One of the most loved pets in the world is the goldfish. Goldfish have been domesticated by humans for more than 1000 years now. They are easy to keep and inexpensive also. Caring for a goldfish is also not a difficult task. Everyone likes colorful, bright, and playful fish at their house. Amongst other fish, the goldfish is the most popular for its availability and appearance.
Some people believe that the fish is tiny and would not require that much care. This notion is entirely wrong. Just like any other pet, goldfish also need you to be taken care of it.
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Look at 13 signs of a healthy goldfish below:
1- A Proper House: Firstly, the place where you keep the goldfish holds the utmost importance. A small bowl would hinder the growth of your beloved pet. A goldfish must be kept in a proper sized aquarium or a fish tank. You will see the benefits if you can add water as per the size
2- Environment: Once you have chosen the correct tank for the fish, you should make sure that the surrounding is suitable for your fish’s growth. The water must be changed once in a week and more frequently if you own multiple fish. Proper filtration and decoration are equally important as the water must remain clean.
3- A Disease-free Fish: A healthy fish is a happy fish. You can only achieve it if you make sure that your fish is free from all diseases. Again, adequate change of water, feeding proper diet, etc. are a few measures to keep the fish healthy. If any visible illness occurs, you should visit the veterinarian immediately. The occurrence of white spots, the appearance of molds on the scales, contributes to such signs.
4- A healthy diet: It entirely depends on what diet you are giving your goldfish. Avoid commercial food with too many preservatives, foods that contain too many fats, etc. Overfeeding is also quite common among fish enthusiasts. Feeding twice every day is more than enough. Even if you are feeding your fish once a day, it will not cause any harm as they survive without food for over a week.
5- Take care of the companions: If your tank has other fish as well, you must take care of any possible problem. Although goldfish are very social, here can be instances where other, bigger fish are getting violent with a smaller goldfish. You can observe his behavior as you do not want your fish to get stressed.
6- Please turn off the lights: As you will see, your goldfish lack eyelids, which means that they sleep with their eyes closed. It would help when you make sure that you turn off the tank lights are during the night. Please avoid continuously clicking on the light switch as it will disturb your little pets.
7- Passing of stool: Yes, just like humans, a fish also needs to get rid of their waste. Observe that they are doing this regularly and if not, that is a sign of stress. You can make a change in the diet plan by adding a few natural treats such as boiled corn, peeled grapes, and boiled peas.
8- Ensure that your goldfish are swimming actively throughout the tank and not just floating or lying at a corner. It is a sign that your goldfish is happy and alive when you can see it wandering around.
9- Are you aware that fish use gills to breathe? Observe that your goldfish is regularly expanding its gills. You need to keep a check on it to ensure they are healthy. If your fish is breathing heavily, that means that the fish is undergoing some stress.
10- The goldfish is one of the most beautiful aquatic creatures. Make sure that your fish has a shiny body. The scales must be intact, and the colors should be vibrant. There should be no dull spot in the body.
11- DO NOT MAKE LOUD NOISES! A lot of people in a full play manner, bang, or knock on the fish tank to grab their goldfish’s attention. While this might be a gentle knock to us, but it can be stressful for your fish. Goldfish are extremely sensitive towards loud noises.
12- You can provide training for the goldfish to do some tasks. Contrary to popular beliefs, goldfish are intelligent creatures. You can watch your goldfish performing some playful tasks such as pushing a ball, obstacle courses, etc. By keeping your goldfish active and healthy, you are making sure that it stays happy as well.
13- Lastly, it would help if you avoided the practice of always reaching out to the medicine drawer. In the present time, when animal and aquatic medicines are readily available, fish or animal owners tend to cure every ailment with a pill. People do this because they care for their pets, but you need to avoid this practice.
Simple diseases like, not eating correctly or regularly, sitting aloof in a corner, wearing a rough patch in the skin, etc. are considered threats by the owners. To avoid such problems, you should check the basics first. Try changing the water temperature. Sometimes chemicals like ammonia and nitrite present in water can be the reason. Use a different water filter or a separate water conditioner. Change the water frequently to avoid such circumstances in the future.
To conclude, just like all the other pets require proper care and affection, the goldfish is no different. Look for the signs mentioned above and make sure that you tick off all of them. As they take up limited space at your house, you have to make sure they get all the required attention and love.
Their space must be clean, safe from any possible danger, and eventually liveable. Just like every problem has a solution, keeping a stress-free goldfish requires only a few simple steps.
Therefore, a healthy and happy goldfish will live long.
