment for 55 minutes more or up to a total of 2 hours (source).
4. Move your goldfish to a quarantine tank. This tank should have the same temperature and pH levels as the aquarium salt treatment. Ideally, you’ll want to use a fully-cycled 20-gallon aquarium (for one or two goldfish). But for a single goldfish, a 10-gallon quarantine tank may work as well.
5. Treat the primary aquarium to get rid of any remaining parasites. You can use salt or a medication for this. Once you’re sure that you’ve killed off all parasites (this will depend on the parasite life cycle), you can re-introduce (acclimate) your goldfish to their now parasite-free environment.

A salt dip can head off potentially nasty infections, deteriorating slime coats, painful wounds, and a bulk of other problems. But because salt doesn’t evaporate, you should remove the aquarium salt treatment with a series of water changes once you’ve killed the parasites.

One Disadvantage of a Salt Dip: It Can Be Stressful!

Luckily, your goldfish won’t stay in the salt solution for very long. And by the time you’re done with treatment, your goldfish should be parasite free!

But during the aquarium salt treatment, keep an eye on your goldfish.

If your goldfish aren’t responsive, give them a soft pat to get them moving. If even that doesn’t work, remove your fish from the aquarium salt treatment right away. Some goldfish diseases can take a toll on fish – and your goldfish might be too weak for the salt dip.

Of course, you’ll still need to treat the entire aquarium after the salt dip. So keep your goldfish in a quarantine tank until you’ve exterminated every last parasite.

Which Method Is More Effective?

You’ve learned how to use aquarium salt. But which aquarium salt treatment is your best bet?

Choose the option that makes the most sense to you.

Many goldfish hobbyists recommend using a salt dip when necessary, but adding salt to your aquarium regularly can reduce stress when goldfish are already in an uncomfortable environment.

But while salt can be a good preventative, you also want the immune system to keep running strong (and regularly putting salt in the tank can make parasites more immune to the salt, especially if you don’t change concentrations).

Regardless of which choice you make, stay away from salts with additives!

The extra stuff in table salt can be harmful. Special aquarium salt (designed for freshwater fish), non-iodized rock salt, or kosher salt is generally what you will want to work with.

Anything else might endanger your aquatic friends – and that’s the opposite of what you want an aquarium salt treatment to do.

Your Turn: How Do You Use Aquarium Salt?

What to do you think? Should you add salt regularly or only when you need it? What’s your preferred method of treatment?

Post your thoughts in the comment section below!

The post How to Use Aquarium Salt: An Aquarium Salt Treatment Guide appeared first on Complete Goldfish Care.

“Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink.”

You might know this quote from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. A man is adrift on the ocean, water as far as the eye can see and yet dying of thirst because people can’t drink salt water.

Tough break.

But for goldfish, freshwater aquarium salt (when used effectively) can provide many benefits. Too much, of course, and you’ll do more harm than good – just like with any substance that is overdosed.

Already know the benefits? Skip to the aquarium salt treatment guide to determine how much salt to put into your aquarium

But if you’re new to salt treatments, the very concept might sound ridiculous. Why on earth would you add aquarium salt? After all, goldfish are freshwater fish.

Why Salt Is Good for Goldfish (Not So Much for Humans)

Actually, adding salt to a freshwater tank isn’t too unheard of. Not at all.

You might already know that salt reduces stress. You’ve probably heard that salt treats parasites, even. But one benefit that isn’t often talked about is osmoregulation.

The cells in your goldfish contain a specific salinity (or salt and water balance). At every moment, small traces of salt trickles back into the water from your goldfish’s body. To keep up with this, your goldfish have to constantly reabsorb small amounts of salt from the environment.

Luckily, aquarium water naturally provides some salt – though the amount of salt in a freshwater aquarium is much smaller than the salt density in a saltwater aquarium. And rightly so, because too much salt could seriously hurt – even kill – your goldfish!

But by adding a small amount of freshwater aquarium salt during stress, you’re boosting the salinity in your aquarium just enough to make things easier for your goldfish. This can have all sorts of benefits.

• Freshwater aquarium salt reduces stress. Some goldfish diseases can stop the gills from functioning properly. If your goldfish don’t absorb enough electrolytes from the water (because they’re under stress), they could go into an osmotic shock. Salt replenishes much-needed electrolytes, helping your goldfish maintain a healthy flow of oxygen and carbon dioxide.
• Aquarium salt helps goldfish recover faster from infections. When small amounts of aquarium salt are added, your goldfish don’t have to work as hard (or absorb as much water) to maintain the salt density in their bodies. Your goldfish actually save more energy to fight off diseases and heal painful scrapes – very much like how rest helps you and me recover from nasty colds.
• Aquarium salt kills off parasites. Freshwater aquarium salt disrupts the salt/water balance in the cells of harmful organisms, dehydrating them until they let go of your goldfish and eventually die off. For this reason, salt baths are particularly effective treatments for parasite infections.
• Freshwater aquarium salt prevents nitrite poisoning. If your filter suddenly stops working or you’ve just set up a new tank (that isn’t fully cycled), nitrite levels may spike – and nitrite poisoning can be deadly! Chloride ions in aquarium salt reduce nitrite absorption, preventing nitrite poisoning when nitrite levels are high.

Some invertebrates (like snails) and plants are very sensitive to salt. And if your aquarium uses zeolite to cut down on ammonia, effects may be reversed during a salt treatment. Always remove sensitive invertebrates and zeolite before adding any type of salt.

Freshwater aquarium salt can be used as a preventative to help keep your goldfish healthy or as a treatment to cure common goldfish diseases (especially when parasites are to blame).

But what type of salt should you use? Let’s look at your options.

Keeping Salt Goldfish Friendly: 3 Types of Freshwater Aquarium Salt

Some salt (like table salt) can be bad news for goldfish. Luckily, you’re not just limited to table salt.

Adding salt regularly? Aquarium salt is a good choice. But if you want to keep your options open, rock and kosher salt are healthy alternatives.

• Freshwater aquarium salt is quite different from the salt you keep in your kitchen cabinet. Created from evaporated sea water, this salt contains no harmful additives like table salt and is specifically made for freshwater aquariums. Plus, you can buy it from any pet shop where fish are sold.
• Non-iodized rock salt and kosher salt are made up of just sodium chloride (unlike table salt that can contain iodine and calcium silicate). No extra ingredients are added, making these types of salt great for goldfish aquariums.

When introducing salt to the aquarium, never use table salt that contains additives. Toxic additives and spices in table salt can be deadly to goldfish.

Aquarium salt is a powerful tool against stress and parasite infections. But don’t overdo it!

Like all freshwater fish, goldfish can only take so much salt before it becomes harmful. When performing a salt treatment, keep an eye out for signs of stress. Reduce treatment or stop treatment altogether if your goldfish seem agitated.

Do You Treat Your Aquarium with Salt?

What type of salt do you use? Do you regularly add freshwater aquarium salt as a preventative or only as a treatment when you notice signs of stress?

Add your suggestions to the comment field below!

The post Should You Add Freshwater Aquarium Salt to a Goldfish Tank? appeared first on Complete Goldfish Care.

Just like water changes, aquarium water testing should be part of your regular routine.

Most goldfish tanks should be tested at least once per week (or more frequently within the first months of setting up a new aquarium) and when you notice goldfish disease symptoms.

Aquarium test kits are absolutely vital for monitoring and keeping water parameters in your tank under control. By testing the water weekly, you’ll discover potential disasters before your goldfish’s lives are on the line.

You probably already discovered dozens of freshwater test kits on the market – each testing for completely different things!

So which water parameters should you test?

Vital Tests First: 4 Aquarium Water Testing Kits You Can’t Do Without

Some aquarium water testing kits need to be used weekly to keep your tank water healthy and clean – ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH are in the front of the line.

It doesn’t matter if your tank is just getting established or you’re in the sixth year running. If ammonia and nitrite run rampant in your aquarium, it could spell disaster for your goldfish!

Just getting the nitrogen cycle started? You can watch the stages unfold by testing for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. You may also want to test for pH, since pH can have a direct impact on how harmful ammonia is (and drastic pH changes can kill your goldfish!).

Let’s talk water parameters. We’ll take a quick dive into what each parameter is, how it impacts water quality, the best test kit to use, and why aquarium water testing should help.

1. Ammonia

Ammonia is produced when uneaten food and waste break down.

To beneficial bacteria, ammonia makes a delicious feast! But if the nitrogen cycle hasn’t completed (or something kills off all your good bacteria), ammonia can cause serious damage. Prevent problems with an aquarium water testing kit.

• Always keep ammonia at 0ppm (parts per million). Just getting your tank started? Sometimes small traces are inevitable (keep ammonia at 0.06ppm until the nitrogen cycle runs its course).
• Change the water immediately if ammonia is found in an established tank. Find the source. Ammonia is common in overcrowded tanks or when goldfish are overfed, especially when the biological filter can’t keep up.
• Ammonia can be tested weekly with an API Ammonia Test Kit (liquid reagent) or master test kit.

In an established tank, ammonia should never be a problem.

2. Nitrite

Nitrite is developed when beneficial bacteria break down ammonia.

Usually your biological filter will convert nitrite into nitrate before it’s a problem. But if ammonia gets out of hand, nitrite may soon follow.

• Keep nitrite at 0ppm (or below 0.75ppm if starting the nitrogen cycle).
• If nitrite levels increase over 0.75ppm, perform an immediate water change and boost aeration. Often, high nitrite levels can mean there’s a serious problem with ammonia (and the biological filtration in your aquarium).
• Test nitrite weekly, either with an API Nitrite Test Kit or master aquarium water testing kit.

While nitrite is only slightly less harmful than ammonia, it is still very toxic (and fatal) to goldfish.

3. Nitrate

Created when nitrite is broken down in the last stage of the nitrogen cycle, nitrate doesn’t harm goldfish unless levels are high.

Struggling with algae? Large traces of nitrate can attract this pretty common, yet very vexing plant, leading to unpleasant algal blooms.

• Keep nitrate levels below 40ppm (5 to 20ppm is ideal).
• If nitrate levels are high, perform a partial water change. Nitrate shouldn’t be a problem if you keep up with tank maintenance and aquarium water testing.
• Test nitrate weekly, either with an API Nitrate Test Kit or master test kit.

Nitrate should never be a problem if you’re performing regular water changes.

4. pH

pH measures how acidic or alkaline (basic) your aquarium water is, on a scale of 0 to 14.

The lower the reading, the more acidic your water is. When pH levels hit 6.5, the beneficial bacteria that keep ammonia under control start having trouble and the nitrogen cycle stops altogether at a pH of 6.0 and below (source) – this can cause dangerous ammonia spikes!

Likewise, the higher the reading, the more alkaline the water is. Ammonia is actually more toxic to goldfish when pH is high (source), while nitrite is more toxic at lower (acidic) pH levels (source). Also not good.

A reading of 7 is always neutral, and water hardness can affect pH.

• Goldfish love alkaline water and prefer a pH of 7.2 to 7.6. Though, even if the pH is close to this range (but not quite there), your goldfish should still do well.
• You should only change extreme pH readings and only do so in very small increments (drastic changes can kill goldfish). Use a product like PH Up or PH Down to raise or lower pH.
• Keep pH levels constant (and avoid changing it unless absolutely necessary). Test for pH weekly or if ammonia or nitrite become a problem, either with an API PH Test Kit or master test kit.

Instead of buying each test separately, you can save a little money and purchase a freshwater master test kit that includes tests for all four water parameters in one box.

Aquarium water testing kits can be purchased anywhere tank equipment is sold. You can also let your local pet store analyze a portion of your aquarium water. Watch out, though. Depending on the shop, there might be a small fee.

Keep test kits handy and you can ensure that water parameters never fall below the safe range. By maintaining top-quality water with aquarium water testing, your goldfish will thank you with vibrant colors and happy, long lives.

5 Useful Water Parameters Every Aquarist Should Consider

You can test for just about any imaginable water parameter in your aquarium.

Photo by Yuko (Flickr)

Master freshwater test kits give you everything you need to test well-known water parameters like pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. But while these four are the most important, you shouldn’t brush aside other helpful parameters as well.

When aquarium water testing, the following water parameters can help.

1. Copper

Copper is generally only a problem when using copper-based medications to kill off parasites (like white spot disease). Sometimes you may also notice copper in your tap water.

It helps to keep track of copper concentrations when treating parasite diseases. Aquarium water testing lets you know when copper-based medications are effective or if you should stop treatment (if copper gets out of hand).

• 1.5 to 2ppm of chelated copper sulfate (used in Mardel CopperSafe) is often recommended for treatment (source). When using any copper-based medication, follow the directions on the bottle.
• Test copper levels (0 to 4ppm) with an API Copper Test Kit.

Some invertebrates are very sensitive to copper and high traces of it are lethal to goldfish. Be careful to only use the correct dosage during any treatment with medication.

2. Chlorine

Chlorine in untreated tap water can be a huge problem – especially for goldfish! Luckily, there are many products (water conditioners) you can use to remove it. Learn more about how water conditioners work in this tap water conditioner guide.

If chlorine makes you nervous, you can test your conditioned tap water for chlorine before pouring it into your aquarium. But testing for chlorine won’t be necessary if you’re using a good water conditioner.

• There should be no chlorine in aquarium water.
• Tetra EasyStrips has a chlorine test built in (also tests nitrite, nitrate, GH, KH, and pH).

If chlorine is found in your aquarium water, it can literally kill your goldfish overnight! Always treat tap water with a water conditioner.

3. General Hardness (GH)

General hardness lets you know how hard or soft your aquarium water is.

The more dissolved minerals (like calcium and magnesium), the harder the water is. Low traces of dissolved minerals indicate that the aquarium water is soft.

• While goldfish do fine in both hard and soft water, 200 to 400ppm might be ideal.
• You can test both general hardness and carbonate hardness with an aquarium water testing kit.

4. Carbonate Hardness (KH)

Carbonate hardness helps keep the pH in your aquarium stable.

The lower the KH, the more pH can change (pH crashes are dangerous!). Increasing the carbonate hardness can prevent pH shifts.

• Raise KH when pH shifts become a problem, but don’t raise it too high. Water with a high KH (200ppm or more) may have high pH levels (source).
• Test carbonate hardness and general hardness with an aquarium water testing kit.

5. Phosphate

When wastes break down, phosphates are released into the water. While phosphate won’t hurt your goldfish, too much of it can cause unsightly algae growth.

• If algal blooms are an issue, testing phosphate might pinpoint the problem. The lower the phosphate, the better (in an unplanted tank). In planted aquariums, you may want to have a nitrate/phosphate ratio of 10:1.
• Test phosphate levels, from 0 to 10ppm, with an API Phosphate Test Kit.

Raising goldfish is a big responsibility. After all, their lives depend on your care!

While it may be easy to get caught up in things like aquarium size, shiny pebbled substrate, and vibrant foliage, you should never overlook water quality.

Crystal-clear water will trick you.

It’s impossible to tell whether the water is healthy for your goldfish unless you regularly test the water. You don’t have to test every water parameter listed above, but you should make aquarium water testing a habit (at the very minimum, test for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate).

Which Water Parameters Do You Test?

Do you test for certain water parameters? Has it helped you prevent infections?

Share your aquarium water testing experiences by submitting a comment below!

The post Aquarium Water Testing Made Easy: 9 Handy Water Parameters appeared first on Complete Goldfish Care.

Ammonia burns, agitated gills, and deteriorating fins.

Poor water quality can impact your goldfish in a myriad of ways. Sometimes, your goldfish might be so out of shape to even wiggle off their bottoms to eat. And if the water gets too far out of hand, your goldfish may not recover.

Prevent problems before they start.

Like all fish, goldfish are sensitive to water chemistry – particularly the amount of ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate in the water. But unlike many tropical fish, goldfish can make such a big mess – and excrete so much waste – that the beneficial bacteria in your aquarium won’t be able to handle it all without a good filtration system and regular water changes.

Aquarium test kits are so easy to use, yet so very crucial, it’s amazing how many hobbyists skip this one vital step.

How Do Aquarium Test Kits Work?

The water may look clear, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe for your goldfish. In fact, the water could be burning your goldfish’s gills and you wouldn’t even know it!

Photo by Jellaluna (Flickr)

Unless either the water became so unbearable to reveal visible signs of stress or you were using freshwater aquarium test kits on a weekly basis (which you should).

Providing a safe space for your goldfish isn’t as simple as just filling a tank with tap water (treated with a water conditioner of course).

Dangerous toxins are often invisible to the naked eye. Aquarium test kits help you find problem areas before they do serious harm to your fish.

If you…

• Suddenly start losing goldfish,
• Notice signs of stress,
• Or your goldfish become sick

…there might be something wrong with the water.

Not only do aquarium test kits help you find and prevent problems that could lead to serious goldfish diseases, you can watch the nitrogen cycle in real time when you first set up a new tank. In fact, testing for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate is the only way you’ll know whether your aquarium is fully cycled (and if you can add goldfish safely).

You don’t even have to know anything about water chemistry before testing water quality. No, really.

Aquarium test kits aren’t complicated – at all!

So Many Choices! Which Test Kit to Buy?

Inexpensive and long-lasting, freshwater aquarium test kits can save you a lot of trouble.

And if you ever get tired of buying different kits for each water parameter, you can pick up a freshwater master test kit that includes everything you need to test multiple parameters at once (saving money over the long run).

From test strips to liquid test kits, there are many types on the market. How are they different? Let’s take a look.

Water Test Strips (Dip Sticks)

If you’re constantly running errands or work around a busy schedule, you’ll love the convenience of these aquarium test kits.

• Water test strips are easy to use, providing results in literally minutes. Because they only require a quick dip in aquarium water, they’re especially popular with children and first-time fish owners.
• On the flip side, test strips can lose accuracy when exposed to air moisture. You may also pay more for the convenience.

Water test strips are simple to use, making water testing both fun and easy – especially for children!

Just quickly dip a strip into your aquarium water and wait for the results. Depending on the brand, it might take a minute or two. After colors develop on the test strip, compare the results with a chart that’s included in the kit.

Tetra EasyStrips (6-in-1 Test Strips) makes water testing painlessly easy. Designed for busy folks with hectic schedules, Tetra EasyStrips saves you time by testing multiple parameters at once.

Determine the health of your aquarium water with minimal effort. With just a quick dip of the test strip, you can receive accurate results in as little as 60 seconds.

Easy-to-use test strips include six common tests: chlorine, nitrite, nitrate, general hardness (GH), carbonate hardness (KH), and pH. With 25 or 100-strip packages, you can test each parameter up to 100 times.

Looking for ammonia test strips? They can be purchased separately.

Air moisture is one of the main reasons for inaccuracy. Avoid touching the test squares and always keep water test strips in a dry, air-tight container.

Liquid Test Kits

Known for their accuracy, these aquarium test kits use liquid reagents to test aquarium water. They’re a great alternative if you want to save a little money and don’t mind the extra preparation time.

• Liquid test kits can be more reliable than water test strips. Each kit also offers plenty of testing solution for hundreds of tests, and you only have to wait a few minutes for results to show.
• More difficult to use with a longer preparation time, liquid test kits can be overdosed. Discolored water may also tamper with results.

To test, simply fill a vial with aquarium water (don’t worry, your freshwater aquarium test kit will come with one!) and drip the testing liquid into the vial, following the instructions in your kit.

Certain parameters will require a specific number of drops of the testing solution. For other tests, you may need to give the vial a quick shake to mix the liquid. Once results develop, you can then compare them on a chart included with your liquid test kit.

A complete kit for testing the most vital water parameters, API Freshwater Master Test Kit offers over 800 highly-accurate tests in a single kit.

Equipped with everything you need to monitor water quality, this master test kit comes with a laminated color chart for easy color comparison, a holding tray for convenient storage, and four test tubes with snap-tight lids. A transparent dome protects your testing supplies from water damage.

An instruction booklet is also included, with detailed step-by-step directions on how to perform each test and correct problem areas in your aquarium.

Liquid solutions test for pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate.

To prevent problems, fill the vial exactly where the line indicates. And follow the instructions exactly as they appear in your instruction booklet.

For most aquarium test kits, shelf life can range from 6 months to 2 years (sometimes even longer). Make sure you pay careful attention to the expiration date and replace testing supplies once the expiration is reached (or your results might not be accurate!).

It helps to keep a record of your test results, so you can compare them later to previous tests. Then you have a constant visual of how the water chemistry is improving in your aquarium (and can make changes if you aren’t seeing good results!).

Water testing may seem daunting at first. But aquarium test kits make actual testing very simple, even for a complete beginner! You’ll get the hang of it in no time and, trust me, your goldfish will be happier for it.

The post Aquarium Test Kits: What You Don’t Know <em>Can</em> Hurt Goldfish appeared first on Complete Goldfish Care.

Goldfish need vegetables in their diet.

Without the leafy greens they crave, goldfish can develop nutritional deficiencies down the road. If you continued to give your goldfish just protein snacks, they’d become sick and lethargic, even flipping upside down.

Fancy goldfish especially are known for their swimming problems.

These fish have bulky bodies and tightly packed organs. Because of the distorted arrangement of their swim bladder and digestive tract, fancy goldfish aren’t strangers to constipation. If you have a floating-sensitive fish, your goldfish would appreciate more fiber, pre-soaked dry pellets, and a varied diet.

What better way to give your fish the nutrients they need than by feeding goldfish peas?

Why Feed Green Peas to Goldfish?

Two reasons.

1. Unlike this vegetable, green peas sink when placed under water. Sinking goldfish food is especially important for sensitive fish because they won’t have to search for food at the water surface… and suck in air bubbles while they’re at it.
2. Green peas are especially rich in fiber. According to this article, one cup of peas contains 7 grams of dietary fiber. That’s more than broccoli (2.4 grams), lettuce (1 gram), and spinach (0.7 of a gram) combined.

Fiber helps goldfish prevent constipation (and other known symptoms of swim bladder problems).

You might feed your goldfish a stable diet of dry and freeze-dried food, but without fiber from fresh vegetables, your goldfish might develop a blockage in the digestive tract. This blockage can cause your goldfish to lose equilibrium, have difficulty swimming, and even swim upside down!

Prevent Constipation By Feeding Goldfish Peas

Many goldfish hobbyists believe that green peas help push trapped air and food blockages from the digestive tract.

Photo by Liz West

The fact remains that without enough fiber, your goldfish will not be able to release waste after a feeding. This waste buildup can cause serious harm.

Goldfish are ravenous eaters and often poop out buckets. Without enough fiber to help bowel movements along, waste that your goldfish are constantly developing will get stuck and put pressure on the swim bladder (source). This pressure will prevent the swim bladder from inflating and deflating as it should. This causes goldfish to swim erratically.

Fancy goldfish with egg-shaped bodies are especially sensitive to swim bladder problems because of how their internal organs are positioned in the body. Often these organs are compressed to make up for their round body shape. The slightest blockage can put pressure on the swim bladder and prevent fancy goldfish from swimming properly.

At the same time, too much fiber will prevent your goldfish from absorbing important nutrients into the body (source), so it’s best to find a balance.

Fresh peas are very high in fiber, so they’re particularly effective for treating constipation (over other vegetables).

Feeding goldfish peas occasionally can prevent constipation, but don’t overdo it. We’ll talk about how many peas to feed (and when) later in this article.

While fresh peas can solve some floating problems, feeding goldfish peas won’t heal genetic swim bladder disease or permanently damaged swim bladders. Peas also won’t cure bacterial infections that may cause swim bladder problems. Feeding goldfish peas will only treat floating problems related to constipation.

Feeding Peas to Goldfish: A Step-By-Step Guide

Constipation can easily be prevented with a quality nutritional diet.

In this section we’ll take a look at how many peas to feed and how to prepare fresh peas before feeding time, including a step-by-step guide on feeding goldfish peas.

How Many Peas and How Often to Feed?

You know what they say…

A green pea a day week keeps the doctor away.

Green peas work great as a preventative against constipation, treatment for constipation, or nutritious snack. But you don’t want to go overboard. Too many peas will prevent your goldfish from absorbing some important nutrients they need to stay healthy.

If you’re…

• Treating constipation: Feed your goldfish a sole diet of peas daily for 3 days. If your fish are still constipated, you can continue feeding goldfish peas for 2 more days. If peas don’t solve the problem after 5 days, it’s likely that your goldfish aren’t constipated (and are suffering from poor water quality, a bacterial infection, internal parasites, or permanent swim bladder damage). When feeding goldfish peas, only feed 2-3 peas per goldfish. Young goldfish can receive half this amount. After treatment, resume your goldfish’s regular diet (and go easy on the feeding from now on).
• Preventing constipation: Feed goldfish fresh peas once per week to keep fiber levels up. Also include fresh vegetables twice per week for a well-rounded diet. Vegetables should be fed to supplement your goldfish’s stable diet of dry food. Fancy goldfish sensitive to swim bladder problems may also benefit from one day of fasting every week. Feed 2-3 peas per adult goldfish. Half this amount for younger goldfish.

As with any food you give your goldfish, too much of a good nutrient can be harmful. Striking a balance is key for long-lasting goldfish that thrive.

But don’t worry. If you follow the recommendations in this guide, you shouldn’t run into problems.

Let’s walk through the steps.

Step 1: Buy Fresh Peas from the Store

There are several varieties of peas you can feed to your goldfish. Each kind has its own nutritional value.

Photo by Andrew_Writer

• Garden peas – Garden peas are the most common variety found in stores. They may need to be chopped up for younger goldfish to consume.
• Snow peas – Snow peas are also called sugar peas and are very sweet. They’re pretty small, so it’s a lot easier to break them into bite-sized chunks.
• Snap peas – Snap peas are also sweet, though they’re about the size of garden peas. Snap peas may need to be chopped before feeding.
• Frozen peas – Frozen peas are a great alternative to fresh vegetables. You’ll need to thaw them out or run them under hot water though.
• Split peas – Split peas are bought dried, peeled, and split into two halves. While split peas need to be soaked in hot water (step 2), you can skip step 3 and step 4 in this guide.
• Canned peas – Canned vegetables are very high in sodium. Unless you buy all natural canned peas without added preservatives, I wouldn’t recommend them.

Goldfish aren’t fussy. They could care less what kind of peas you give them. You don’t even have to buy them organic.

Don’t buy seasoned peas for your goldfish though. Spices will make your goldfish sick and could cause serious harm.

My personal favorite is frozen peas. They’re easy to keep, easy to prepare, and can stay in your freezer for several years.

Step 2: Soften Green Peas for Consumption

Before feeding goldfish peas, remove peas from the pod if you bought them attached.

Now let’s prepare the meal.

You can soften peas one of three ways.

• Rinse your peas off with warm water. This method works great for frozen peas. Simply rinse frozen peas off with warm water for 15 – 30 seconds. This will soften them just enough for your goldfish. You can then let the peas defrost on a plate or napkin (if you need more time) before commencing to step 3.
• Place fresh peas into the microwave. This is the fastest method to soften fresh peas. Take a microwave-safe bowl and fill it partly with water. Plop in the peas and microwave them on high for 30 – 60 seconds. Take the bowl out and place the peas on a plate to cool off. Wait a couple minutes, then move to step 3.
• Boil fresh peas on the stove top. This method may take longer but is the most effective. Fill a pot partly with water and let the water come to a boil. Drop fresh peas into the pot and reduce heat. Boil the peas for 1 minute before pouring them into a strainer to cool off. Alternatively, you can replace the hot water with cold water instead of using a strainer. Let the peas cool for a couple minutes before moving to step 3.

The trick here is not to soften the peas so much that they’re mushy but just enough so that your goldfish can digest them easily.

If softened just right, the peas should not cloud the water during feeding time.

Step 3: Remove the Skin before Feeding Goldfish Peas

The thin skin around green peas can make your goldfish choke. That is, if it doesn’t get stuck on the roof of the mouth first.

Remove the skin by either…

• Tearing off the skin: With your fingers, tear a small hole into the skin. This hole can then be used to peel off the remaining skin from the pea. Do this for every pea you plan to feed your goldfish. Discard the skin.
• Squeezing the skin: Pinch a corner of the skin and the weight of the pea should help it slide out smoothly. Be careful though; if the insides are too soft, your peas might turn to mush. Complete this process for each pea, then throw away the skin.

I personally like poking a small hole into the skin and then carefully unwrapping the skin from the vegetable. The pea will keep its shape this way. Then you can cut each pea into equal sections (step 4).

Step 4: Cut Fresh Peas into Two Halves

When you remove the skin from green peas, usually each pea will already be divided into two parts with (what would be) the stem of the seed curved along the center. Cut along this line so that each pea is separated into two halves.

You can now feed your goldfish immediately or make the food even easier to eat in step 5.

Sure, you can squish together both halves of the pea to condense it and make it smaller for feeding. But I find the process of feeding goldfish peas to be a lot cleaner if you instead take the time to cut each pea into bite-sized chunks.

Some fish enthusiasts like feeding goldfish peas the second the peas are removed from the skin. However, your goldfish might have a better time enjoying the meal if you cut them up first. Your goldfish will be able to eat fresh peas quickly and the food won’t hang from their mouths while they munch.

Step 5: Slice Each Pea into Smaller Chunks

Do this especially for young goldfish that can’t fit a whole half of a pea in their mouths.

Cut every chunk (that you created in step 4) in half. Each pea should now be separated into 4 small chunks – a nice size to be easily digested.

I find that goldfish are able to eat these smaller chunks more easily than a whole pea. You can even further slice up each pea for smaller fish, though it may not be necessary.

Now you’re ready to feed the newly prepared meal to your goldfish!

Open the aquarium cover and sprinkle in a few chunks at a time. You should only feed 2 – 3 peas per adult goldfish (1 – 2 peas for younger fish).

An hour after feeding goldfish peas, check the substrate for uneaten food and remove them from the gravel (either with a siphon during a water change or a net).

Put leftover peas you didn’t feed into the freezer. You can defrost them and feed them to your goldfish next time.

Your Goldfish Aren’t Eating Peas?

Peas quickly sink to the substrate. If your goldfish have buoyancy problems, they likely won’t be able to get to the peas for feeding.

You can solve this problem by gently holding your goldfish and hand feeding.

Or, you can pick up a few clean toothpicks and push the opposite end of the pick through a whole pea or half a pea. Then hold the toothpick near your goldfish’s mouth for easy access. Make sure you don’t feed your goldfish with the sharp end – you don’t want to accidentally hurt your fish!

Live, frozen, or freeze-dried daphnia can be fed to your goldfish instead to treat constipation if you have daphnia on hand.

Remember: fiber-rich foods are only solutions for goldfish suffering from constipation. Damaged swim bladders are permanent (there isn’t a cure). Floating problems caused by bacteria, internal parasites, or poor water quality require their own special treatments (and can’t be treated by feeding goldfish peas).

Are You Feeding Goldfish Peas?

What types of peas do you feed? How do you prepare your peas for feeding? What other steps do you take before feeding goldfish peas? Have peas worked for you in the past?

What tricks do you use to cure constipation?

Share your experiences. Post tips or feedback in the comments below!

The post Feeding Goldfish Peas: A Detailed Walk-Through (with Images) appeared first on Complete Goldfish Care.

In the second part of the goldfish disease series, we talked about 7 of the most common goldfish ailments that impact freshwater aquariums and ponds. We even looked at 14 goldfish disease symptoms to watch out for.

Now, let’s examine ways to prevent goldfish ailments by pinpointing exactly what caused your goldfish to get sick.

Yes, I know.

You may think you already have it figured out. In the last article, maybe you learned that your goldfish had ich (white spot disease). You probably already killed off the parasites, even.

But have you really treated the problem?

Poor Water Quality: #1 Cause of Goldfish Ailments

Most goldfish fall victim to goldfish diseases when they’re left to swim in murky water conditions, often flooded with poisonous ammonia and unhealthy pH or nitrate levels. You might forget to change the water one week or forgo water tests for a while. You might even give in to your goldfish’s seemingly constant plea for yet another morsel of food.

The next thing you know, your goldfish are on a wild feeding frenzy and pooping out buckets (overfeeding is very bad news for goldfish).

Poor water quality is common, especially in new tanks where goldfish are expected to survive in three-gallon bowls (they can’t, by the way). Poor water quality can also be lethal and cause all sorts of problems (goldfish ailments).

You’ll know when your goldfish are suffering from unhealthy water conditions when they start spending all of their time at the water line, gasping frantically for oxygen. And if you’re doing weekly water tests like you should, you’ll know the second water conditions start to go downhill.

Water tests are an important part of preventing goldfish ailments before they infect your fish.

To successfully treat goldfish ailments, you’ll need to first eliminate the cause – the reason why your goldfish are sick. If poor water quality is causing your goldfish to act strangely, it’s crucial that you make the aquarium environment healthy again before you start medicating. If you don’t, your goldfish might not recover.

Poor water quality is often caused by overfeeding or overcrowding, but it can also result from negligence. Your goldfish need you! They need a responsible owner who can give them high-quality goldfish care, the type of care that will promote long-lasting lives in a clean aquarium environment.

Before doing anything else, perform a water test. Make sure water readings are in the safe zone. And if they’re not, change 25% of the water. You should also vacuum the substrate thoroughly with a water siphon as you complete water changes. Doing so will remove any uneaten food rotting behind the scenes that could cause goldfish ailments.

You can buy a freshwater test kit at your local pet store or order one online. You can even take a water sample with you to the pet store. But get that water tested.

Depending on what the problem is, you’ll need to take different measures to make the water is safe for your goldfish (and prevent goldfish ailments). In the case of an ammonia spike, solving the problem may be as simple as changing 25% of the water every day until the filter can get things under control.

Once you’ve filled the aquarium with conditioned water (you are treating that tap water right?), sick goldfish will be able to breathe more easily with higher oxygen levels in the aquarium. At this time, you’ll also want to identify what caused your goldfish stress.

In the case of poor water quality, why were the water conditions so unhealthy?

Solving Goldfish Ailments: A Deep Look at the Process

We’ve talked about some pretty nasty goldfish diseases in part 2 of the goldfish disease series. By now, you probably think you have a good idea of what your next action steps should be.

If you haven’t done so already, you should really start thinking about what caused your goldfish to get sick in the first place. Was it poor water quality? If so, what caused the poor water quality? Overfeeding? Overcrowding? What can you do about it?

The goal here is to make sure the problem doesn’t happen again – and avoid goldfish ailments as much as possible. If you leave things how they are, you could be putting your goldfish at risk of another infection.

Let’s walk through the process.

1. First, determine the goldfish ailments (what made your fish sick?). Maybe your goldfish are suffering from fin rot. The ends of each fin might have developed cotton-like growths as they’re literally getting eaten away by bacteria.
2. Figure out what caused the infection. We already know one of the leading causes of fin rot is poor water quality. After testing the water you discover that an ammonia spike has run rampant in your tank and your goldfish suffered as a result.
3. Pinpoint how the water got so out of hand. Thinking back, you remember that you purchased a new goldfish a couple months ago. Could the aquarium be overcrowded?
4. Confirm the problem. If you read my goldfish tank guide, you’ll remember that fancy goldfish need at least 10 gallons of water per fish. Your aquarium is only 46 gallons and you already had it stocked with four goldfish before you bought the new calico ryukin goldfish. Now you have five goldfish in a 46 gallon aquarium. Your tank is definitely overcrowded!
5. Try to solve the problem. Now what can you do? The best course of action would be to buy a bigger tank, preferably a 60-gallon aquarium. If you’re on a tight budget, get one used. But what if you can’t afford a new tank right now?
6. Look for a temporary solution. You might decide to buy a cheap 106 quart Sterilite storage container (about 26.5 gallons, safe for one or two fancy goldfish) to take some weight off of the main aquarium until you can upgrade it. It won’t look nice, but at least your aquarium will no longer be overcrowded. And it will definitely prevent goldfish ailments, keeping water readings on a healthier level until you can afford a bigger aquarium.
7. Search for other solutions. Make sure your filter is in good working order. Clean out any waste buildup with hot water (don’t use soap!). You should also rinse out the filter cartridge with aquarium water (don’t use tap water!) to remove excess waste.
8. Find other problem areas. You admit that you have been a little lax in water changes lately.
9. Fix each new problem. You should probably step up your water changes. You may have to perform more frequent partial water changes (and change 25% of the water three times per week instead of only once per week). You should also schedule your water changes on a calendar so you don’t forget.
10. Check if the original problem is fixed. When you test the water, does ammonia stay at 0ppm (parts per million)? If so, you’ve solved the problem! Awesome work. If not, you still may have some fixing up to do. Go back over steps 8 and 9 to find other problem areas.
11. Prevent goldfish ailments. You’ve made the aquarium environment safe for goldfish, but you’re not home free yet! What else could you be doing weekly to prevent further water quality issues? For starters, you should always test the water regularly (so you’re aware of uncomfortable water conditions before they cause goldfish ailments). Especially in an overcrowded tank where water can deteriorate quickly.

If you took the temporary solution in the above scenario, you didn’t completely solve the water quality problem but you did improve it.

Make that aquarium purchase a priority. If you absolutely can’t afford a larger goldfish tank, you should give some of your goldfish away to friends who can. To completely treat overcrowding, you’ll need to upgrade your aquarium as soon as possible. Otherwise, your tank will remain overcrowded and susceptible to goldfish ailments.

Are You Asking the Right Questions?

Treating goldfish ailments can be tough, especially the persistent ones that don’t want to leave your aquarium alone.

Photo by Katie Brady (Flickr)

If a goldfish disease is running rampant in your aquarium, it’s important that you know what caused the problem in the first place. We’ve given you an example in the last section of how this process might look like. But your problem might be very different from the one above.

To solve your unique situation, ask these questions.

• Have I tested the water recently? Freshwater test kits are affordable and many include easy-to-follow instruction manuals that make monitoring the aquarium water simple and painless. You should test your aquarium for ammonia, pH, nitrate, and nitrite weekly to ensure that your water is always safe for your goldfish. I personally use an API Master Test Kit. It works well and lasts a couple years before I have to buy replacements. If the water ever gets out of hand, I’m able to prevent goldfish ailments because I can see immediately what went wrong.
• Have I quarantined new fish or plants for at least two weeks before placing them with my healthy goldfish? If not, make a commitment to quarantine from now on. Parasites are most common in aquariums with new fish, so you don’t want to put all of your healthy goldfish at risk by not taking safety precautions first.
• Did I pour questionable or unconditioned water in the aquarium? Remember to treat tap water with a water conditioner like Prime or AquaSafe each future water change. After purchasing a new fish, never dump water from the plastic bag into your aquarium. If you’re not sure what could be swimming in the water, pour it down the drain.
• Does the aquarium have enough oxygen? Poorly oxygenated water could mean that there’s a problem with your filter. Your filter might be clogged or the filter cartridge could do with a rinsing out. You might even need a new filter if yours is broken or not functioning optimally. Poorly oxygenated water can cause stress and make your fish susceptible to goldfish ailments.
• You should have either a power filter or canister filter for your tank. I personally use a Marineland Penguin Power Filter. It has lasted me years and comes with a bio wheel for extra oxygen.
• Whatever filter you use, you’ll want one with a flow rate (gallons per hour or gph) that is at least 10 times your tank volume. So a 20-gallon aquarium that can keep one or two fancy goldfish will need a filter with a flow rate of around 200 gph.
• It might also help to include an extra air stone or two to keep the water well aerated. Some aquarium decorations have built-in air stones for this purpose.
• Is my aquarium overcrowded? Remember, one or two fancy goldfish are most comfortable in aquariums that can hold a minimum of 20 gallons of water. For each additional fancy goldfish, you should add an extra 10 gallons of water. Otherwise, your goldfish might be susceptible to goldfish ailments. See my goldfish tank guide for more details.
• Have I been doing routine water changes? Depending on water readings, your goldfish tank might require more or less frequent water changes. I personally like to change my aquarium water once per week, and I take out 25% each water change. In addition to this, I test the water weekly and rinse out the filter media with aquarium water during each water change. You might have a similar routine, but make sure you do those water changes!
• Was there a sudden temperature drop in the aquarium? It’s recommended that you never place your goldfish tank near a window for this reason; sudden temperature changes can cause problems for fish. Goldfish ailments are more common when your fish are stressed, so make sure your aquarium either stays at a steady temperature or the temperature doesn’t change too drastically.
• Is my goldfish being fed quality food? If you’re unsure, take a look at my goldfish food guide for tips on what to feed your goldfish. Goldfish need a nutritional diet in order to stay healthy. Make sure you vary the diet to ensure your goldfish are getting the right nutrients. When feeding dry food, I typically alternate between Hikari Lionhead pellets, Omega One Sinking Pellets, and New Life Spectrum Pellets. My goldfish seem to like this combo, since they never know which brand they’re going to get each day. All three brands are very high quality, and I’ve noticed that my goldfish search for food more vigorously since the switch from Tetra food brands.
• Is there uneaten food at the bottom of the tank? You could be overfeeding your goldfish. Avoid goldfish ailments by vacuuming the substrate with a water siphon to remove any uneaten food that might foul the water. This is best done during your weekly water change (or after accidentally overfeeding). If overfeeding is a problem, consider feeding your goldfish less often (and less food per feeding).

These questions were designed to help you puzzle through common goldfish problems. Get in the habit of asking questions and always try to figure out ways you can avoid future goldfish ailments in the aquarium.

Keeping fish healthy is much easier than treating them if they become ill. – David E. Boruchowitz, author of Aquarium Care of Goldfish

Prevention is the key to keeping healthy goldfish that thrive. Remember to quarantine new fish or plants (if bought from an aquarium where fish are present) for at least two weeks before placing them in the same aquarium with healthy goldfish.

Don’t risk the health of your goldfish.

Always maintain a healthy aquarium environment by giving your goldfish the appropriate amount of water to swim around in (10 gallons of water per fancy goldfish), testing the water on a weekly basis, practicing routine water changes, making sure your tank is well oxygenated, and feeding your goldfish a high quality diet to prevent goldfish ailments.

Goldfish that are properly cared for will live long, enriching lives. You owe it to your pets to give them the goldfish care they need to thrive. So observe your goldfish carefully, catch goldfish ailments early, and treat harmful goldfish diseases quickly. Then take preventative measures to keep your goldfish healthy.

What Do You Think?

How do you prevent goldfish ailments? Do you have any tips for first-time goldfish hobbyists? Post your suggestions in the comment box below!

The post Prevent Goldfish Ailments: Determine the Root of the Problem appeared first on Complete Goldfish Care.