Goldfish Lifespan: Practical Tips to Make your Goldfish Grow for Years

Having goldfish at home is very relaxing. Just the sight of them swimming around the water tank is enough reason to make you feel loosened up after a day’s work. To keep your goldfish to last for years, you need to know more about how you can actually keep your goldfish lifespan longer. Essentially, you need to understand how you can properly take good care of goldfish.

One of the major factors to increase goldfish lifespan is to have the proper size of water tank. A normal tank size for a single goldfish is the twenty-gallon tank. Meaning, for a single goldfish you need twenty gallons of water, thirty for 2 goldfish, fifty for four, and so on. Of course for most homeowners, choosing the typical round glass bowl is the first option. However, these bowls provide less space, thus restricting the growth of the fish and worse, making them prone to sickness. That is why, regardless of the size of the goldfish you buy, make sure you provide them with sufficient space so that they are able to live a quality life. 

Keep in mind that before you bring in your goldfish, your water tank should be properly prepared. Doing so will help generate bacteria needed to break down the waste of the fish. Be sure you run the water tank for a number of days after you have landscaped it and filled it with water along with its filter. Monitor the concentration of ammonia, making sure you stick between the normal levels of 4 and 5ppm. You can ask your local veterinarian to know more about this. 

Cleaning the tank is also one of the major factors to consider. The number of times you clean the water tank basically depends upon the number of goldfish you have and the size of your fish tank. Bigger tanks require less maintenance. Cleaning big tanks at least once every two weeks would suffice. Furthermore, having live plants in your tank is also a good idea. Plants help absorb the nitrate, nitrite and ammonia content of the water, thus keeping the tank clean. Also, have a dechlorinator to minimize the chloramines level of the tank. Also, monitor the level of ammonia and nitrate all the time. When their average levels rise, chances are it might make the water more acidic, thus making it fatal for your fish. Furthermore, to remove dirt from the tank, you can use a vacuum. Ensure that you add more water in the tank after you vacuum and that the water temperature added should be similar of that in the tank.  

Just because you want to increase goldfish lifespan doesn’t mean it is healthy to feed them most of the time. You may have the tendency to feed your fish with practically all kinds of food. But did you know that feeding them beyond their capacity can actually restrict their lifespan and eventually cause them to die? Feeding them twice a day is sufficient. After eating, check that no leftovers are floating on the water to avoid getting the tank dirty. Remove uneaten foods immediately. 

You can easily increase your goldfish lifespan if you take your time to follow the above mentioned tips. With the right water tank and proper feeding practices, you surely will have a long way enjoying your tiny pets swimming around your aquarium.