Goldfish: Information on origin, keeping and feeding
Goldfish are the most popular ornamental fish. They are purely farmed fish, of which there are now countless species in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.
While some species of these ornamental fish are intended for aquarium keeping, others are suitable as pond fish, which are not affected by the cold winters.
In the following, you will learn everything important about the origin, characteristics and keeping of goldfish. We also explain the role that the right food plays for the health of the animals.
Typical characteristics of goldfish
Goldfish belong to the carp family and are therefore considered to be bony fish. Since goldfish have been bred as ornamental fish for more than 1,000 years, they are now available in numerous different shapes and sizes.
Depending on the species, goldfish reach a length of about 35 centimetres. Although the term goldfish actually refers to the golden yellow to orange colouring of the animals, they also exist in other colours.
Goldfish species
Goldfish were bred in China over 1,000 years ago, so it’s not surprising that well over 100 different breeds are known today.
The following goldfish species, for example, are particularly popular, which in turn are available in various forms:
- The veiltail with its characteristic split tail fin
- The stargazer with his big, upward pointing eyes
- The lion's head without dorsal fin and with a conspicuous fat bulge on the head
If you are currently looking for suitable goldfish for your aquarium or pond, you should be aware that not all available species are allowed and in some cases they are not worthy of support.
We therefore recommend that you obtain sufficient information before you buy and that you only buy permitted goldfish species.
How old do goldfish get?
Goldfish are not only considered to be extremely robust. They are also very durable. Provided you take care to keep them in a species-appropriate way and the animals do not get sick, you can expect an average life expectancy of 20 to 30 years. In individual cases, goldfish even reach an age of up to 40 years.
Origin of the goldfish
The goldfish probably originates from the carp species Gable, also known as silver crucian carp, which is widespread in Eurasia. The origins of today's goldfish probably lie in East Asia. There they were already bred by the Chinese more than 1,000 years ago, which makes them the second oldest ornamental fish species after the koi.
Goldfish have also enjoyed great popularity in Europe for several hundred years. Owning them was initially reserved only for wealthy people, but this changed over time. Today there are even wild goldfish in some rivers and lakes.
Keeping goldfish
Goldfish are quite frugal and their keeping proves to be uncomplicated. However, it is important to pay attention to adequate space conditions and good water quality.
Classic goldfish bowls, which were in fashion for many years, do not meet these criteria to any extent and also do not provide sufficient oxygen content. Keeping them in a goldfish bowl is therefore a safe way to massively reduce the life expectancy of the actually robust ornamental fish.
Instead, you should purchase a sufficiently large aquarium for keeping goldfish. Sufficiently large in this case means a capacity of at least 200 litres. Keeping them in smaller aquariums is certainly possible. However, it is not species-appropriate.
Furthermore, to ensure the water quality it is important to install a three-stage filter suitable for the size of the aquarium. Heating the water is not necessary for keeping goldfish, however, as the aquarium automatically has an adequate temperature due to the ambient temperature in the home.
When keeping larger goldfish, which are intended for garden ponds, it is important to ensure that the water depth is at least 1.5 metres. Otherwise it is not possible to hibernate in the pond.
Goldfish and diseases
Although goldfish are considered to be very robust and normally have effective defenses, these ornamental fish can also get sick naturally. A successful treatment of sick goldfish is often not possible in practice.
One reason for this is that many illnesses in fish cannot be treated with medication and only a manageable number of veterinarians are familiar with ornamental fish. For this reason, prevention and species-appropriate keeping are essential for the health of goldfish.
Amongst other things, follow these tips to avoid diseases in your goldfish:
- Only buy goldfish that appear healthy and keep them in quarantine for a few weeks to prevent the spread of any diseases that may be present.
- After quarantine, do not put the new fish directly into the aquarium, but first exchange a little water so that the animals' defences can adjust to each other.
- Do not put your goldfish directly into a newly created aquarium, but give the newly created ecosystem some time to consolidate. To exclude aquatic plants as transmitters of diseases to your goldfish, new plants should be disinfected before placing them in the aquarium.
Goldfish nutrition
Correct feeding is crucial for maintaining the health of goldfish over the long term. It is important to remember that ornamental fish do not have a feeling of satiety and you are responsible for the correct amount of food.
Give your goldfish only as much food as they can eat in about one minute to avoid obesity and related problems such as liver damage. We also recommend that you feed your goldfish smaller rations several times a day rather than feeding them a large amount of food once a day.
Just like other animals, goldfish also appreciate a little variety in their diet. In addition to conventional goldfish food in the form of tabs or flakes, you may therefore occasionally like to have a little salad or frozen mosquito larvae.
Goldfish and water plants
Existing aquarium plants also serve as a food source for goldfish. When planting, you should therefore take care not only to use plants popular with the fish, such as water plague, but also to stock the aquarium with plants that goldfish do not like to eat.
High quality goldfish food from Aquaris
If the health of your goldfish is important to you, you are making the right choice with pond fish food from Aquaris. The high-quality products provide your goldfish with all necessary nutrients in an optimal way and thus make a valuable contribution to the growth, vitality and resistance of the fish.
In addition, Aquaris ornamental fish foods, such as the Pond Sticks, which are particularly popular with goldfish, are characterised by high digestibility, so that the water is not unnecessarily polluted and polluted.
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