Archive for Goldfish
The Basics of Pet Goldfish: Fish Pox (probably not contagious)
Posted by: | CommentsThis affects Koi more than it does goldfish. Basically this is a viral infection which causes a whitish or pinkish waxy film to develop over the fish’s skin and fins. The usual pattern is that it appears, gets worse and then disappears.
We have no idea what triggers it or what eventually happens. However, it does not appear to be contagious, as far as anyone can tell. Of course, you probably should separate out the infected fish until you can figure out what it is, or until the film goes away. It will usually go away within seven to ten days, with a salt treatment or without one. It’s more annoying than anything else, since it does not kill the fish. However, there is no known cure either.
The Basics of Pet Goldfish: Fish Lice (highly contagious)
Posted by: | CommentsThere is no mistaking this ugly problem. These grotesque parasites measure about one fifth of an inch wide. They are round, disk-shaped creatures that clamp on to a host and refuse to let go. Sometimes the infected fish will rub up against objects in the tank in an effort to scrape these pests off. Some fish have been known to jump out of the water in an attempt to cleanse themselves of these ghastly crustaceans. They suck blood and other nutrients out of the fish through the skin and scales. They can sometimes be found on fins, but these are usually not quite so satisfying for them. The lice also transmit other microscopic diseases. After the parasite disengages, the part of the fish suffering the bite may become infected.
Fortunately, there are a number of quality commercial parasite-control products out on the market. Your pet store owner can help you select one. The fish should be quarantined and the tank disinfected with the same parasite control.
On larger fish, experts have been known to drip hot paraffin wax from a candle onto the parasite. Usually this is enough to get the parasite to release. Other experts recommend giving the afflicted fish a bath for fifteen minutes in a mixture of potassium permanganate and water, which should be extremely light pink. Consult your local pet store owner first. Regardless, lice are extremely treatable, but both the fish and the aquarium must be treated.
Most often recommended for aquarium treatment for fish lice, anchor worms and leeches are Dip Terex, Masoten, Dylox or Nequvon. All bite marks or wounds must be treated on the fish. Dab on the spot a little Mercurochrome, malachite green or methylene blue. Note: Do not use Formalin in this case¡ªits margin for error is so slim that not only will you kill the parasites; you will more than likely kill your goldfish. This should be used by professionals only.
The Basics of Pet Goldfish: Fin Congestion
Posted by: | CommentsThis disease very commonly attacks goldfish, especially the long-finned breeds. It is easily identifiable because of the red blotches that appear on the trailing edges of the fins. You are looking for hemorrhages, bright-red topical areas, not veins inside the fish. Many goldfish have red blood vessels that are somewhat visible on their tails, but that’s not what you are looking for. Here the blood vessels become inflamed at the ends of the tail. This disease starts at the edge of the fins and works its way toward the body, much like fin rot
Some experts feel that fin congestion is an indication that the water quality in the tank is very poor. Change 50 percent of the water and add enough methylene blue to turn the water a very slight blue. Or add one tablespoon of rock salt for every gallon of water (sprinkle the salt around the tank over a period of a few minutes, don’t just dump it all in). Either of these treatments should clear up the problem in a few days.
If these treatments don’t work, then you need to purchase an antibiotic, either penicillin or Tetracycline hydrochloride. Follow the directions carefully, as these chemicals, if used too much, will become very toxic to the fish.
The Basics of Pet Goldfish: Emergency Cleaning
Posted by: | CommentsThis is the most severe treatment any tank can get. If any of the infestations strike more than three or four fish, you need to make an emergency cleaning. Place all the fish in the hospital tank and begin treatment. Then turn your attention to the aquarium.
You must begin the aquarium anew. It must be thoroughly cleaned and totally restarted. Throw out the filter medium and save as little as possible.
Empty out the contents of the tank. Rinse the walls of the tank, the gravel, and the filter with bleach. Make sure to rinse extra-thoroughly. Do the same to any plastic plants. Throw out any rocks and buy new ones. If you had any live plants, throw them out – don’t use them for any other purpose. Replace the filter medium and the air stones, etc. If you have a heater, wash it with bleach as well and rinse it extra-thoroughly.
The Basics of Pet Goldfish: Diseases of the Goldfish
Posted by: | CommentsGoldfish are subject to all kinds of diseases. Many are introduced with new fish. Many diseases are highly contagious; others are not. Though you may think you did everything you possibly could to protect your fish, even experts fall victim to these problems.
Goldfish and Diseases
One of the best ways to cure any fish is to separate it from the rest of the fish as quickly as possible. It should be placed in something I call the “hospital tank.” This should be set up like any other tank, with filters and aerator, but no plants or gravel should be present The tank generally does not have to be very big. Depending on the size of your fish a ten-gallon tank is usually fine.
There are many reasons to have a hospital tank. First, many fish diseases are contagious. Anytime you think you might have a diseased fish, it’s always better to separate it, at least until you can determine whether its affliction is transmittable or not. Also, diseased or weak fish will often get picked on by healthier fish. Goldfish are no exception, and their bedside manner can be less than sympathetic. And, obviously, it’s easier to observe the fish when it’s by itself.
Some of the below-listed problems, while they may not be contagious, will require treatment, sometimes something as simple as a change of diet. However, when you are attempting to feed your goldfish medicated food, it is important that the fish you are trying to help get it the idea is not to overmedicate the healthy fish. This is another reason to separate out sick fish.
Another thing to know is that healthy goldfish rarely get sick. So when your fish get sick, it usually means that they have been weakened by poor water conditions, rapid temperature changes, bad lighting, bad food, or any number of other things. It is important to maintain your aquarium carefully so that.
The Basics of Pet Goldfish: The Filters
Posted by: | CommentsIf you are going to use the spawning tank as a hatchery, then you will need to take certain precautions. What you don’t want happening is your fry getting sucked up into the filter. Box filters, and especially power filters, are notorious for this. A friend of mine once thought he had lost one of his baby neon in a tropical tank. He was angry, thinking his aggressive angelfish had consumed the poor thing. A week later we found the neon living quite happily in the outbox of the power filter. It had been sucked up by the power filter’s intake siphon. Fry are even smaller and are more likely to get pulled into a filter. They are not yet fully developed and often don’t have enough strength to get away.
If you are using a power filter, then you will need to fit the intake valve with a sponge specially made for such things. These are easily bought at pet stores and through catalogs. If you are using a box filter, then you need to use a well-conditioned sponge or a quilt-batting cover. Some experts prefer to use both. The idea is to save as many fry from themselves as possible.
In the first few days after the eggs hatch, I suggest that you shut the filters off for a minute twice a day for the first three to five days in order to free any fry not strong enough to extract themselves from the filter. A large number of weak or malformed fry will in all likelihood die off, Darwin’s law of nature is everywhere. As a breeder, you want to ensure that you don’t kill too many of the healthy ones all by yourself.
The Basics of Pet Goldfish: Spawning Is a Year-Round Process
Posted by: | CommentsPlanning spawning takes time and cannot be accomplished within a few weeks of your decision. Spawning is a year-round process, and is sometimes called conditioning. Actually, what you need to do is to vary the temperature of the aquarium for several months at a time to simulate nature’s timetable.
Winterizing Your Fish
Since in nature spawning generally takes place in mid-spring to early summer, you need to vintner your goldfish before you can contemplate spawning them. For example, in the late summer and autumn months you should feed them foods higher in carbohydrates. Flake foods, corn, breadcrumbs, bits of precooked pasting macaroni and the like are excellent choices. This simulates the storage of fat needed in nature to survive the winter months.
In the winter, with the water temperature lowered, goldfish will need less food. Feed them enough for what would be eaten in four or four and a half minutes twice a day instead of the usual five minutes. Make sure to vary their diets.
Changing Tank Temperatures
During some number of months, usually during the winter months, the temperature in the tank should be cooler. Your tank should be in the high 50¡ãF for at least two or three months. In the spring, say March or April, the water temperature should rise slightly, to around 68¡ãF to 74¡ãF, and then spawning is induced.
At this time you should be feeding your goldfish slightly more in the amount of food and in the type of foods. But don’t just dump more food in. Instead of feeding them enough for what they would eat in five minutes, make it enough for six minutes, during each feeding.
But make sure not to overfeed them. Protein-filled foods are best. Egg, beef, seafood, beans, brine shrimp and earthworms are all excellent foods at this time.
Giving Them Room
The more space the fish have during the year, the better conditioned they are, the more active they are and the more likely you will be to get better and more fry.
The Basics of Pet Goldfish: Hand-Stripping
Posted by: | CommentsThis is a technique really only used by professionals at fish farms, wildlife fisheries, and commercial aquaria. Some experts also argue that it is sometimes necessary when breeding some of the fancier or more exotic fish. Hand-stripping ensures that there will be no loss in the number of eggs produced because they have been eaten.
This process is somewhat more dangerous to the fish and thus this method should really be used only by experts. All the preceding steps must be followed, even when hand-stripping. There are no saved steps. If you begin hand-stripping and the eggs or sperm (milt) do not come easily, don’t force anything. This is a very easy way for you to kill your own goldfish, or at least injure them severely.
Some people carry out this process in a pail or in a small, open bowl and then transfer the spawning medium with the fertilized eggs into the hatchery. Hand-stripping should be done this way for the best results. In the bowl, place enough water to partially submerge your goldfish and a bunch of foxtail or a spawning mop.
Take the male first, and hold him gently in your hand in the water. Carefully squeeze the area on the body between the ventral and anal fins. Sperm should come out very easily. When this is accomplished, move the water around so that the sperm is evenly distributed, especially in the area with the plants. Immediately remove the male and repeat the same exact process with the female. Again, you must be very careful and gentle with these fish in order not to injure or kill them. The eggs should come out very easily.
After this is accomplished, pour the eggs and plants and water into the hatchery. Some experts advocate submerging the entire bowl into the hatchery, as goldfish eggs will cling to the walls of the bowl. I highly recommend it.
The Basics of Pet Goldfish: Feeding Fry
Posted by: | CommentsAt this point you must begin to feed your fry. This should be done three times a day: once in the morning, once at midday and once at night, but not just before bedtime. Give the fish a chance to eat. You can enjoy observing them and then you can clean up any debris before you leave the tank for the night. Also, the fry are not experienced eaters and they need light to see their food.
If you really want excellent goldfish, you should not feed them flake food. Live food will garner the best results. My recommendations are baby brine shrimp, ground earthworms, crushed bean paste, crushed yolk of hard-boiled egg, or other commercially produced liquid foods which should be available through catalogs or at your pet shop. All the above-mentioned solid foods must be ground down into a dry flourlike texture or into a paste. With egg, feed only a little at a time, as egg yolk will likely cause a fouling of the water if overused.
You can, however, also use dry flake food – this is an acceptable food. As the fry get older, you will probably mix in more and more of this staple. You need to grind it up to a powdery consistency. Make sure that you buy the best possible food to ensure that your fish are getting the best possible diet.
Many experts agree that you should feed your fry live food, as it is high in protein. They don’t, however, always agree on what live food to feed them. Some recommend tubifex or bloodworms, while others recommend micro worms or daphnia. Many also shy away from these foods as the fry are so young that they may not be strong enough to fight off any diseases or fungus associated with those foods. Why risk it when you have planned so long for such an event?
Feeding Infusorians
One of the best foods you can feed the newest fry is infusorians. Infusorians is a bacterial culture that your fry will love. Easily digestible and very nutritious, it is truly one of the best foods available for such small fish.
You should begin making infusorians when the eggs are three days old. Remember when feeding not to overfeed, as you do not need to cloud the tank with uneaten foods. Remember to skim any uneaten food off the water surface after five minutes and vacuum the tank once a day or at least once every other day. Food debris can collect at the bottom of the tank and create bacteria and ammonia you do not need in your hatchery. When you vacuum or skim, make sure that you don’t accidentally snag any of the fry.
Making Infusorians
To make infusorians, fill ajar approximately three quarters full with cooled-down boiled water. At this time add a banana peel or three or four lettuce leaves (its best when the lettuce leaves are bruised, usually the outside leaves on a head of day-old lettuce). With the lid off, place the jar in a relatively sunny spot, but don’t keep it in the kitchen, because this stuff will stink.
For the first few days the water will be cloudy and will smell simply awful. But in a day or two more the water will clear up and, while it still won’t smell pretty, it will have sweetness you can easily detect Voila! Infusorians. You can use a turkey bester or a spoon to feed the infusorians into the tank, or you can just pour some in.
If you want to use infusorians, you need to make a new jar of it every two to three days, so that you will be able to feed your fry without running out
The Basics of Pet Goldfish: Breeding Your Goldfish
Posted by: | CommentsBreeding is expensive, time-consuming and ultimately the most rewarding experience any goldfish hobbyist can ever have; however, breeding takes much time and preparation.
Why Breed?
There is one thing that should be said up front about breeding – don’t do it thinking that you can make any money. Breeding goldfish is a money-losing prospect for the home hobbyist. Goldfish are bred in farms on every continent all over the world. They are sold very cheaply and the market will only pay what it has to. Sometimes there is a run in the spring and summer, and you can buy Common Goldfish by the dozen cheaper than you can buy two or three. So, don’t do it thinking you’re going to make money. To do a professional job, you need to lay out lots of cash.
Then, why breed? Well, why not? For anyone who has mastered the ability to operate a quality aquarium successfully, it is the next challenge. In fact, there are only three reasons anyone wants to breed goldfish. The first reason is because it is the next step in the mastery of aquaria. The second reason is to produce high-quality, or show-quality, goldfish of a particular variety. And the third, which is mainly a challenge for professional breeders, is to create a new and never-before-seen variety.