How to setup a gold fish aquarium:
Goldfish are very hardy and easy to keep fish for both beginners and expert. The most important aspect of setting up a goldfish tank is to plan for the future and select an adequate size tank. Many species of Goldfish grows fast and quite large and are often classified as messy fish and creates lot of waste. A small bowl or a small tank without filtration has never been a good option for them. Comet goldfish can grow in excess of 35 cm and more suitable for ponds as they can swim fast and escape from predators. Fancy goldfish such as Oranda, Ranchu, Pearlscale and Black Moor etc., grow 16-25 cm in length and are slow moving fish. Due to the large future sizes of these fish, it is good to start with a tank size that is at least 110-115 litres in volume which is typically a 3 feet tank.Below you can watch how to setup gold fish aquarium, & adding a pump & filter will keep water clean.
Goldfish Tank Substrate & Decor:
Have a look at decor we have used in our tank. You can purchase any smooth & strong decor because gold fish are messy fish & they mess up with almost everything. We are not using any substrate in our aquarium & our tank is bare bottom.
Choosing the color of substrate (gravel) for a goldfish tank is based on personal preference, but i would recommend a dark colored substrate to help hide dark waste build-up. Keep the size of substrate from medium to large and avoid using sand as goldfish can swallow it. My preference is bare bottom tank for goldfish as it is easy to clean the tank and high water quality can be maintained. Always opt for a gentle decor with smooth surfaces as goldfish are prone to getting scratched when they swim through the structure. I removed all the decor from my tank after introducing fancy Goldies to keep them healthy.
Goldfish Tank Filter:
We are using overhead SUMP filter in our aquarium. The best thing about this filter is that it can provide mechanical & biological filtration, & there is large amount of available bio media for producing beneficial bacteria.
The most important component of a goldfish tank is the filter. A high volume of water turnover coupled by highly efficient filtration is compulsory. Ideally the water flow should be at least double the capacity of the fish tank. Mechanical filtration should consist of at least 2 types of filter foams. However, i would suggest a coarse foam, medium foam and fine foam. This will ensure only clean water flows through the biological filter media. Any kind of ceramic media will do the job, if store bought filter is expensive then i would recommend building your own diy aquarium filter. I do not use any chemical filtration in my tanks but adding some to the filter will help maintain healthy water.
We are connecting both sides of LED strip aerators to aquarium pump. These aerators can help aerate the complete tank.
Aerators help in the circulation of the aquarium water, thereby allowing the exchange of gasses to happen. Aerator expose water to the surface thereby allow the exchange of gases (oxygen in/carbon dioxide out). In most cases, this task is achieved by a filter but by adding an air pump this process can be fast tracked. I always have some sort of aeration in the tank, most of the submersible pump can be fitted with an air tube that can shoot out bubbles. Check out the video to see it yourself.
Cycling a Goldfish Tank:
We have added beneficial bacteria from a cycled aquarium to speed up cycling process. Beneficial bacteria is available in our filter.
Once the tank is setup and filter is functioning then consider cycling the tank. It is the process of building enough good bacteria to break down waste and convert it to less harmful form. Cycling is not hard as you might think, you can always speed up the process by using water from your existing aquarium and add some bio media from already established tank. It is important to keep in mind that beneficial bacteria will need some source of food which can be provided by adding pure ammonia or dropping some fish food in the tank. Read more about Nitrogen Cycle in this Article.
Lighting & Temperature:
Aquarium lights can provide essential vitamins to fish. It is required in aquarium & fish can also use lights to see food & enjoy tank environment. We have used LED strip lights that can change its color automatically in our gold fish tank.
Proper aquarium light plays a pivotal role in the health of your fish. Just like any other fish, Goldfish needs light too. If your goldfish are not healthy and doesn't display vibrant colors then one of the reason could be poor lighting as fish requires light to create essential vitamins. A full-spectrum light is recommended for all tanks that doesn't receive natural light. Fancy goldfish are delicate and do better in warmer water that doesn't fluctuate much. However, most of the specie can do just fine without a heater. I have kept my goldfish in aquarium without heater for years and never have had any issue with their health in winter.
If you are thinking about setting up a new tank for goldfish and found this article helpful then please drop me a line to share your feedback or opinion in the comment section below.
