Is my fish sick?

There are a number of signs that your fish might not being feeling well. A few things to watch out for include:

• Fish floating toward the top of the tank- This is usually a sign that your fish has an equilibrium problem. This can be brought on when your fish eats too many pellets (goldfish are greedy and will often swallow these whole leading to their stomach expanding and thus a need for more oxygen which can be found at the top of the tank), or the PH/temperature is off (this leads the fish to go to the top of the tank where the water is often cooler and more balanced).
• Fish hiding in the corner of the tank and not moving with a slimy coat/white spots- This could be a sign your fish may have a bacteria infection such as Oödinium (Velvet) or Ich. If your fish has velvet he will look as though he has a velvet coat and if he has ich he will have white spots all over his body. These diseases can be treated if caught right away. The treatments must be given immediately or these diseases can be fetal. Some ways to treat these diseases include using a medicine such a Tetracycline (found at your local petstore), adding salt to your tank, and removing the infected fish until he is healthy again.
• Some other signs of a sick fish are outlined the picture below.

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Treat Time!

There are a number of things you can spoil your fish with. Some of these things include:

• Special snacks- Fish love cucumbers and lettuce. This can be attached in the inside of the tank with a fish clip (a small clip that sticks to the inside of the glass). Leave in for about a day then remove being sure to wash the vegetable before putting it in the tank.
• Gems- These are light brightly colored rocks that are smooth and translucent. They are pretty large and the fish love to run their bodies against them. Golden Dojo fish especially love these as they are light so the dojos can push them around the tank.
• Structures- Goldfish love to hide and relax in structures in their tank. These include castles, rock formations, and plants.

Six Essential Tests

There are six major things to test your water for to ensure your fish can live in a safe and healthy environment.

• PH
• Alkalinity
• Hardness
• Nitrate
• Nitrite
• Chlorine

These things can all be tested using a simple testing strip (available at your local pet store).

While these six things are essential there is one more important thing to remember when caring for your goldfish habitat and that is the temperature of the water. The temperature for goldfish should always be between 65 degrees and 75 degrees. The cooler the water the less chance for bad bacteria to grow in your tank.

Fancy Black Moor Goldfish

A Nice Clean Tank

Cleaning Your Tank

There are a few steps to cleaning your tank. Listed below are the steps and some extra things to remember:

1. Remove all structures, plants, and airstones from your fish tank.
2. Remove all goldfish using a fish net. If you have dojo fish and aren't able to catch them for cleaning it is ok to leave them in.
3. Rinse all structures, plants, etc. with hot water for cleaning. Do not use soap as this can make your goldfish very ill.
4. Soak 1-2 of your filters (whatever your filtration system takes) ensuring all the loose black carbon soaks off.
5. Use your vacuum pump to pump out 1/4-1/3 of the water and replace this with new cold water (approximately 65 degrees to 75 degrees for goldfish). 
6. Replace old filters with new clean ones.
7. Wipe down the inside and top of the tank and filter pipes. Be sure to use a cloth that has been soaked in very hot water to kill any bacteria that might be living on it.
8. Hook the airstones back up to the tubing and air pumps.
9. Put the structures and plants back into the tank.
10. Insert fish back into their clean tank.

Golden Dojos In Action

A Healthy Aquarium

Golden Dojo Fish

Essential Tools needed to start a fishtank

There are many tools needs to start and maintain a healthy environment for your freshwater fish. Some of the tools are obvious while others can often be forgotten. The tools include but are not limited to:

• Fish Tank- Allow one inch of fish per each gallon of water. For example if you have six fish each expected to grow to two inches long you would need at least a twelve gallon tank.
• Filtration System- Be sure to buy the filtration system along with a box of filters making sure they are the right size (usually labeled on the filter box).
• Aeration System- In order to setup a proper aeration system, you will need both air stones,tubes, as well as an air pump. Aeration Systems help to circulate and add oxygen to the water for your fish.
• Substrate (rocks)- Purchase enough rocks to cover the bottom of your fish tank. Putting too many rocks in your fish tank can lead to additional buildup and dirt at the bottom of the tank.
• Structures- These can include castles, fake plants, and other types of approved fixtures. Do not use any live plants or coral as these can contaminate your tank.These structures will give your fish a place to hide and feel secure. 
• Goldfish food- Be sure the food states that it is for goldfish and not tropical fish. The standard food for goldfish usually comes in flake form, however a nice treat for a goldfish is a bottom feeder such as sinking shrimp pellets (Aquarian advanced nutrition). 
• Vacuum Pump- While the filtration system will do a good job of keeping your tank clean, every 3-4 weeks you should use your vacuum pump to do a 1/4-1/3 water change being sure to clean below the rocks and structures. The structures should all be removed and rinsed during this process.
• Water Conditioner & Ammonia Detoxifier
• Bacteria Supplement- A healthy boost for your aquarium.
• PH stablizer- The proper PH of a freshwater aquarium tank is around 7.0.
• Freshwater "Community" Goldfish- Be sure to read the labels of the tanks at the fish store or ask a store associate to ensure your fish are community goldfish and ensure they get along with one another.

Welcome

This blog site is dedicated to keeping and maintaining healthy goldfish and other types of community fish in a freshwater aquarium environment.