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What types of goldfish are there?

All known goldfish belong to a species of pet. Since this fish is considered to be extremely robust and easy to keep, breeders started keeping the pretty animals in ponds early on. They were bred in China over 1,000 years ago, making them the second oldest ornamental fish in the world after the Koi.

 It is therefore hardly surprising that there are a large number of different goldfish breeds today. In China alone, more than 350 to 400 different fish forms are known.

 In the country of origin China and Japan, the breeding of veiled varieties began, which have acquired a cultural meaning as a symbol of happiness and fertility. In addition to different fin and body shapes, there are also different colors and patterns.

 It should be noted, however, that some of these breeds are prohibited due to animal welfare concerns. With some of the drastic changes in the skeleton as well as in the head area and with missing fins one can also speak of "agony breeding". Before buying, you should therefore inform yourself well about the individual forms and only purchase approved goldfish.

 Where did the goldfish originally come from?

Goldfish are freshwater fish that were originally native to the East Asian region. As mentioned, they were bred 1,000 years ago as a pet that was only used for ornamental purposes. Therefore, an exact indication of origin is not easy.

 While the crucian carpet used to be an ancestor, today it is refuted by classic morphometric comparisons. Comparative studies of the genome of goldfish and gable have yet to confirm whether the prevailing view that the goldfish comes from the widespread gable. Since it is not scientifically common to determine the species of pets, the species name Carassius auratus that is often given is actually not quite correct. The term Carassius gibelio forma auratus (Bloch, 1782) would be scientifically correct. Nevertheless, the first name is mainly used in trade.

 What should I watch out for when keeping goldfish?

To keep a goldfish, an appropriately large aquarium is required. The keeping in small, round vessels, which was common for decades, is in no way appropriate to the species and usually quickly leads to the death of the animals. After all, the fish have a great urge to move and the water quality and the oxygen content in such small vessels also leave something to be desired.

 Depending on the variety, goldfish can grow up to 35 or 40 cm in size. However, many of the shapes intended for aquariums only grow to around 20 to 25 cm. Nevertheless, this means that goldfish owners have to buy a correspondingly large aquarium. The dimensions of the aquarium depend on the size of the adult goldfish. The minimum size of a tank for smaller goldfish is 100 centimeters (tank length) with a capacity of 200 liters. A volume of 50 liters must be included for each goldfish. Remember: these are minimum dimensions. Of course, the movement-loving fish are also happy about a larger habitat.

 Some varieties are so large that they are only suitable for ponds. So that they can spend the winter there, the pond must be at least 1.5 m deep. With shallower ponds, goldfish must be kept in cold water aquariums during the cold season, which is not straightforward. Therefore, inform yourself well about the needs of the individual varieties.

 In general, goldfish place little demands on their owners. So the water does not have to be heated, but is sufficient if it is passively heated to 12 to 23 ° C by the air temperature in the room.

 However, a filter is important to ensure good water quality. It should be adapted to the size of the aquarium and have three levels: the mechanical level is used to remove coarse particles such as excretions or excess feed, while the chemical level removes odors, discoloration and other organic substances. The biological stage, on the other hand, breaks down excretions and ammonia with the help of bacteria.

 Plants in the aquarium are absolutely not necessary for the goldfish, especially since they usually eat them anyway. Artificial plants and pieces of wood can also be used as decoration. It is important that the objects have no sharp edges on which he can injure himself. Don't put too much decoration in the aquarium to give the fish enough room to move. Plants should therefore be marginalized. Gravel can also be placed on the bottom of the aquarium. Appropriate disinfection measures must always be taken when equipping the aquarium and installing new plants or objects.

Before fish are placed in an aquarium and also while they are being kept, the quality of the water should always be checked carefully. High chlorine, ammonia or nitrate levels could damage or even kill the fish. Liquid tests are better for testing than test strips, which are often difficult to interpret.

 What diet do goldfish need?

Proper feeding is an important prerequisite for the health of goldfish. Since the goldfish do not feel full, it is important to give them an appropriate amount of food. As a rule of thumb, only give as much food as it can eat in a minute. Overfeeding with low-quality feed can lead to obesity and ultimately to severe liver damage. Instead of giving large amounts of feed once a day, it is therefore better to feed smaller amounts several times a day.

 Like all animals, goldfish like variety, but more important is a high-quality staple food. Commercially available fish food in the form of dry flakes or pellets can occasionally be mixed with live food such as frozen mosquito larvae. Salads and Chinese cabbage are also popular. Aquarium plants also serve as a source of food for goldfish. Therefore, when choosing, make sure not to plant only delicacies like the waterweed. This could lead to the pelvis being eaten quickly. Robust plants that are not or hardly eaten like sump screws are a good addition to the plants popular with goldfish.

 Floating food should be soaked for a few seconds beforehand so that it sinks and the goldfish absorbs less air while eating. The same applies to freeze-dried feed. Soak it in a cup of aquarium water so that the food does not expand in the goldfish's stomach, causing problems when swimming.

 How old do goldfish get?

With optimal goldfish keeping, the ornamental fish can live to be over 20 years old and thus be long-term companions for the home. However, this requires suitable aquariums and regular maintenance, as this is the only way to avoid diseases such as fungi in goldfish.

 Goldfish diseases

The goldfish's immune system is considered highly effective. Nevertheless, the animals can reach their limits and become ill due to unfavorable circumstances. Then no help is possible in over 50% of the cases. Prevention through correct goldfish keeping is therefore the basic requirement for a healthy and long life of the aquarium inhabitants.

 These tips help prevent diseases:

It is particularly critical to set up an aquarium because the new ecosystem first has to consolidate. Goldfish should therefore not be placed in new pools too early.

Of course, goldfish can be sick when they are purchased. Therefore only fish that appear healthy should be bought. If newcomers are introduced to an existing fish company, they should first be quarantined for at least four weeks. If there are no clinical pictures during this time, the fish can be returned to the old stock. Initially, only a little water is exchanged in order to adapt the immune systems of all animals to one another.

Since plants can also transmit diseases, new ones should always be disinfected with a potassium permanganate solution before being introduced into the aquarium.

These preventive measures are also important for lovers of goldfish, as there are hardly any veterinarians who are familiar with the therapy of diseased ornamental fish. In addition, only a few fish diseases can be tackled with medication at all. Before medication is used, an accurate diagnosis is important so as not to burden the animals even more. Therefore, do not consult your dog's veterinarian, but one who is particularly familiar with (ornamental) fish.

 Buy goldfish

The goldfish and all the derived varieties are among the most widely distributed and traded pets in the world. Today, the fish come not only from the classic fish farming countries in Southeast and East Asia, but also from large farms in Italy, Florida and Israel. Goldfish, which are offered in every aquarium shop, mostly come from the import and therefore you should pay attention to some important points when buying.

 First of all, you should also observe the recommendation mentioned in point 3 and only purchase breeds approved in Germany to avoid cruelty to animals and so-called "torture breeding".

 For the health of the fish, you should also carefully check the keeping of the fish, i.e. the basins of the shop. Only buy fish from healthy tanks to avoid getting diseases in the aquarium. Most sales pools are overstaffed, but the fish should still appear healthy. To check this, you should visit the fishmonger several times and only buy fish that swim around, have an appetite, spread all fins and have a healthy shape and skin surface. If, on the other hand, the fish looks apathetic, has cloudy eyes or coated fins and jams the fins, the rule is: fingers away!