Goldfish

Goldfish, also known as angel fish or little goldfish, is named after its graceful swimming movement, resembling a swallow soaring in the sky. The elegant body shape of goldfish has made it a favorite among aquarium enthusiasts, to the point that goldfish

Chinese scientific name: Yan Yu

Kingdom: Animal Kingdom

Subphylum: Chordata

Distribution area: Guyana and Brazil in South America

Genus: Fish genus

Scientific name: Common Angelfish

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Osteichthyes

Alias: Yan Yu, Angel, Little Goldfish, Little Sailing Fish

Family: Cichlidae

Originally from Pacarpará, Peru in South America, along the Ucayali River to the north, through the Amazon region, all the way to the Amazon Delta in eastern Brazil, within this range of nearly 5000 kilometers, their traces can be found. In addition, their traces have also been found in the Rio Negro and other tributaries, or other regional varieties exist.

Due to the fact that some domestic breeding farms use soft water treated with reverse osmosis using anion and cation ion exchange during the breeding period of goldfish (i.e. water with low mineral content and low total hardness in water quality). Although water quality treated in this way is very helpful for the breeding and hatching of goldfish, the young fish grown in such water environment are transported for long distances and arrive in high-density breeding tanks with completely different water quality in aquarium dealers, which makes the originally delicate young fish more susceptible to disease and death. Therefore, do not rush to select newly arrived fish, let the tedious task of adapting to water quality and getting out of the disease-prone period be handled by aquarium dealers. After 7 to 10 days, the fish will survive stably in the aquarium, saving the trouble of handling.

Lovers of ornamental fish are recommended to raise goldfish. Goldfish, also known as angel fish or little goldfish, have a territorial instinct and do not have any special requirements for water quality. It is best not to mix them with small fish. It is worth noting the tiger fish in the carp family. These mischievous and lively little fish often like to nibble on the anal and caudal fins of goldfish. Although it is not a deadly attack, in order to maintain the beautiful appearance of goldfish, it is still best to avoid keeping them together with them.

Enteritis

Symptoms: Enteritis is the most common disease among goldfish. Due to temporary negligence, feeding them unclean food can cause their intestines to swell and suffer from enteritis.

Treatment: Medications such as fluphenazine, metronidazole, or gentamicin can be used for medicated baths, preferably in a separate bath. Feeding them medicated food is more effective than medicated baths, so you can make some medication burgers for the goldfish. Occasionally feeding them medication burgers during normal feeding can also enhance their immunity.

Ulcer disease

Symptoms: When goldfish suffer from ulcer disease, it is mainly manifested as whitening and even rotting of the gills. The main cause is bacterial erosion, leading to respiratory difficulties and slow movement of the goldfish.

Treatment: This type of infectious disease can be treated with potassium permanganate and furfural, and adding a proper amount of salt to the bath can enhance the effectiveness of the medication.

Cotton mouth disease (mouth rot)

Symptoms: The onset of this disease is closely related to bacterial infection. When the disease occurs, the mouth usually swells or rots, causing the goldfish to unable to eat.

Treatment: Penicillin or aureomycin can be used for medicated baths.

Eye disease (pop-eye disease)

Symptoms: The fish's eyes protrude, swell, and in severe cases, the eyeballs may fall off.

Treatment: The cure rate of eye diseases in goldfish is relatively low, so special attention should be paid to not introducing the bacteria into the aquarium. If a fish is unfortunately infected with an eye disease, you can try using saline baths for disinfection.

White spot disease (ichthyophthiriasis)

Symptoms: The outbreak of white spot disease in goldfish is almost always concentrated during seasonal changes, because the drastic difference in water temperature during such weather conditions may cause the water temperature to drop too low, leading to the rapid breeding of ichthyophthirius and the appearance of many white spots on the fish's body surface.

Treatment: Raising the temperature of the aquarium by 2-3 degrees higher than before can have a certain effect on white spot disease. If the effect is not good, you can purchase white spot cleaner for treatment.

Scales-up disease

Symptoms: The fish scales are raised. This disease is similar to white spot disease, easily occurring in sudden changes in water temperature or in extremely low water temperature.

Treatment: In general, antibiotics such as furfural are used for medication, and some people apply dermatitis cream to the affected area, which also works well.

Baiting

(1) Feeding habits: The temperature for breeding goldfish is generally controlled between 24 and 28 degrees Celsius. Within this temperature range, goldfish have a strong appetite and grow rapidly. They are not affected by changes in external temperature and always maintain a relatively stable state. The bait for goldfish includes fish worms, waterworms, fiberworms, yellow mealworms, small live fish, and pellet feed, etc. There are many varieties of goldfish with different sizes, so the choice of bait also varies for different varieties of goldfish. For goldfish with body lengths between 3 and 12 centimeters, their main bait is turtle worms, supplemented by waterworms, red worms, and yellow mealworms. For goldfish with body lengths of more than 12 centimeters, turtle worms are small and have poor palatability, so slightly larger bait should be chosen, mainly including red worms, waterworms, yellow mealworms, and small live fish. Most goldfish feed on animal feed, while small varieties can also be domesticated to primarily eat pellet feed. Fish species that mainly feed on plant feed are rare.

(2) Feeding frequency: The amount of bait for goldfish should be determined based on the size of the fish and the number of fish. For goldfish kept in households, baiting 1-2 times a day is generally sufficient, and the amount of bait should be consumed within 5-10 minutes. When breeding a large number of goldfish, baiting 2-3 times a day is necessary. During the breeding period, breeders usually bait fish 3-4 times a day. Due to the small size of goldfish and limited appetite, the amount of bait each time should be about 70-80% full, and increasing the number of feedings can promote rapid growth of fish. For most varieties of goldfish, their main bait is turtle worms. When using blackworms as the main bait, the amount of bait should be consumed within 10-30 minutes. When using waterworms as the main bait, the amount of bait should be consumed within 5-10 minutes, and baiting 2-3 times a day. The waterworms used for feeding should be rinsed clean. When using small fish and shrimp as the main bait, it is generally recommended to feed multiple small meals. When introducing new bait for goldfish, the amount of bait should gradually increase. Goldfish should be starved for 1-2 days before transportation.

Water Usage

(1) Water exchange: Water exchange refers to the partial replacement of water, which is a commonly used simple and effective method in goldfish breeding. Before water exchange, turn off the power to the aquarium's heater, air pump, and circulating filter pump. Then use a piece of gauze to clean the glass walls of the aquarium and any algae attached to decorations. After letting the water settle for 15 minutes, all suspended particles in the water will sink to the bottom of the tank. Use a rubber hose to gently siphon off the bottom debris. Generally, the amount of water siphoned off should be about 1/4 to 1/3 of the total water volume. Then slowly pour in the prepared new water at the same temperature along the edge of the tank wall.

(2) Water change: Water change refers to the complete replacement of water, which is the simplest and most effective method to change water quality. However, the work involved in water change is larger, especially for small aquariums with decorations, and the process is complex and cumbersome. Before water change, cut off the power to all electrical equipment in the aquarium, remove all fish and decorations, and drain the water. After cleaning the aquarium, place all decorations back in, and fill it with new water.