Goldfish Care Tips and Guidelines

A Free Monthly Resource For Goldfish Enthusiasts
January 2014
Issue #001

In this issue
The importance of water changes
What’s new on the Website

Welcome to the very first issue of The Goldfish Gazette.

The Importance Of Water Changes

For the seasoned goldfish keeper, regular water changes are just part of the normal routine of goldfish care.

So why do water changes if you have an aquarium filter keeping the water clean?

I fell into this trap many years ago.

I had a pair of Water Bubble Eyes in a four foot aquarium of approximately 30 gallons, far more space than they needed.
The aquarium had under-gravel filters covering the full length of the aquarium which kept the water spotless.

I assumed I didn’t need to monitor their water pH.

The only problem was the Bubble Eyes kept getting red patches on their bodies. When I removed them from the aquarium and put them in a mild salt bath, they quickly lost the red.

After the red patches appeared a second time, I checked the pH value of their water. It was extremely low, in other words the water was acidic. I was very lucky I didn’t kill the fish moving them to the sick bay because of the pH differences.

I just didn’t think pH was the problem.

Filters hide pH values because the water looks clean. This is the danger. Nutrients processed by filters build up over time causing the water to slowly become acidic.

The easy solution is to make regular and large enough water changes to keep your water around the 7.00 pH level.

You work out when you need to do water changes by using a pH water test kit.

Start by testing your tap water or water source. This is your starting point. As the water pH starts to drop, do a 50% water change and test the water. It should have increased the pH. If it hasn’t lowered the pH enough, the frequency of partial water changes needs to increase.

As an indication of how often to do partial water changes, I changed half the water in my hired aquariums every two weeks.

Don’t forget that adding or decreasing fish numbers, or even fish getting bigger, will affect how often you need to change the water.

What's New On The Website

Goldfish Ponds

Goldfish ponds are very popular, but if some basic design elements are forgotten, the pond can become a high maintenance expensive disaster.

I’ve added goldfish pond pages to the Website that detail what design elements should be included in any new pond.
I also give a few ideas on what to build the pond from. These range from cheap liners to expensive fiberglass options.

Shortly I will also be adding pages on filter and UV sterilizer options and some hints on pond maintenance.

Here is the link…Goldfish Ponds

Daphnia Cultures

Daphnia are an ideal food for goldfish of any age. The difficulty is having a reliable supply.

The best solution to this is to grow your own culture.
I have added a page on how to start and maintain a culture year round with details on foods, feeding and how to avoid problems.

Here is the link…Daphnia Cultures

Next Month’s Topic

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