Keep the goldfish you love healthy & happy
fancy goldfish,are one of the most popular goldfish in Australia & all over the world in fact, there are many studies and facts about goldfish ,yet there are still a huge number of myths that directly affect the longevity of your goldfish in australia.
Myth 1 Goldfish have a three-second memory.
This is probably one of the most commonly quoted myths, and is often used as an excuse to keep them in a small ,tank or bowl.
In fact, they can recognize other fish, their environment and even the times that they are fed and who feeds them and retain memories for at least three months.
So you need to give them a stimulating environment, one thing i have found at our goldfish farm, is they love to play in bubbles, so add a bubblier ornament or air stone.
Myth 2 Goldfish only live for a few years kept in poor conditions your goldfish, will not thrive and will die very young.
Where as, kept in good conditions your goldfish can live up to 15 years.
60 liters (2 Foot) is the absolute minimum size tank for 1 goldfish, & that is only if your prepared to maintain the water weekly.
Starting at a 3 foot tank or 100 liters gives you the area, to deck the tank out with live plants,caves and area to swim.In this case the bigger you can go the better.
Caves are great so they can get out of the light if they wish to. Terracotta Pots broken in half they make great caves.
Not to over look the most important aspect of fish keeping (Water Quality)
Myth 3 Goldfish are vegetarian
Goldie's are omnivores, they eat both plant and protein.
They like to scavenge, and as well as eating live plants, they will eat food that they find on the bottom of their tanks or in their pond.
At the Windsor fish hatchery we sell foods that contain both plant matter and protein.
Variety is the spice of life and fish should be fed a good variety. Our goldfish food online , includes floating and sinking pellet, flake, frozen and live fish foods. At our goldfish farm our ponds all have live plants for the goldfish online, these are a great source of food, shelter and make the environment more natural
Myth 4 Goldfish only need a small bowl with no filter
As we gain more knowledge about fancy goldfish & their needs we change our practices.
Twenty years ago, it was common to see one or two small goldfish kept in a small round bowl with no aeration or filtration and only physical tank cleaning and water changes used to keep the bowl clean and oxygenated.
We now no they produce a lot of waste, much more than the average bowl can handle, and fish kept in these conditions will certainly not thrive.
They require a large enough body of water in their home to be able to go about their natural behaviors.
A must have in all their tanks or better ponds are filters and aeration to keep the water clean and healthy for them.
A small, still water tank is not appropriate for even a tiny goldfish. In the natural world the rivers and smaller bodies of water that goldfish live in have natural filters, you need to cleanse the water hourly and add oxygen.
Only a filter can do this, it doesn't matter what type, there are many. We like and use sumps and canisters for all our ponds and aquariums at the hatchery, you also need a large volume of beneficial bacteria to convert waste and toxins to clean water, filters provide the perfect grow house for the bacteria.
Myth 5 Goldfish Grow only to the size of their tank
Goldie's will continue to grow in a small tank, regardless of the size. However the growth will be very slow.
If the potential of the goldfish is to grow to 20cms then that is how big it will grow.
If you keep this goldfish in a small environment as the goldfish grows it will pollute the environment and as the water quality gets poorer the fish will show signs of the cramped environment, testing the water will become a daily task.,
We have seen misshaped heads, curved fins, stubby bodies and often what could have been a healthy thriving fish is just surviving.
The best type of goldfish to keep in a aquarium are fancy goldfish as all of these are smaller at full growth, than the larger common comet, shubunkin & marigold.
Although the fantail is not considered a fancy gold fish he is little enough and this sturdy little fish will do well in an aquarium or even better in a pond.
We love it when customers email photos showing how big theirs have grown since they bought them from us.
info@windsorfishhatchery.com.au
Myth 6 Fancy goldfish cant be kept in ponds, & need to be inside for winter.
At the hatchery we quarantine, grow, raise & house all our goldfish,fancy & common in ponds year round out side. These are cold water fish and heating is not necessary.
All goldfish thrive in ponds.
The reason we keep all our fish outside, is to make sure they go through all the seasons outside so they develop into a strong and healthy fish.
Myth 7 My Water in the pond or aquarium is clear so it must be good.
Test the water your fish are in at least once a month in a pond or tank, it may look clear, but that does not mean the parameters support good health.
Test the pH one of the most important water parameters, Test Ammonia very important in a new setup, Test Chlorine always when you do a water change use water ager to take out the chlorine, which is deadly to all fish. Chlorine is also deadly to your beneficial bacteria.
Other parameters are Phosphates, Nitrite, Nitrate, Iron,gH, kH. To understand why your testing and how to use the results, read the blog
Its all about the water!!! What to test & understanding why. "Easy to follow"
About Windsor fish hatchery
New Goldfish listed Every Week
Established more than 50yrs ago & owned by the same family since the early 1980's,. We have been shipping fish for more than 20 yrs, we live at the hatchery and care for the fish because its a passion we enjoy & want to share it with everyone.
In 2016 we moved from a retail hatchery in Windsor, Sydney to the Central Coast, We concentrate on goldfish & koi breeding only now. We are not setup for the public to visit now we are in a rural setting. The hatchery is designed for online sales only.
At Windsor fish hatchery we are all about providing the best possible conditions for the fish we sell, the blog is designed to help you better understand, their needs so they thrive in your Aquariums and Ponds. Of course,all our fish are transported humanely, their welfare is our top concern. Thats why all the fish are conditioned for travel and we use hospital grade oxygen.
We sell a very diverse range of goldfish including pearlscales, orandas, yuan bao, orchid tail, veil tail, Tri Colour, pom pom, bubble eye, panda, telescope eye, fantails, ryukins, ranchu's, lionchu, lionhead, Pairs, butterflytail, comets, marigolds, shubunkins to name a few and we are always looking for unique Goldie’s, for you our customers to add to your tanks and ponds.
When you buy from us, you get expert advice on how to setup the tank and look after your new pets, remembering goldie's like any other pet are a long term commitment.
They will give you hours of pleasure watching their antics. check out the goldfish