Freshwater Fish Archives - Fish Keeping Ideas

Before you can even think about putting goldfish in your home aquarium, you need to know all of the things you need to know about setting up goldfish tanks. Some of these things include the best spot for your goldfish tank, what type of water and temperature are ideal, the amount of space you will need, how large a tank you need, how much electricity you will need for the lights, and what types of decorations or lighting will fit in the tank. Once you learn about all of these factors you will be able to get started on setting up a tank with goldfish and you will be able to enjoy watching your goldfish grow and flourish in the tank that you have put in place for them. You need to make sure that you understand what type of water is best for goldfish tanks. There are many different types of water that can be used for goldfish tanks, and one thing that is important to keep in mind is that you need to keep the water at a specific temperature to ensure that your goldfish do not become stressed out when you do not provide a healthy environment in the tank. The temperature of your tank can vary depending on what type of fish you have as well as what type of tank you have as well. For example, if you are using live rockfish and they are not happy in the water you should consider changing it to gravel water so that they will have better-living conditions. Another thing to consider is that if you are using plastic as a substrate you will want to make sure that the tank has the right balance between the tank and the substrate. This balance will help the goldfish thrive in their new home, and the tank will look good as well. One more thing that you need to remember when you are considering goldfish tanks is that you will need to keep a close eye on the temperature of your tank. You need to make sure that you do not exceed about sixty-five degrees and twenty-four hours a day is ideal. The reason why you need to keep the temperature low is that goldfish can die from overheating. You also need to keep the temperature up to avoid the fish from dying from being chilled. This can often be a problem, but this can be avoided by making sure that you have a proper tank cover installed for the tank so that you will be able to keep the temperature constant. Goldfish Tanks Set Up: Ultimate Guide(Detailed Step by Step) Now let take a look at it one by one. 1. Getting the right tank for Your Goldfish When you first get your goldfish, you need to choose a tank that they will like. There are lots of options available today, so it can be difficult to decide which one you will buy. It is recommended that you get the largest aquarium that you can afford at first when you are first starting out. The larger aquarium you get, then the more goldfish you'll keep. And believe it or not, you will fall in love with many more fish. Choosing your goldfish tank also suggests that people get the largest aquarium they can afford. This is very true because bigger tanks can be easier to keep than smaller ones. Goldfish are not very happy with having to compete with smaller fish in the tank. They will not do well if you have to keep adjusting them around the other fish in there. And you should make sure that your tank has enough room for all your fish to move around and play around in. If you aren't very careful, then you could have a tank full of angry goldfish. A tank that is too small could also mean that you won't have any room to move around, and they could be cramped together and you won't be able to see them very well. Finally, when choosing your goldfish tank, don't forget to pick up some toys that they might like to play with. I know some fish don't really want to do anything but some really like playing with a bit of fish food or something. But whatever you do, make sure that it's not toxic! Otherwise, if your pet is having an accident, you could end up poisoning them. Once you've got the tank in place, you'll need to think about what you're going to do with your fish. One way is to go for the standard aquarium setup of having the fish in their own bowl or in their own special aquarium that is a combination of both bowls and an aquarium. Another thing you can do is have more than one bowl for your fish and a separate aquarium. This makes it so that if one fish gets sick or damaged, they can be given a quick treatment and then transferred to the new bowl. This is especially useful if you have multiple goldfish that are kept in a small aquarium. Having them in separate bowls also helps prevent the goldfish from fighting over food as one of them would take it first. 1.1 The Type of Tank Material (Glass or acrylic) to Choose From. There are many different types of goldfish tanks available on the market today. Each tank type has its own unique characteristics and you should really spend some time researching all the different types before purchasing any tank for your fish. The glass aquariums come in a variety of sizes, shapes, textures, and colors, and they are also cheaper than the acrylic ones. But do not get the idea that the glass aquarium is inferior, there is nothing like a crystal-clear and beautiful glass tank and the acrylic ones are nothing better. However, you need to be careful about the glass used in your aquarium because it can easily shatter, especially if you leave it exposed to the weather. Also, you need to watch out for leakage too. Glass aquariums can be made using two types of glass, and they can either be clear or stained glass. Most people opt for clear glass because it is more attractive and colorful and this is why they choose to use it as a base material. Another reason that people prefer a glass aquarium is because it is also cheaper than acrylic ones, which makes the glass aquarium cheaper in comparison to the acrylic ones. Acrylic aquariums, on the other hand, are usually made of plastic and can be more expensive than the glass ones because it is also transparent, whereas the clear glass is not. Acrylic is not just expensive in comparison to glass, but it is also easy to maintain and clean. However, the acrylic aquarium is lightweight and very strong with no distracting trim. 1.2 Aquarium Tank Stand. There is no other way that you can make sure that your aquarium stays clean and beautiful than by having the right type of aquarium tank stand. The aquarium tank stand is essential in keeping the tanks clean because they are used for holding water, which can be dirty. When water is dirty, it will need to be scrubbed off or else it will just look bad. It is important that you keep your aquarium clean and this is especially important with an aquarium that has live fish in it. You should make sure that the aquarium tank stand is made from a good quality material, which will not rust or bend. There are some fish tank stands that are made from plastic, but they may rust and they can also bend very easily. Also, there are some that are made from metal, but these are very heavy and can break when you are not using them properly. You can find some aquarium tank stands that have rubber grips, but if you are going to have live fish in your aquarium you would not want to have something that is going to fall apart easily. To keep your aquarium clean, it is very important to make sure that you have a stand that is strong and will hold your aquarium in place. The most important thing to remember when you are looking for an aquarium tank stand is that they should be able to hold the amount of water that your aquarium holds. If you have an aquarium with a lot of water in it, then you may want to have a stand that is able to hold more water than what it can hold. And, if you are putting fish in the tank, then you may want to choose a stand that can hold more than one fish at a time. There are some stands that hold only two fish, and that is okay too, but if you want to have more than two fish in the tank then you should go with the stand that will hold four or five. Make sure that the aquarium tank stand you buy is able to hold the amount of water that your aquarium holds. 1.3 Placing your Tank in a Good Location. First of all, if you are putting your new aquarium in an existing aquarium, then you may want to reconsider doing it. This is because it can take years for a new aquarium to break even and some of the older tanks might not have the room for such a large and heavy aquarium. You will also need to think about the amount of space that you have available for the aquarium and whether or not the new aquarium will fit. Also, you will want to think about the size of the water that your new aquarium will have to work with because some fish do fine in certain types of water. These are just some of the considerations that you will have to make and they are just going to be based on the type of fish that you want to use in your new aquarium. If you are going to be putting your new aquarium in a new home or in a basement, then you will want to know how to properly decorate your home for it. You will want to think about how much light is coming into the room so that your fish will get enough sunlight. Also, you will also want to consider the size of the tank that you are putting your new aquarium in because you will want to know if the room for it will allow it or not. In addition, there are going to be some steps that you will have to take to protect the fish from any bacteria and other contaminants that may be floating around in the water. The last thing that you will want to consider is the lighting requirements for your new aquarium. You will want to ensure that it has sufficient lighting so that your fish will be able to swim in the tank. And you will also want to consider the size of the filter and any pumps that you will need to maintain the proper water quality and oxygen levels for your fish to survive. 2. Filtration for the Goldfish Tank. When your Goldfish becomes too big and starts to be an irritant to you, the next thing you will want to do is add a Filtration system to your aquarium to clean and disinfect the water. I know this might sound like an expensive way of keeping your goldfish but remember that in order to keep the fish in a tank, they need to keep their environment clean and bacteria-free. This is because goldfish do eat goldfish food, which is very acidic and will kill any living things in the tank that does not have a filter in them. If the filter does not work properly, bacteria can build up in the tank and will cause all sorts of illnesses for your fish and you. One of the best filters is Fluval Power Filter. The last thing you won't want to do is to lose a lot of fish because of your inability to remove goldfish food or because your fish are eating it themselves. If you have any doubts about whether your goldfish tank is a suitable place for a goldfish, you can test the waters in there. Once you have this test, you will be able to tell whether or not your goldfish tank is a good place to keep goldfish. Another method of keeping goldfish in a tank is to have one tank for adult goldfish and one tank for baby goldfish. By doing this, you will get two different populations of the fish, and if you wish you could separate them later. If you are trying to decide on a Filtration system for your goldfish aquarium, there are a number of different types that you should consider. The most common types are biological filters, the mechanical filters, and the UV lights. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Biological filters can be used as a one-time solution when you are cleaning your goldfish tank. This can be a great way to make sure you do not waste water by giving the goldfish something that needs to be cleaned out of their tank. Mechanical filters are ideal for keeping your goldfish healthy but are also very expensive and they take a long time to filter out enough water to make your goldfish feel comfortable. 3. Best Aquarium Substrate for Goldfish Tank. You need to know how to properly build an aquarium substrate for goldfish tanks. Most fish owners tend to get caught up in buying a cheap product such as gravel that is too small for the tanks they are building. This is not only because gravel is cheap but it does not fit in well with the other accessories you are getting for your tank. It will just sit on top of the filter and get dirty very quickly. This is not good for the goldfish in your tank. Instead of paying for gravel and dirt, consider purchasing an aquarium substrate to suit your needs. Substrate for goldfish tanks is a great idea. It does not have to be expensive as long as you buy an aquarium substrate made from good quality materials that can withstand being submerged in water for extended periods of time. And it should be able to withstand the constant heat, and cold of the tank as well as the chemicals you add to the tank to provide the life the fish require. There are a number of different types of substrates that can be used for your tank. Some of the better ones include Caribsea Super Naturals Aquarium Sand. These types of substrates are relatively inexpensive. However, these are not as sturdy as the ones that are constructed from natural materials like rocks and sand. The type of substrate you use for your goldfish tank will depend on the kind of fish you have. If you want a substrate that is strong and durable then you should choose a material like Caribsea Super Naturals Aquarium Sand. This will provide additional benefits to your fish. When you have a substrate for your goldfish tank, you will have a much better chance of having the fish survive for many years in your tank. 4. Decorations and Plants for Your Goldfish Tank. There are a number of ways to go about decorating your Goldfish tank. But you should really know the basics of how to go about it first before you start to take advantage of some of the fancy and exciting methods. If you are looking to decorate your tank the natural way then you will need to be careful what you put in there, especially if it is going to be any size. The biggest thing you want to do before you start any decorations in your tank is to get all the debris out of there first, as it can really do damage to the environment of your goldfish's tank. This means that any plants or anything else that you have in there, whether they are live or plastic objects, you should either remove them all or place them carefully in an aquarium stand. Another thing that you will want to remember when decorating your tank is to make sure that you give it a good cleaning. You will need to make sure that you keep the tank clean and that it looks good. Also, you want to make sure that it has no foreign objects in it at all, such as leaves or branches that could potentially harm your goldfish. And for the plant to be added it should be live plants due to its benefits on the nitrogen cycle. One of the best with the easy-care level is Java Fern. The water needs to be filtered regularly and there should be a filter system that is on the main tank that you can use. If you have any fish tanks that you plan on keeping, you will need to give them a filter on the main tank as well, even if you plan on keeping them on separate tanks. This is to keep your water clean and bacteria-free. When it comes to making your Decors and Plants for your Goldfish tank look nice, there are so many things that you will want to keep in mind. Take time to think about your fish and decide what they should look like and how they should look in their habitat. Once you have taken all these things into consideration, you will be able to find something that will work for your goldfish and give them the environment they deserve. No matter how big or small your tank is, you will be able to find something that will make your tank look great. 5. Choose The Best Lighting for Goldfish Tank. The most important aspect of designing your aquarium is the lighting system, and if you're a beginner you should consider whether your fish tank is going to be indoors or outdoors. It's better if you buy a fish tank that can be moved, but this doesn't mean that you should opt for cheap lighting systems that don't provide sufficient light for your fish. If you choose cheap lights that are too dim or just don't provide enough light, you'll soon find that you'll have trouble keeping them on during the night and in the daytime. Most of the time the lights used for the goldfish tank are full-spectrum light. The following are the available sizes depending on your tank size: 12-18″ 18-24″ 19-28″ 28-36″ 36-48" 48-54" These light protect your goldfish from having deficiencies as it provides essential vitamins (vitamin D) during the emission of UVB rays for your goldfish. And also helps them to display vibrant colors as their pigmentation depends on good lighting. Also, it helps your live plants in the tank to grow. These types of lights are usually cheaper to buy and to run, although they may not be able to provide enough light for many goldfish. Make sure you do some research to find out which types of lights are available and which ones work best for your tank, so you won't waste your money on expensive equipment when your fish won't benefit from them. As with all aquarium equipment, make sure you check reviews to see which equipment is best for your fish and your budget because the cheapest products won't always provide enough light. One thing that you need to bear in mind is that some fish tend to become disoriented by too much light, and they will swim away if the light levels are high enough. You should think carefully about how many lights you get to keep your fish healthy, as too many light bulbs can affect your fish negatively, even though they may be used to it. This is why it's really important to take your time when designing your fish tank, and take your time in choosing the appropriate lighting. The longer you take to decide what your lighting will be like, the more likely you are to end up with a beautiful aquarium. 6. Temperature Requirements For Your Goldfish Tank. Goldfish will actually get sick from temperature changes that you might not even be aware of. So, if you are starting off and getting a couple of fish in your tank you may not have any other things to worry about than just getting them used to the different temperatures in the tank so that they won't end up getting sick. So what is a good temperature for a goldfish tank? There are some basic requirements to be able to know how hot or cold your goldfish tank should be. First of all, you should check the bottom of the tank to see what type of substrate it is. Wood, sand, or gravel should be able to hold the water temperature pretty well. You should also check the water to see that it is at a proper level for the tank. If the tank is too big for the tank area that it's in then you should think about moving the fish to another tank. Too large for the tank area can cause the fish to drown. You should also consider how the temperature will affect the growth and the life cycle of the fish in the tank area. If the water is too warm then the young fish will have to get over the cold weather before they can take their new temperatures. The older fish might have to wait until they are in their reproductive phase before they can take their new temperature. For Fancy Goldfish their organs are smaller which makes them to fragile and prone to health issues. And that makes their immune to be a stress if they are in too cold water. So for the best temperature, we should aim for 78-82 degrees F (or 25-27 degrees C). This will allow you to have very clear water and bacteria-free. And likewise allows for sufficient oxygenation. If you want your fish to have the right temperature then you should give them an acclimatized tank. And that is where installing a heater is vital. The heater stabilizes temperature both day and night. And will also make the water warmer a bit than room temperature. One of the best heaters to use is the Fluval M line of heaters. It has different watts and using 3-5 watts per gallon of water is the best. So depending on the gallon of water in your tank and sometimes it may require that adjust the watts a little more. And if you live in a place where there's winter, you can keep the winter temperature around 50 degrees. To achieve this you will have to set the heater on a timer to go on every 30 minutes to bring it to a lower range. After a while, they will get used to the temperature, and that way they will be happier and healthier. 7. How to Prepare Your Tank’s Water for Goldfish. Adding water to a goldfish new tank can be a difficult task if you are not familiar with how your fish will react. For those of you who do not know what your goldfish's behavior is like, it may sound strange, but for some people, it can actually save their lives. It's true, they can drown in the wrong kind of water, and they also have sensitive bodies that react differently to some kinds of water. You need to add water to your new goldfish tank on a regular basis to help your fish live healthier. Although you don't want to use distilled or deionized water, you also don't want to put too much water in the tank because you will be wasting energy your fish will not get out of it. Some fish tanks use a specific volume of water that contains very few minerals. Other tanks will use an aquarium water softener. Both of these methods can be useful in keeping your fish healthy and happy. So, testing your water using a test kit is very important. This will help you to know if your water pH is low and does need buffering. To do this testing these 2 testing kits are vital and very good. 1. Strip Water Test Kit 2. Liquid Water Test Kit 1. Strip Water Test Kit. This test strip is easy and faster to use. It is environmentally friendly with minimum reading variation within liquid kits. For essential reading, it has Nitrite, Ammonia, Nitrate, and pH. And please note that it is also very important to know the KH & GH level as well. But for the Ammonia you will need TETRA EasyStrips Ammonia Aquarium Test Strips, 100-Count 2. Liquid Water Test Kit This is used to monitor 5 vital water parameters level needed in a freshwater tank. And they are as follows: nitrate, ammonia, nitrite, pH, and high range pH. It's can only be used for freshwater aquariums. Also, it helps a lot to monitor the quality of your water and protect you from any water problem that will harm your fish. So, if you are using distilled or deionized water, you will need to test a small area first. Make sure that the water isn't too hot, not too cold, and that the water is slightly murky. Take the time to let the water settle in the tank for a few minutes. This will allow the minerals in the water to settle out and give the water some depth and texture. It's also important to check to make sure there is no soap residue left behind by using a saltwater tank. Also, when testing, you want to make sure there are no foreign objects in the water such as rocks or sticks. These will only affect how your goldfish feels while swimming in the tank and it may cause your fish to be sick. So, in adding the goldfish you must know that your new tank does not have a beneficial bacterial. And without this beneficial bacteria, the waste won't be processed and this might poison your goldfish and make them die. Then what should you do? You have to grow your culture by adding ammonia and this can be done within 4-6 weeks for your tank to be ready for the introduction of your goldfish. Likewise, you can fast-track it by adding a high-performance bacteria called ATM Aquarium Products Colony Nitrifying Bacteria Freshwater for Aquarium. It's a supplement that helps to prevent your tank from dangerous nitrite and ammonia increase. You can even add your fish the same day using this colony to establish your tank. Thereafter I will advise that continually add API Stress Zyme Bacterial Cleaner every other week to keep away every other emerging bad bacteria. Thereafter, the next thing is introducing your fish into your tank. Also, take note that you will be doing major water changes every other day until your colony has grown. Please do not forget to feed them sparingly. And don't overfeed them as this may cause a big problem for the young fish. Thereafter, testing your water should be done on a daily basis been a newly installed goldfish tank. But after some months you can change it to weekly tests. And the pH I will advise you still continue to check it daily. Goldfish Tanks Set Up: Ultimate Guide(Detailed Step by Step) CONCLUSION. The most important thing that you need to know when starting to fish is how to prepare your tank's water for goldfish. Most people who buy a goldfish in the market fail to prepare their fish tanks for them and thus fail to get a good result from their goldfish. It is not a big deal if the water does not have a lot of minerals in it but most people think that they need to add more mineral into their tank. Also, it is actually very easy to prepare the water for goldfish and it will take less than a day to prepare the water perfectly. If you are planning to introduce goldfish to your house, it is better for you to get a well-established aquarium that is in good condition. This way, you will be sure that your goldfish will be able to survive in their environment. If you are planning to add some plants to your tank, then it will also help you a lot in making the environment friendly. And if you are going to place a filter in your tank, then you have to make sure that the filter is able to filter out the right amount of nutrients in your water. You should also place some sand on your tank so that it will help you in removing any organic waste in your tank. If you want, you can also put some gravel in the bottom of your tank. After everything has been arranged properly, you must make sure that your fish are comfortable in their environment. You can buy some heaters for your goldfish so that they can stay warm during the hot days of summer. If you are going to add more plants to your tank, then it is recommended to get bigger ones. And, if you are going to get some plants, then you will need to make sure that they will be able to grow properly. Make sure that you will not cut down the roots of the plants. You can also put a few waterfalls inside the aquarium so that the plants can get the flowing water. Did this article help you? Let me know in your comments below.