Uh-oh: childhood flashback.
Remember your very first pet, a cute little goldfish you won at a carnival?
You were so excited to bring him home!
But when you woke up the next morning, Mr. Bubbles had crossed over into goldfish heaven.
But this pet we typically think of as short-lived and temporary can actually live for waaay
longer – I’m talking decades!
I know, it goes against all your understanding of having a goldfish.
They’ve become synonymous with first-pet “trial runs” in households around the
world.
And that’s because they’re super low maintenance.
They don’t require belly rubs and walks around the block twice a day.
I’m looking at you, pooches!
But while goldfish are a great pet to have, they often bring sadness to their adoptive
families because of their all-too-common extremely short lifespan.
Seriously, these little guys rarely last more than 5 years, and those are the lucky ones!
But goldfish aren’t actually supposed to have lives that play out faster than a good
pair of jeans.
While household pet goldfish are expected to live anywhere from 5 to 10 years, they
can live as long as 25 years in the wild!
That’s even longer than most cats walk the earth!
So why can’t you manage to keep your little fishie alive for more than a few days?
The answer is simple: poop.
That’s right, goldfish suffer from being stuck in fishbowls with their own excrement.
Just like people and other animals, goldfish poop contains toxins like ammonia, and this
ammonia can burn their gills!
They literally get poisoned by their own poo when enclosed in a small space.
These wild goldfish with their super long lifespans don’t meet the same fate because
they live in fresh, open water that fills lakes and ponds.
In this environment, bacteria work hard to break down the chemicals found in fish poop,
making it way less harmful on our little gilled friends.
So, for your goldfish to live a long time in a tank at home, does that mean you have
to replenish it with fresh water from a nearby stream every day?
Of course not!
But man, what a workout that would be, huh?
The key to keeping goldfish healthy in a tank is to slowly introduce the same bacteria found
in bodies of fresh water.
And the first way to do that is to eliminate chlorine.
“Uh, what chlorine?
I ain’t cleaning the tank like it’s a pool or something!”
Well, actually, it’s in the tap water from your sink or bathtub.
In tap water, chlorine actually helps decontaminate water, making it safe for us to drink.
So as you can imagine, it wouldn’t be an ideal chemical to mix with bacteria.
You can remove chlorine from the water in the fish tank with a special conditioner found
at most pet stores or online.
Without chlorine present, bacteria will slowly start to form in your tank.
To get things moving a bit, you can even buy a solution containing bacterial cultures and
just pour it into the tank.
That’s all before you introduce the fishies to their new home.
The last step is to put some food in there.
It sounds weird to put food in the tank when the fish aren’t even in there yet, but there’s
a reason for this.
The now-existing bacteria eat away ammonia that’s also present in fish food.
Okay, so when do the actual goldfish come into the picture already!?
Good question!
The short answer is “eventually.”
You see, before you put them in their new home, you have to wait a little while…okay,
A LOTTA while.
If you put plenty of bacteria in the tank, it’s probably best if you wait a whopping
2 months before you bring any fish into the equation.
Two months may seem like a long time, but in the big scheme of things, it’s a small
price to pay to create an environment that will let your goldfish thrive and live at
least a decade!
While making sure the water is full of bacteria is a great way to ensure your goldfish has
a long and healthy life, you’ll also want to pay attention to the size of the tank.
And in this case, bigger really is better.
Sure, those 1-gallon bowls are super convenient and can easily fit on your desk or countertop,
but they’re basically a deathtrap for your fish.
Heck, even the 10-gallon tanks at the pet store can be too cozy for these little guys.
According to thegoldfishtank.com, goldfish are often sold in stores at a very young age.
So if you put them in a bowl, they won’t have any room to grow!
Not to mention, with small bowls, the fish have no choice but to swim in their poop-filled
water.
As you can imagine, it’s really not all-that pleasant for them.
As for the specifics, fishkeeping.co.uk says that you’ll need a tank that fits 30 gallons
of water for fancy goldfish.
(Ya know, the ones that come wearing pearls?
Just kidding!)
You basically want 3 feet or so for them to swim around in.
And for each additional fancy goldfish, you’ll need 10 more gallons.
For common goldfish, 40 gallons of water will do, with an extra 12 gallons for each additional
fish and 4 feet of swimming space.
Think of it this way: you don’t like sitting on an airplane for a 10-hour flight with very
little legroom, right?
You have to give them space.
I mean, they’re spending their whole life in the tank, after all!
And don’t forget that you’ll have to refill around 30% of the water every 2 weeks.
That’s because fish actually emit pheromones and hormones into the water.
So if it’s not re-filled and replenished, these natural body chemicals can stunt the
fish’s growth.
Well, at least that explains why some goldfish in the wild grow waaay bigger than the ones
you have at home.
Like, the size of a football kind of huge.
Hey, go long!
Lastly, don’t forget to give your goldfish some attention once in a while.
Pay attention to the smell of the water or the way the fish’s gills look.
If your fish isn’t excitedly swimming about, it may be cause for concern.
If you see white spots or fuzzy-looking patches, your fish could be suffering from illnesses
like swim bladder, fin rot, and fungal infections.
Yeah, they’re as scary as they sound!
So unless you can make these accommodations, perhaps goldfish aren’t the best animals
to keep as pets.
But there are other fish that are better suited to fare the harsh conditions of your humble
abode…
Unlike goldfish, beta fish love living in bowls!
And that’s because they don’t go to the bathroom as much, so their water stays cleaner
for longer.
Beta fish are also used to living in slow-moving water, so they don’t require an automated
filtration system.
If you keep a beta fish at home, make sure its bowl holds no less than 5 gallons, and
remember to clean out the water regularly!
Regal white cloud minnows also make for great pets.
Since these little beauties are used to living in ice-cold water from the White Cloud Mountains
in China, you won’t need a heater for the tank.
They also stay pretty small, so they’re comfortable in a large fishbowl or a smaller
aquarium.
This species of fish is a schooling type, which means they like to be in groups.
So feel free to get a handful at a time, as long as the tank’s big enough.
But be warned, these little guys like to jump, so a screen for the top of the tank is a must-have,
especially if you have a hungry kitty lurking right around the corner!
If you only have room for a small tank in your home, you may wanna consider adopting
some blind cave tetras.
These are also cold-water fish that do well in groups.
And depending on who you ask, these fish look either really cool or kinda creepy, given
the fact that they don’t have eyes and all, hence the name.
And they live true to that name – they like to hide in dark places.
So don’t forget to provide your blind cave tetra with his own little hideaway cave to
chill in!
If you’re on the fence about getting a fish, you should know that they make excellent pets
when you treat them right.
The same goes for any pet really!
But fish in particular are a good option for people with dog or cat allergies.
And if you’re out and about all day at work, you don’t have to worry about them ruining
your carpet with yet another “accident”!
Also, don’t forget that fish can be great for your mental health!
The folks at pethelpful.com say that watching and caring for your fish can ease anxiety
and actually help relieve stress.
And if you have fish of different colors, watching them can be a real mood lifter since
you can focus on their beauty rather than the stuff that gets you down in life!
So, have you ever had a goldfish, or any pet fish for that matter?
Let me know down in the comments!
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