The gold fish – or more exactly the Carasius auratus auratus – is a very wide spread choice for a pet. Being not only cute and pretty it is also a very easy animal to take care of.

Another good thing is that there are a lot of sub-species that have different characteristics which can bring a lot of variety in your aquarium while maintaining the same type of care for all of them. Which brings us to another thing you should think about when purchasing such a pet – is there something specific about the whole process of breeding? Well the process as a whole is not quite complex – some might even say rather easy. Here is some basic advice for breeding a goldfish.

Take care of nutrition

Biologically nutrition is probably the most important thing you are able to take care of. The food plays a very important role in the chemical balance of the body of any animal, which can influence the offspring a lot. Think not only about quantity but also quality in that direction. You can safely ignore much of the advice online – the most important thing is for the brand to be well recommended and that the food contains at least 30% of protein. It is best if it comes from insects and larvae, as this is the fishes’ natural food which they are most accustomed to. It is very important not to give them leftovers, as they can poison the water. The fish should be fed on average three times a day, starting two months or so before the actual breeding process, so its condition is at its best.

Water quality

And speaking about the water – be sure to take measures about the water quality in the aquarium, as it is the place where the breeding will be done. It is best if you can make conditions close to those of running water. Replace at least 15% daily two weeks before the breeding starts. This is also tightly connected with temperature – the process should happen in a big temperature change. The best is between 20 °C (68 °F) – 22 °C (72 °F).  As it is the perfect range, they can also be active in higher, but anything above 30 °C (86 °F) is too much. So once this is done drop the temperature with 5 degrees for around five hours before breeding – the 5 degrees should be below the average temperature of the aquarium (if it is usually 27 put it on 22).

Sexing

You should always separate the male and female gold fish for several weeks before the process starts. Females are different by the fact that their bellies are softer bulged and male ones have white patches on the gill cover. They also have longer ridge on their bottom starting from the pectoral to the anal fins. The female ones are shorter and thinner. Now, when you have separated them there is one last thing – be sure to have at least two males for a female.

How to care for a goldfish?

The goldfish is considered a very easy pet to take care of. Be that as it may, many people do the mistake of accepting the process for even simpler than it is, which is not only wrong but can also hurt the pet itself. It is good to know some basic advice that you should follow if you happen to be a newbie in the field, as it is important to keep your pet healthy. You should mostly consider the specific qualities of the goldfish, as it is a quite complex creature from a biological point of view.

Tank size

The fishes you buy in the pet store are rarely in their maturity. This means that they will grow – maybe a lot – and that a small tank can become even smaller for them. The recommended size for the so called “fancy” gold fish is around 3 feet longitude with a volume of minimum 20 gallons. For every other fish you put the volume should increase with 10 gallons. The common goldfish on the other hand is bigger and the tank should be as well. The standard is 4 feet long with 30 gallons water and for each new fish there should be 12 more gallons.

Other species

It is very important to consider whether other types of fish can live along with the goldfish. Well, this can really present a problem, as the goldfish can have some very specific requirements. For example they live best in low a temperature, which immediately separates them from tropical fish. They can also become very big as mentioned, which should also be considered. This leads to something else – their appetite is large, which can lead them to seeking food even if there are relatively full, which often can include smaller fish than them. The other is also valid – other fish can also be dangerous to the gold, especially ones that have hard scales, as some types of fancy goldfish have eyes that can be damaged easily.

Last but not least – avoid mixing fancy and common goldfish in one place. The first one is way less adapted when it comes to movement and sight, which can lead it with very little food, as its bigger relative will have dominance.

Filtration

Along with nutrition this is maybe the most important thing to be aware of. Always put a filter on the tank when it comes to a goldfish, as they have a lot of waste coming with them. They don’t have stomachs, which makes them quite messy. It is either having a filter or changing the water very regularly which can be not only costly but irritating as well. So always buy a filter – it doesn’t really matter whether it is external or internal one. The first costs more and do a better job, but it also depends on the size of the tank and the fish inside. Nevertheless, if you can afford it, it will be better, because as mentioned the goldfish can be a real polluter.