Alex ChongGoldfish (Carassius auratus) is one of the most popular fish in the freshwater fish keeping hobby. Originating from East Asia, it has come a long long way after being selectively bred in China more than 1,000 years ago.
The generations of selective breeding have created many different types of goldfish ranging from the humble feeder goldfish to the Ranchu which is referred as the “King of Goldfish” by the Japanese.
Goldfish in general are peaceful (well.. there is always a black sheep here & there). They’ll usually mind their own business unless when it’s feeding time or when the boys need some loving from the girls.
When healthy and being provided with enough space, you will see them swimming around actively and gracefully. They come in many colors – red, orange, yellow, white, black, calico and a mixture of them. Some even change colors as they grow. Magical, isn’t it?
Imagine you are sitting in front of your clean goldfish tank , looking at your goldfish swimming and glistening under your tank’s lighting. To me, that’s a great stress reliever!
A video of my goldfish
Taking care of goldfish is not as difficult as most people would think. Of course it is not as simple as getting a tank, filling it up with water, put the fish in, feed them and they will live happily ever after.
With a little bit of knowledge in maths and sciences, and lots of love and patience; goldfish keeping can be a very satisfying hobby.
Yes, thank for the colorful video clip of your goldfish. You need to love and patience to keep it alive. Do you talk with your goldfish?
Hi Jamin,
Thanks for the comment. Umm… I do actually talk to them… sometimes. 🙂
Having won many feeder goldfish as a kid at the local carnivals, I always enjoyed watching them swim. Of course, they never lived very long and that was the hard part. Now that I have a daughter of my own, I have been wanting to set up a small fish tank again so we can enjoy them together. I have been hesitant because if the short life span of most goldfish but was not aware of the many different options. The beautiful and colorful fish in your video look like a great option for us. Do you know what type of lifespan I can expect from fish like that?
Hey Patrick,
Thanks for dropping by. If you are going to setup a goldfish tank again, I would suggest for you to go for the biggest tank that you can budget for. Goldfish can grow big and they create lots of wastes. So having a bigger tank will be better for them, and better for you in terms of maintenance. The basic guidelines in stocking goldfish is 20 gallons for the first goldfish, and additional 10 gallons per fish for subsequent ones.
Generally goldfish can live very long. There’s a record of a goldfish that’s 43 years old! Typically for fancy goldfish that are kept in fish tank, their average lifespan can go up to 10 years if being taken care of properly.
It looks very relaxing! But I want to ask you something. In a tank of regular size, how many goldfish can I put inside? Can I put only males or do I have to put males and females in the tank?
Hi Jairo,
Thanks for the visit. The basic guidelines in stocking goldfish is 20 gallons for the first goldfish, and additional 10 gallons per fish for subsequent ones. So if you are getting a tank, get the biggest one that you can budget for (and that you have the space for).
If you don’t intend to breed them, all males, all females or a mixture does not matter. Anyhow I can assure you that it’s very difficult to differentiate the males from the females when they are still young. I think most of those being sold at our local fish store are the young ones.
Interesting. I like the video! It looks like a very relaxing activity which might be a good one for me as well 😉
Thanks Juan for the comment. It is relaxing to see your fish swimming happily in a clean tank. You should try it! 🙂