Advanced Care

Contents

Goldfish Background

  • The Goldfish (scientific name: Carassius auratus) is a member of the carp family.
  • Goldfish generally live slow moving waters such as rivers and lakes.
  • They prefer a freshwater environment, meaning no salt in the water.
  • They prefer a pH of around 6.0 - 8.0. Optimal pH is around 7.2.
  • And will be happy in a wide range of temperatures from 0 to 41 degrees centigrade. (32 to 106 F). Though are most happy in the range of 20 to 25 degrees centigrade.
  • In the wild Goldfish are Omnivores and will eat crustaceans, insects, plant matter and the eggs of other fish.
  • Goldfish are unlikely to have offspring in a conventional tank as they need alot of cover from plants and rocks to do so. They are also likely to eat they're own eggs in captivity.
  • In the wild Goldfish eggs will quickly hatch into fry, and within a week start to take goldfish shape.
  • The myth that states Goldfish have only a 3 second memory is untrue. Goldfish can be fairly intelligent, and will remember their usual feeder and may even go into a sulk if someone else feeds them.

Goldfish History

  • The goldfish was one of the first fish to be domesticated, and was domesticated in China.
  • Goldfish were first domesicated in the year 1136 by the Chinese Emperor Hiau-Tsung.
  • The Goldfish is native to China.
  • The many different colours and types of Goldfish are the results of heavy selective breeding over time.

About pH

  • The scientific definition of pH is "A measure of the Acidity or Alkalinity of a solution".
  • The pH scale is measured numerically with a scale 0-14, with 7 for neutral solutions, increasing with increasing alkalinity and decreasing with increasing acidity. So a pH of 0 is extremely acidic, and a pH of 14 is very alkaline.
  • Whats this got to do with fish?
    -Fish prefer a stable pH, with different species liking different pH levels.
  • Goldfish prefer a neutral pH of around 6.8 to 7.4, but can stand slightly higher.
  • You can test the pH level with tester kits bought from a pet store.
  • What can change the pH of water?
    -Medicine or other solutions introduced the tank can change the pH and so can items such as coral, rocks and  shells found on a beach. They generally make the water of alkaline.

Generally fish prefer a stable pH, and may go into shock if the pH is changed suddenly.

The Nitrogen Cycle

Goldfish Anatomy

Sorry - Not Available as of yet.

How Fish Breath

Fish breath oxygen, just like us. The only difference is in the way they get their oxygen. Water contains dissolved oxygen. Don't confuse this with the hydrogen+oxygen in H20, this is not the oxygen fish breathe. They breathe oxygen which has been dissolved into the water by water surface displacement. An example of a dissolved gas (not oxygen however) in a liquid is carbonated drinks such as coke, the gas has been dissolved into the liquid to give fizz. Fish extract the dissolved oxygen out of water with their gills. However, this isn't easy as water contains about 20 times less oxygen than our air. This is solved by fish being cold blooded, meaing they need less oxygen to operate.