# Goldfish questions...



## Raventhorn (Apr 28, 2011)

Ok, had fish for 6 years now, tropical though - all died eventually, tank now useless for fish and is housing a leopard gecko. But now i've taken a fancy to goldfish, and have a few q's...First of all, don't bite my head off as i am utterly clueless on freshwater and at least i have the sense to ask these things first instead of just going with what i know and making a fish's life miserable.

1. Goldfish bowls - good or bad idea? i'm talking about a large one that will be cleaned often, and will be housing one fish.

2. I it ok to have one fish on it's own? I might get another in a few weeks/months after the first if possible, but it's not certain that i'll be able to.

3. Best type of goldfish for a beginner?

4. Smell factor? might be kept in my room if it's in a bowl, but the bowl would be cleaned very often. with one being no scent and 10 being BO ferret what would it be?

Thanks.


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## Guest (Jun 6, 2011)

Don't worry, we don't bite... 

To answer your questions as simply as possible.

1) Goldfish bowls - a big no-no, regardless of the size. Bowls are too small for goldfish and are incredibly old-fashioned. Fancy varieties require a minimum of 45-60 litres per fish, with larger being preferable. Common goldfish strains can reach 30cm/12", produce an incredible amount of waste and need a well-filtered 6 x 2 x 2ft tank or better still, a spacious pond. Goldfish bowls also have a lower surface area than a standard rectangular tank of the same volume, reducing the surface area for gaseous exchange and thereby reducing the bowl's ability to hold fish. 

2) Goldfish can be kept inividually, however being a member of the Carp family they are naturally gregarious and thrive when kept in small groups. 

3) The care requirements of all goldfish strains are pretty much the same. Certain varieties such as Bubble-eyes, Celestials and Orandas are best left to more experienced fishkeepers due to various problems that can arise. Inbreeding is a major issue amongst goldfish which results in genetic disorders (including physical deformities) and a higher susceptibility to aquatic diseases. 

The dietary requirements of fancy and common goldfish do have some differences; due to the compact body frames of fancy goldfish internal organs are cramped into a smaller area. One organ that is particularly affected by this is the swimbladder. The balance of gas inside the swimbladder can be upset by taking in too much air when feeding from the surface. Bloat is also common amongst fancy goldfish due to feeding too many dry foods. While all fish require a varied diet, fancy goldfish do ideally require sinking pellet foods and a higher proportion of frozen and live foods in their diet.

4) Animals without fur generally emit little to no odor. A well-maintained aquarium shouldn't smell of anything, at most it should smell either of sweet grass or slightly like fresh seafood (in the case of marine aquariums). A smell of rotten eggs (hydrogen sulfide) is an indication of a lack of maintenance and is the result of decomposing food, plant matter, fish waste or a build up of hydrogen sulfide gas within pockets of anaerobic bacteria that sometimes occur in aquarium substrates that are either too deep or lack sufficient circulation of oxygenated water.


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