Tips for Keeping Feeder Goldfish
General: The common goldfish is often sold as a food fish.
Compatibility: Feeder goldfish should be kept in a separate tank. We do not recommend you mix them with other feeder fish such as feeder guppies.
Tank Conditions for your Feeder Holding Tank:
To keep feeder goldfish successfully provide plenty of aeration, and
keep the water as cool as possible. For best results provide a filter such
as a box filter, an outside power filter, or an undergravel filter. Do not
keep them in a fish bowl because they will quickly run out of oxygen. Here
are some maximum amounts:
5 gal with aeration 15 fish
10 gal with aeration 25 fish
20 gal with aeration 75 fish
Keep one tablespoon of salt per 5 gallons of water. When you add a group of
goldfish we recommend you give them a single dose of either Nox-Ich, or
Jungle Goldfix. Feeder goldfish prefer cooler, unheated water. The cooler
the tank, the more fish it will hold. In the summer if the temperature of
the water reaches the high 70's, or low 80's reduce the number of fish in
the tank. Feed the goldfish very small amounts, so that you do not add to
the pollution in the tank. We recommend a few flakes of Tetra Goldfish Food
(TetraFin) once a day.
The Elmer's Difference: In order to assure a good supply of quality feeders
Elmer's receives two
shipments a week direct from the growers in North Carolina.
Goldfish are seasonal breeders. They are usually small in the spring and
gradually become larger through the summer. The juvenile color is silver,
and most goldfish purchased in May or June will be silver.
| Problem | |
| Crowding | If the goldfish gasp at the surface they are probably too crowded. Change 50% of the water. Provide aeration. Reduce population of tank. |
| Holding Tank not ready: | Remember that a newly established tank will not hold as many fish as a tank that has been operating for 2 weeks. It takes a while for tanks to become biologically balanced. Therefore if you have just cleaned your tank, and changed all of the water, only add a few fish at first. Wait a week or two before you fully load it. |
| Summer Problems | Feeder goldfish are usually weaker in the early summer than at other times of the year. Therefore in the early summer we suggest you purchase them more frequently, but less each time. Warm water holds less oxygen than cold water. Stock your goldfish holding tanks lower in the summer than the winter. |
Elmer’s Aquarium Pet Center 4005 Wm Penn Hwy. Monroeville, Pa. 15146 (412) 372-6535
Daily 10-9:30 Sunday 12:00- 5:00