Tag Archives: fish care

Gathering Your Own Fish Food

Really, I’m almost done with fish for a while. For an animal so small, there’s a whole lot to say on the subject! If you want to feed your fish live foods, you have several options. You can buy live food from your local pet store (this can be very expensive). You can raise your own live food. You can also go out and find live food to feed your fish! Collecting fish food can be fun. What you’ll need to collect your own fish food: A fine-mesh net with a long handle. Wading boots if you don’t want your … Continue reading →

Fish Feeding Tips

Your fish need a varied diet in order to be healthy and happy. Many flake foods are formulated to provide all the vitamins and nutrients your fish need, but variety will keep your fish happy! Fish are cold blooded. They don’t need food energy to keep their body temperatures up like warm blooded animals do. Fish also don’t need food energy to stay afloat. This means that your fish can get by on a very small amount of food unless you want them to breed. Fish feeding tips: Two or three small feedings per day is better than one large … Continue reading →

Different Types of Fish Food

We’ve looked at the basics — flake fish food, frozen fish food, live fish food, and freeze dried fish food. But there are a lot of different types of fish food that fall under those main headings. Algae wafers were developed specifically for bottom feeders like cory cats and silver dollars. Other herbivorous fish will also enjoy the occasional algae wafer. Wait to add algae wafers to your tank until your daily tank lights go off — that way your bottom feeders won’t have to compete with your top dwelling fish. Spirulina is a type of blue-green algae that makes … Continue reading →

More Common Freshwater Fish Diseases

Here are some more diseases you may see in your tropical aquarium. Fin rot — symptoms include rotting fins, loss of appetite, and fish lying on the bottom of the tank. Fin rot is caused by a bacterial infection. It is often a result of poor water quality, but may also be brought on by bullying from other fish. Increase the quality of your food, check your water parameters, and try separating your fish from any bullies. If those things don’t work, pick up medication at your local pet store. Fish fungus — a white or gray cotton-like growth on … Continue reading →

Common Freshwater Fish Diseases

Yes, even fish can get sick! Here is a list of some common freshwater fish diseases, symptoms, and treatments. Before you treat your fish, be sure you properly diagnose your fish and figure out why they are sick. There may be water quality or food issues that need to be taken care of before you can cure your fish! Many diseases are a result of the stress of transport, so take time to acclimate your fish to your tank. Ammonia poisoning — symptoms include red or inflamed gills. You may see your fish gasping for air at the surface of … Continue reading →

Caring For Your Goldfish When You’re On Vacation

You’re going away for a few days — who will be taking care of your goldfish? There are three things you need to take into consideration: feeding, air, and filter. Feeding is probably the most common obstacle you’ll face in goldfish care when you’re away from home. Do you ask a friend or family member to come in and feed your goldfish? Do you let your fish friend go hungry for a few days? What’s the right choice? If your trip will be four days or less, your fish will be just fine without food. However, if you’ll be away … Continue reading →

Goldfish Care Tips

A goldfish may seem like a quick and easy pet — just toss it in a tank and make sure you feed it! But there is much more to goldfish care if you want your fish to live a long and healthy life. Ten years or more is not an unusual lifespan for a well-cared-for goldfish. Tank Tips: Pick a tank that has a hood — it keeps the fish from jumping out and keeps debris out of the tank. Pick gravel that isn’t too sharp — you don’t want your goldfish to hurt himself searching for food. Fish love … Continue reading →

Goldfish Care

The goldfish that came home from the local fair can live a long and happy life, as long as your little fish has an appropriate home. A fishbowl is actually not the best home for a goldfish! A tank is a much better home for a goldfish for several reasons: The surface area of the water allows more oxygen into the water. A bowl has a much smaller surface area than a tank! A tank doesn’t have to take up a lot of room and doesn’t have to cost a ton of money. A filter is inexpensive, easy to add, … Continue reading →

Why Is My Goldfish Changing Colors?

Not all goldfish are gold! Even a goldfish that starts life a bright shade of orange may change colors throughout his life. There are different reasons why a goldfish may change colors. Diet changes, poor quality food, and parasites can leave you with a fish of a different color. Genetics play a big part in goldfish color. Moors (black goldfish) may be cross-bred with telescopes (goldfish of any other color) to improve body shape or vision. The baby goldfish from a moor/telescope breeding may or may not change colors. Some baby goldfish stay black all their lives. Some change colors … Continue reading →