Goldfish Varieties

            

The Common Goldfish is the simplest type of goldfish familiar to everybody. Usually it is characterized by its evenly proportioned body and fins, and unlike all the other fancy goldfish, it is just plain simple with dull colors. Common goldfish are known to grow up to 25cm (about 10in) long although smaller size variants do exist. Another major characteristics often observed is the single-tailed that ends in a fork tail fin. It can be found in either red, yellow, orange or even dull silver color.

common goldfish, wakin, comet (in the following order)

Wakin and Comet Goldfish are 2 fine examples of the common goldfish. Wakin is a common breed of goldfish (double tailed and usually found in bright red color) originated from Japan while the Comet (differentiated by having forked, longer tail fin) is known to be developed by the Americans. Both types are considered to be striking variant although they are still identified to belong to the group of common goldfish. All those mentioned above are hardy and relatively easy to care for. They are also known to be an active type more suited in an outdoor fish pond.

Ranchu

The Ranchu is the Japanese variant of goldfish bred from the Lionhead. It is not difficult to characterize this particular goldfish, as it can be easily identifiable by its short, round body with thick fins. Perhaps if you observe carefully you will notice that one of the most prominent features is the lack of dorsal fin. The tail can be made up of 4 lobes and is very short in length. Ranchu rarely grows beyond 15cm measured from head to end of tail fin. Similar like its lionhead cousin, it has a hood on its head, which looks like a raspberry outgrowth protruding from the skin.

The goldfish is also known for its colorful feature and is usually found in red, orange or white striking combinations. Ranchu is a highly prized and sought after goldfish not only in Japan but also other parts of the world including America and Europe. In fact, the Japanese are so fond of it and competitions were organized during autumn each year to select the best fish. The art of judging and selecting the best Ranchu comes from the few basic concepts outlined below.

• Eyes should be evenly placed, small and protrude clearly from the headgrowth
• The stomach should form a smooth curve starting from the gill to the end of the abdomen
• When seen from above, the back of Ranchu should be broad and properly aligned with the body and finally,
• The scales must be complete and regular with no visible deformity in sight

No doubt with its elegant and unique characteristics, Ranchu has always remained to be one of the most popular goldfish. In Japan, this hobby is highly revered upon and refined to perfection. It is one of the most beautiful goldfish, which remains one of my favorite 

Fantail is basically the egg-shaped version of the common goldfish with its caudal (tail) fin slightly forked and with moderate length. It can be considered the short tail version of another variety of goldfish called veiltail whereby the caudal fin is much more prolonged and trailing. Do not mistaken the failtail as aryukin because it does not have a hump on its shoulder.

Like any other goldfish varieties, fantails are also found exist in different colors ranging from red to orange while some appear as calico speckled with grey and black color spots. It can also be metallic, nacreous and even have normal or wide telescope eyes. The main distinguishing feature is of course having the split caudal fin whereby a good specimen should have the all lobes completely separated. The prize-winning specimen is also characterized as having double anal fin, which are evenly formed and look well-balanced.

Fantails can be easily bred, as long as it has large aquarium space for normal fin development and good water quality. If properly cared for, they can live up to 10 years or more and usually achieve full-grown length size of about 6 inches long measured from the head until the end of the tail fin.

pearlscale is perhaps the most interesting and exciting goldfish that you will ever find. When I was just a little kid, my first sight instantly captured my attention to this cute goldfish, which looks almost like a golf ball (some are bigger size of course) and swims in an erratic and clumsy looking manner.

Pearlscale can be easily distinguished from other goldfish with its thick, domed scales, which look like pearls. It can be found in normal orange to red color and with or without the headgrowth. There is one particular variant that stands out above the normal pearlscales with their two bubble dome formed at their headgrowth. This fancy variant is known as Hama Nishiki. Their fins are rather short and because of that, it causes the fish to have a hard time controlling their movement especially when coupled with their round body. They can grow up to 8 inches long or more depending on the degree of attention and care given.


Normal Pearlscales and Hama Nishiki

Because of its physical condition, Pearlscales have a hard time swimming and competing with food with other fast swimmers. They are very susceptible to over-feeding and in fact, experienced Pearlscale breeders will tell you how hard it is to care for this fish. It is also very particular especially towards changes in water condition and will not tolerate extreme cold temperatures. Best is, water should be kept above 15degC and water changes are to be performed carefully to avoid fluctuation in parameters in order to protect this delicate goldfish. It is the hardest to maintain and cared for, however the reward and satisfaction is simply great.

Veiltail is perhaps well-known for its graceful tail and dorsal fin which looks like an angel. The long trailing beautiful fin is usually well-developed and can grow up to 6cms long depending on the age and physical condition of the Veiltail goldfish. It has a round body, the scales are metallic or nacreous and they varies in different color either in red, orange or calico. The Veiltails are known to be slow swimmers and are not supposed to be mixed with other types of active goldfish such as the Common Goldfish. This may cause them to have difficulty competing for foods.

As with other goldfish, they require moderate care and attention, and the most important aspect about this type of goldfish is to watch out for fungal growth on the long fins. As such, water must always be clean and best is, check for early sign of fungal development or sickness. Watch out also for excessive nibbing exhibited by other aggressive goldfish or tank mates as this can cause the fins to be easily damaged. If this happens, the only way to overcome the problem is segregate the fish. Today many Veiltails were cross-bred to produce different variants such as the telescope-eyed Veiltail.


orange veiltail and calico veiltail

Shubunkin or best known as Calico Goldfish is easily recognizable by its nacreous scales (metallic and shiny transparent scales) covering its whole body with patches of red, white or silver blue on the background coupled with speckles of black spot. It has long, torpedo-shaped thick body with single tail fin and basically there are 3 different distinct variant, which can be identified by the tail fin.

(top from left to right)
The American Shubunkin has long and forked tailfins
The Bristol Shubunkin has forked tailfins but it ended in lobes
The London Shubunkin has short and round tail fin.

Shubunkin can grow quite large size reaching length of almost 12 inches measured from head to tail and it is considered a hardy variety meaning that it can tolerate moderate changes in water parameters quite well. Because of its size and active nature (fast swimmers), Shubunkin are sometimes kept in ponds together with koi where they can grow and thrive better compared to keeping them in large glass aquariums.

As with all goldfish, Shubunkin readily accepts all types of food and a very hearty diet. Because they eat a lot, usually they will discharge a lot of waste and fouls the water easily. Shubunkins are recommended to be kept with other fast swimmers like the common goldfish with water temperature maintained at about 20 – 24deg Celsius

Black Moor is unique in the sense that it can be easily recognized by its solid black velvety color. It is sometimes referred to as the black version of the telescope goldfish because of its protruding eyes. However, it does not protrude as far compared to the other normal telescopes. The fins are generally thick and the body is very stout and deep. This variety of goldfish is considered hardy and will tolerate changes in water temperature easily as long as it is not in the extremes. Thus the goldfish is highly recommended especially for beginners.

Similar like other goldfish varieties, black moor has a very hearty appetite and will gobble up almost anything that you feed to them. They are not selective and picky when it comes to food and will readily accept fish food pellets, flakes, live foods, cucumbers and peas. However, due to their poor eyesight, they usually have difficulty finding their food and as such, they should not be mixed with other goldfish varieties that are fast and agile like common goldfish, shubunkin and fantail.

Black moor are not born black. The young moors are actually colorless and will then slowly turn into bronze before coming to their all-black velvety appearance. Most black moors will retain the color until old age while some will slowly revert to orange color as it grows old. Believe me, I’ve seen before a young black moor raised up to become an orange adult telescope goldfish and many people do not realize that this is actually true.

Pom Pom can be easily recognized from other goldfish and unique in the sense that it has a pair of fleshy outgrowth, which is actually enlargement of the nasal septum that closely resembles, well as the name implies a pom pom. When I first saw the fish, I thought it was really strange and bizarre because it never crossed my mind that somehow those were really natural and part of the fish. Although I've never successfully bred a pom pom before, what I actually observed is that the pair of outgrowth were actually not present when the fish was young and it only started to develop as it matures.

Pom pom generally has fins similar to a fantail including body shape and if you were to take away the outgrowth, everything matches exactly like the fantail. Pompom also exist in different colors being chocolate as one of the most common of all (depicted in above pic). Others exist in either orange, white, yellow with either metallic or nacreous scales. As with other common goldfish, pom pom will tolerate living condition at the temperature around 18 to 21degC and have a hefty appetite. It is considered a fast swimmer and thus should not be mixed with other slow swimmers such as pearlscale,bubble-eye, celestial and tosakin. Since it is one of the goldfish species, if given a chance it can interbreed and the off-spring can actually appear to be normal goldfish without the nasal outgrowth.

randa is easily recognizable from its prominent hood, which looks like a lumpy growth protruding out from the skin covering the whole head except for the eyes and mouth. Depending on the nutrition you provide for the fish, the growth should start developing after 8 months of age and sometimes it can even block the eye view making the fish having poor visibility. They are very sensitive to low temperatures and usually temperature range between 18 to 22degCelcius suits best for the fish. Orandas can grow up to very large size often exceeding 7 inches in length. Therefore, care must be taken to ensure that they have enough space for the fish or else risk having stunted fish. Like any other goldfish, Orandas are very greedy and will eat just about anything but it is best that you control their diet by providing a mixture of live and dry fish food to ensure they get all the necessary nutrition.

Fine specimen of RedCap Oranda

Oranda comes in variety of colors ranging from interesting yellow to red, sometimes chocolate while there is also a white variant with a particular red cap hence the name “red cap oranda”. Though generally a hardy fish, which means it can tolerate mild changes in water conditions, care must be taken to ensure that the water is always clean by having good aquarium filters in order to prevent bacterial infections from developing in their headgrowth. Nevertheless, aquarium maintenance has to be given priority if you intend to ensure that your fish live longer to be your faithful companion.

Ryukin is a beautiful variety of thegoldfish. It can easily be identified from other types of goldfish by its deep body and with a hump right before the head near the dorsal fin. It has long finnages similar like veiltailsand it is commonly found in red, white and orange color. Ryukin has metallic scales and the tail fin is fully forked and divided. It is considered a hardy fish, which can grow up to 8 inches long and is very popular in Japan.

There is another Japanese variety of the Ryukin called the Tosakin that has similar characteristics except that the tail fin opens flat and wide horizontally. If you observe the fish from above, the tail actually spreads out nicely like a butterfly and the beauty is indeed magnificent. However, Tosakin is rather delicate and is very difficult to breed. It swims clumsily and generally requires extra care such as making sure the stream of water is not too turbulent or else it will jeopardize normal tail fin development. And because of its slow swimming nature, some aquarist has resorted to use hand spawning in order to successfully breed the goldfish.

Tosakin is also very sensitive to changes in water quality and some experts actually suggest using slight greenish water containing algae. In order to produce the desired butterfly tail, some aquarist has gone to the extreme by keeping the fish in a small container to limit the growth and length of the body while allowing the tail fin to develop. In Japan, Tosakin is highly prized and sought after and various competitions are organized to select the best fish.

Perhaps one of the most remarkable, weirdest and astonishing goldfish varieties is the Celestial. Nobody really knows where this type of goldfish originated and whether it is actually a result of selective breeding. Celestial is very much similar in terms of finnage like the other goldfish except that it has a very large telescope eyes turning upwards and a long body. It doesn’t grow very large and another notable trademark is its lack of dorsal fin. But believe it or not, the eyes are actually normal found in the newborn fish and it only starts to turn upwards towards its maturity age at about 6-7 months.

Well, a particular question a person must be curious about this fish is that, with its set of eyes turning upwards, will it have any difficulties in navigation and moving about without bumping into objects? Well as a proud owner who once kept this goldfish as a pet, I did not observe the fish having poor sense of direction and I can tell you that it doesn’t bump into objects. In fact, it swims pretty much well-coordinated without difficulties and my hypothesis is that since they can’t rely on their eyes for navigation, they must have adjusted to the condition by making use of other senses to guide them through. However, it is advisable that in order to help counter its poor eyesight visibility, owners must ensure that Celestial should only be kept with its own kind.

Bubble Eye Goldfish is one of the most fragile and hard to care for variety of goldfish that also fits into the exotic group along with oranda, ranchu,pearlscale, ryukin and tosakin. This unique but yet entertaining type of coldwater fish species actually look odds and clumsy in the aquarium and unlikecommon pet fish they lack a dorsal fin as well. With their blurred vision and somehow poor sense of navigation, these fish were often found stuck attached at the filter inlet causing its eye sac bubble to puncture and getting injured.

Bubble eye goldfish comes in different colors ranging from white, orange, red, calico and even black due to heavy cross-breeding. They should not be confused with another fancy goldfish variety known as the celestial which has a pair of eyes turning upwards. Young bubble eye fish usually looks pretty normal without the sac and as it grows older the bubble eye appearance will start to form and develop by the time it is about 1 year old. At first, it will look something like accumulation of fluids but as it goes on, the sac actually gets bigger and becomes more transparent.

This special type of goldfish should be kept in an aquarium large enough, and those without strong current generated by undergravel filter system or power filters. They are best housed in a tank whereby the water is calm, preferably without sharp object or any aquarium decoration that might cause injury to their eyes. Due to their delicate requirement your bubble eye goldfish should not be mixed with any other fish species, except their own kind because they will have hard time competing for foods and their eye sac will often become the target of nipping behavior exhibited by certain species especially tiger barb, swordtails and guppy.

If for any reason the eye sac becomes injured or punctured due to accidents, usually a treatment of Melafix will help but try to avoid adding any other chemicals or even salt which I believe can make things become even worse. The best solution to deal with this problem is actually to leave the eye sac to grow and heal by itself, and during this period try to ensure that the water is clean andcrystal clear so that there won’t be any chance for infection to take place that will further aggravate the injury. Depending on how serious the wound is, somehow it will take anywhere between 2 weeks or so before it gets better.

Bubble eyes goldfish nowadays are rarely sold in aquarium pet stores. Somehow due to their extreme and delicate needs, fish suppliers seem to avoid buying them and offer the fish for sale. Main reason is because if they are placed in a general tank, the owner will often overlook on certain matter and this usually results with the fish having high mortality rate and it is very normal to see them die when being neglected. Buying online is even more difficult because sellers usually will have a hard time to ensure that they will survive the trip and thus your best bet should be, if you ever come across fish farms, I would suggest you just grab the goldfish as your prized specimen.

 Lionhead Goldfish is often confused and wrongly identified as a ranchu as both of them bear very close resemblance to each other. While some considered the lionhead to be less superior in every aspect in particular the shape but however it has its own special feature that makes it stand out from the rest. To make it short, Lionhead is actually bred and developed by the Chinese while the Ranchu is a Japanese variety which is line bred to select the fish with desired characteristics. What line bred means is that the baby fish or off spring will cross back to the parent fish so that the genetic trait will be retained.

Most people will not be able to tell what are the differences comparing between a normal lionhead with a ranchu but upon close observations, you can always tell them apart. The only notable characteristic that sets them different from each other is the arched back development and overall shape of the goldfish. Try to look closely and compare between the two pictures attached below and as you can see, the lionhead’s back is very much flat while the ranchu is more curved and that gives the latter a more rounded appearance. In terms of pricing and value, most people considered the ranchu's shape more pleasing towards their liking and thus, they usually command higher selling price.

Just like the ranchu, both are also hooded fish which means that it has a type of raspberry growth on its head that looks like clumps of jelly all lumped together. Surprisingly both fishes also do not have the dorsal fin unlike the other types of goldfish. In terms of size, ranchu are known to attain bigger belly and developed much bulkier weight while observations on the tail fin will tell you that the lionhead has one which is comparatively longer. Based on these characteristics you should be able to tell them apart with the arched back appearance to support and confirmed your view. In terms of appearance, both goldfish types also have striking color combination, and they can be found in typical orange, red, white and even all black on the whole body. These days, there is also the nacreous form which is basically a variety with speckled colored scales randomly distributed and appearing against a white background. Those are my favorite as they look absolutely cute and adorable.

The lionhead is believed to bring the Chinese good luck when the aquarium which has the fish in it is placed in a strategically right position in the house. As such, it is very common to see a very large aquarium specially made dedicated to this extraordinary and unique fish. Lionhead needs a very large living space to survive and live happily. Normally the minimum tank size for them should measure at least 50 gallons in capacity whereby a normal adult lionhead will actually grow to at least 10 inches in length when proper care is given. Just like all the other fancy goldfish varieties like the celestial,tosakin and bubble-eye, they are considered delicate species which are slow swimmers and most of the time will miss grabbing their foods. This is mainly due to the hooded growth which sometimes can covers their eyes and hinder their sight. When mixed with fast swimmers like normal torpedo-shaped common goldfish and oranda they will always lose out to food competition.

Chinese lionhead is very susceptible to different kinds of disease. One particular sickness that often attack this type of fish is the fluffy white colored fungus growth which can develop on the hood and degrade the tissue on it. Without treatment, it can spread and cause the skin to be engulfed. Fish infected with the disease will often lose appetite not wanting to eat and sometimes, they can still appear in their usual mood until the condition gets worse and starts to spread. Other than this, the flipover condition is also quite common and it is often related to overfeeding and the water quality that they lives in. This is identified to be related to infection affecting their swim bladder and I did wrote an article to discuss in details on the flipover disease and I would suggest you read up about this as it is very prevalent in every type of goldfish.

Aquarium tank in which your goldfish lives in should be best left barren with clear bottom without presence of gravel. Usually just like all the other types of goldfish, they can be very clumsy in their movement and the way they swim about. Aquarium decoration which sharp edges are known to cause injuries when the fish bump into it and there are instances when they might suffer bruises and cuts due to accidental scrapping onto the surface of the object. Plants might not be suitable in a goldfish tank because they are notorious of ripping the leaves apart and eating it when they become hungry (except for when you have water sprite). As such you will need a fast growing plant to cope up with their appetite. Thus based on these facts and argument, it is a matter of sacrificing viewing pleasure without any tank decoration in exchange for the safety of your pet fish. That is for you to decide.

Fish Bowls

This page contains information and advice about keeping fish in fish bowls. You can read about starting a fish bowl, water that is safe to put in fish bowls, how to clean a fish bowl, where to put a fish bowl, and what fish to put in fish bowls - not goldfish!
How to Start a Fish Bowl. When you choose a fish bowl, pick a big one: at least one-gallon. You’ll also need a small 3" wide fish net, two 1-gallon bottles of drinking water not distilled or de-ionized water, and some floating fish food. Together floating fish food that is labeled for your type of fish plus some freeze dried blood worms, which are actually mosquito larvae, make an excellent diet for the fish in your fish bowl. Don't buy or use fish food that sinks.


1. Water from the Tap Isn't Safe for Fish.
Even if you treat the tap water straight from the faucet with water conditioner it still won't be safe for fish in fish bowls. Bottled drinking water is safe for fish in fish bowls.
Fill the fish bowl 2” from the top with the bottled drinking water, not bottled distilled or de-ionized water, and then cover your fish bowl with a clean plastic cover from a can of coffee so the fish won’t jump out.
Your Fish need fresh water. Your fish can’t live forever in the same old water. Twice a week replace 20% of the water in your fish bowl with bottled drinking water.


2. How to Change Some Water in your Fish Bowl.
Twice a week pour out 20%, not all, of the water from your fish bowl. Be careful not to pour any fish down the drain. Use bottled drinking water to refill your fish bowl. Don’t fill it higher than 2” from the top of the bowl. What to do with the old water? It's very good for plants.
I filled my 1.5 gallon fish bowl about 3" from the top. Then I slowly poured some of the water into a measuring cup, noted how many ounces were in the measuring cup, and continued pouring the water into a measuring cup, until I'd measured all the water, and added up the total. It came to 160 ounces, and 20% of 160 ounces is 32 ounces.
Then I realized that my 1.5 gallon fish bowl had about 1 quart of air at the top plus 5 quarts of water (5 quarts x 32 ounces-per-quart = 160 ounces total) and 20% of 5 quarts of water is 1 quart of water. So in my case it was easy to do the math.
I was just lucky, but if your bowl has 151 ounces of water, or some other unlucky number. You'd still multiply by 20% to find out how much to change each week. In this case 151 x 20% = 151 x 0.20 = 30.2 ounces, rounded down slightly to about 30 ounces.


 3. Making Bottled Water
When you’ve used all the bottled water, you can make more safe water for your fish bowl by filling the empty plastic water bottle with tap water from the faucet.  Leave 2” of empty space at the top of the bottle.Add five drops of water conditioner, put the cap back on the bottle tightly, give the bottle a good shake to mix the ingredients, and then let the bottle sit for three days before adding the water to your fish bowl. Click here for more about water conditioner.

  4. How to Clean your Fish Bowl.
After a few weeks algae and other stuff will start to coat the inside of your fish bowl. It won’t hurt the fish, but it doesn't look good, and you should get rid of it. Here’s how; pour 80% of the water from your fish bowl into a clean bucket, then use your 3” net to carefully move all the items from the fish bowl into the bucket.
Next take a clean paper towel and scrub the inside of the fish bowl until it’s squeaky-clean. Rinse the fish bowl well with tap water, pour the old water with the fish, aquatic snails, shrimps, and plants from the bucket back into your fish bowl, and fill your fish bowl 2” from the top with bottled drinking water.
 Pick a good place for your fish bowl. Sunlight can contribute to green algae growing in your fish bowl so pick a place away from windows. Cool water is good for fish in fish bowls so don’t put your fish bowl near the heater. Put the fish bowl on something flat and sturdy so it won’t rock, crack, or get knocked over.

 5. Don't Put Goldfish in a Fish Bowl. 
You can put a maximum of only one 1” goldfish in a one-gallon fish bowl, and it usually will not do well. If it does well, it will quickly grow too big for a fish bowl. Goldfish are not appropriate fish for fish bowls. Our experience is that almost everyone who puts goldfish in a fish bowl has problems.
Good Fish for Fish Bowls.
One Male Betta or one Female Betta, a few Ghost Shrimp, and aBlack Mystery Snail are appropriate for a large fish bowl. Another good combination for a fish is three White Clouds, a few Ghost Shrimp, and a Mystery Snail.
Live Aponogeton Plants, Java Ferns, and an Umbrella Fern add natural beauty. A Dwarf African Frog can live in a fish bowl but will need to eat live Black Worms twice a week. Click here for more information about Black Worms.

 6. How to Feed the Fish in your Fish Bowl.
Feed the fish in your fish bowl twice a day with foods that float such as floating fish food and freeze dried blood worms, which are actually mosquito larvae. Do not feed food that sinks and will be difficult to see on the bottom of the fish bowl.
Start by feeding your fish a very small pinch of food. Carefully watch them eat. If they eat it all quickly, then give them another small pinch. Keep giving them small pinches as long as they eat all of it quickly.
Do not give them another pinch until they've eaten all the food from the previous pinch. Feed them as much as they’ll eat without leaving any uneaten food in the fish bowl. Click here for more information about feeding fish.
Food that sinks to the bottom and is not eaten will cause water pollution, so be sure all the food is eaten. Use your net to remove the food that is not eaten after ten minutes. It’s fun to feed your fish a few freeze dried blood worms for dessert.


7. Fish Bowls Need 1/4-inch of Cultured Gravel.
Your fish bowl will be much more difficult to care for if it has a lot of gravel. But 1/4 inch of gravel will actually increase the bio-filtration of the water.
So 1/4" of gravel is good in fish bowls, but more than 1/4" will cause problems. When you clean your fish bowl or change some water, stir the gravel before you pour out the old water.
Remember, if any uneaten food sinks to the bottom of your fish bowl, it will be hidden in the gravel and difficult to see. So you must be careful not to feed more than your fish can quickly eat.
Unlike Fish Bowls, Aquariums with power filters and BIO-Wheels do not need gravel and should not have more than 1/4" gravel. Click hereto read more about Cultured Gavel.


8. Don't Crowd Your Fish Bowl.
Since most fish bowls don't have filters or other life-support systems, you must keep the so-called bio-load low. That really means a fish bowl can't cope with large amounts of fish waste.
We keep 1.5 gallon fish bowls, that hold 5 quarts of water, with one Betta, 2 Aquatic Snails, and some live Java Fern plants. There are two pictures of large fish bowls at the top of this page and a picture of Minerva's large fish bowl at the bottom of this page. A goldfish produces too much waste to be kept in a fish bowl.

Water Conditioner,For Aquariums, Fish Bowls, and Ponds.

This page discusses water conditioners, explains what they are, what they do, when to use one, and which brand we recommend.

A long time ago as beginning aquarists, we made large water changes and used a lot of water conditioner. Then we discovered that our fish did better with more frequent small water changes, and that the fish seemed to do better without the water conditioner. We thought maybe the small amount of un-neutralized chlorine or chloramine reduced the number of pathogens in the water without harming our fish.
It's also economical and convenient to use a high quality Water Conditioner to make water that is safe for fish bowls, and it's wise to have enough high quality water conditioner on hand to deal with cloudy or foamy water or a disaster
.
1. What is Water Conditioner?
 Water conditioner is usually sold in small bottles and contains acombination of chemicals used to neutralize the chemicals in tap water that may be harmful to fish. The directions on the bottle usually recommend adding one drop of conditioner to each gallon of tap water. New fish keepers often get the impression that "adding a few drops" of water conditioner will instantly turn tap water from the faucet into good aquarium water. But this is not true.


  2. Tap Water from the Faucet 
comes from many different sources. Usually your local water district gets water from a nearby lake or reservoir, or you may get water from your well. In most cases well water is good water and safe for fish. But we have known of several cases in which well water contained chemicals that harmed fish.So you must be cautious about well water. Often folks with wells get their water tested. If you get your water tested, it's probably wise to have someone knowledgeable about both water quality and fish examine the test results.
Local water districts almost always add chemicals to the tap water. These chemicals greatly reduce the number of bacteria and other pathogens in the water that may harm humans. Years ago chlorine was added to most tap water, but now chloramine is added to most tap water in the U.S. Some water conditioners that will instantly neutralize chlorine, will not neutralize chloramine, or do so very slowly.
If you live in the U.S., your water probably has chloramine in it, so you need a water conditioner that will neutralize chloramine. Check the label on the bottle and be sure it says chloramine.


3. Which Brand of Conditioner?
We think there are many very good water conditioners, which are available in many stores that sell pet fish. You can ask your local fish store or look at the brands offered by your favorite on line store. A high quality water conditioner will state on the container that it will neutralize chlorine, chloramine, ammonia, and various other chemicals.


 4. The Uses of Water Conditioner 
Many aquarist use too much water conditioner. We see four cases where conditioner can be beneficial.
  For Fish Bowls we recommend using bottled drinking water not bottled de-ionized water. After the bottle of drinking water is empty, refill it with tap water leaving 2" of air at the top, add a few drops of water conditioner, give the bottle a good shake, and let it sit for three days before adding it to your fish bowl. This method makes safe water for your fish bowl that costs less than bottled drinking water, and it is more convenient to use this method, than it is to bring home bottles of drinking water.
  Elsewhere in this web site we recommend changing 20% of the water in your aquariums and ponds twice each week. If you change 20% or less, you don't need to add water conditioner, but it's risky to change more than 20% even if you add conditioner. Only a worrywart needs to add conditioner when changing 20% or less of the water in your aquarium or pond.
  If your water is cloudy, or foamy, or has an unusual odor, you should immediately take action. . One of the recommendations is to add a high quality water conditioner to your water if it's cloudy or foamy.
  If you have a disaster, that really ruins the quality of your aquarium or pond water, then you may have no choice but to change most of the water and a water conditioner will be required. So it's wise to have a bottle of water conditioner that is big enough to neutralize a complete water change in your aquarium or pond in case you have a disaster.


5. Conclusions about Conditioners 
We don't use much water conditioner, and we think it's probably over-used, but it's economical and convenient to use it to make safe water for fish bowls, and it's wise to have enough water conditioner on hand to deal with cloudy or foamy water or a disaster.

The Seven Essentials of Keeping Pet Fish

In Aquariums, Fish Bowls, and Ponds

This page contains a short list of the most important essential care that your fish must have to live in good health with a minimum of stress, disease, and other problems. Every responsible fish keeper should know the information on this page.

A Brief Summary

1.  Match the fish with an appropriate home, which could be a Fish Bowl, an Aquarium with or without a heater, or a Pond.2.  Getting Started. The first few days of starting a Fish Bowl, Aquarium, or Pond are the most risky and stressful for the fish. Reduce this risk by following the advice given in this site. 3.  Change 20% of the water twice a week. Use bottled drinking water for Fish Bowls and tap water for Aquariums and Ponds. 4.  A least once a month give your fish's home a good cleaning. 5.  Twice a day feed your fish the correct floating food, so they get plenty to eat. Be sure all the food is eaten, and none of the food is left to pollute the water. 6.  Every day look carefully at your fish for Signs of Stress and Disease. If you see Signs of Stress and Disease, immediately give your fish the Recommended Treatment.7.  Also carefully look at your water. If the water is cloudy, foamy, or smelly, take immediate corrective action Match the Fish with an Appropriate Home.  Fish are hardy and have the capacity to adjust to many changes in their environment. Fish show Signs of Stress and Disease, when their environment lacks something essential such as oxygen, or their environment has an excess of something intolerable such as fish waste. With good planning and systematic maintenance the fish's environment can be controlled and most fish problems can be avoided The most important factor in successfully keeping any fish is to match that fish with an appropriate environment, which has enough space, the proper equipment, and compatible tank mates These are appropriate inhabitants for a 1.5-gallon Fish Bowl. Ten small goldfish are not appropriate fish for a 1.5-gallon Fish Bowl. In fact one small goldfish won't do well in a Fish Bowl, because that one goldfish, given the proper care and feeding, will quickly outgrow the Fish Bowl. Feed your Fish Properly. Feed your fish twice a day. Feed only floating food, live food, or frozen food. Do not feed pieces of dry food that sink. Goldfish must eat food that is labeled for Goldfish, and Tropical Fish eat a different kind of food that is labeled for Tropical Fish, so for this reason and several other reasons Goldfish and Tropical Fish are not compatible and should not be kept in the same aquarium. Give your fish several small feedings each time you feed them. Be sure all your fish get plenty to eat, and be sure they eat all the food you give them, so there are no uneaten leftovers to pollute the water. Remove all uneaten bits of food with a small net after about 10 minutes.

Fish Diseases ,The Signs of Stress and Disease

This page contains a list of some Signs of Stress and Disease  that you should learn to recognize on your tropical fish and goldfish.

1. Clamped Fins 

The fish clamps its fins close against the its body. Experienced aquarists use this to quickly spot problems with their fish.

If you see that some of your fish have clamped fins and treat your fish immediately, you can usually cure them and avoid more serious stress and disease.

2. Shimmy  Looks like the fish is swimming fast but staying in the same place. Shimmy is easy to spot, and if the fish is treated immediately, you can usually cure it and avoid more serious stress and disease.
3. Ich Spots  Ich looks like tiny white spots on the body and fins of the fish. This is a common disease of fish, and if the fish are treated immediately, you can usually cure ich and avoid more serious stress and disease.
Just above, a picture of a young Bala Shark with the first signs of Ich. Look carefully to see the small white spots. You should check you fish every day for these spots, and after a while it is very easy and takes very little time, but in the beginning you will need to concentrate. Almost all of the pictures on this web site were taken by us of our fish, and this was one of our fish. We gave this fish the Recommended Treatment and it completely recovered in two days.
4. Red or White Sores  Many things can cause sores on fish such as fights with other fish, scraping on sharp rocks, and small wounds that get infected and grow bigger. A new small sore can usually be cured. Older or larger sores are more difficult to treat, but sometimes you can succeed, and treating your fish will make it less likely that other fish will be infected by the fish with the sore.
Shown just above, a mature Tiger Barb with a typical white sore between its eye and its top fin. This fish should immediately be given all six steps of the Recommended Treatment.
Quite often these sores are flat or cause a depression in the surface of the fish. Less often a sore may be a bump that is raised above the surface of the fish.    In all cases the Recommended Treatment is the same.
5. Gasping at the Surface  A fish that is gasping at the surface of the water is usually suffering from a lack of oxygen, that could be due to a lack of oxygen in the water or the fish's inability to absorb the oxygen from the water. If there is just one or only a few fish gasping at the surface, but the other fish are normal, then the water probably has plenty of oxygen and you should immediately treat the gasping fish.  On the other hand, if almost all the fish are gasping, then there is probably a lack of oxygen in the water, and you should immediately do all of the following:
● Check the Filter to be sure it's working properly. If it's not working properly, immediately fix it.  ● Check the Temperature of the water on the thermometer, if this aquarium has a heater. If the temperature is out of the correct range, then adjust the aquarium heater.  ● Check the water surface, if there is oil or scum then carefully scoop water off the surface until you've removed two inches of water. Replace the water with fresh safe water. ● Add Aquarium Salt until the water has a total of 1 Tablespoon of aquarium salt for each 5 gallons of water.  ● Add Water Conditioner, which is available in stores that sell pet fish. The correct dose is on the bottle.
6. Crashed on the Bottom  When fish crash on the bottom and do not swim, it is usually a sign that they are exhausted. There are many reasons a fish can become exhausted, but quite often they have been sick, and probably showed symptoms such as gasping, shimmy, or clamped fins, before they became tired and crashed on the bottom. So the Recommended Treatment was not started promptly, and chances of curing a fish that is crashed on the bottom are less, but the Recommended Treatment may work and will probably protect the other fish that came in contact with the crashed fish.
7. Glancing  is a fish behavior where a fish rubs itself on the bottom of the aquarium, or on the gravel, or on a rock or ornament. The fish rubs or glances because it is itchy.An itchy fish often develops more serious Signs of Stress and Disease. If you see your fish glancing, you should immediately treat your aquarium.
8. Loss of Appetite  If your fish is not eating or takes food in its mouth and then immediately spits it out, your fish is showing one of the Signs of Stress and Disease.You should be sure other fish are not making this fish miserable. Give fish that are not eating the Recommended Treatment.
9. Other Signs of Stress  There are many other Signs of Stress and Disease in fish. For example, there is so-called "fin rot" where the edges of the fish's fins disintegrate, or "pop eye" where the fish's eye bulges out, or "cotton mouth" where the fish has patches that look like cotton around it's mouth, but most of these more pronounced Signs of Stress and Disease occur after the more subtle Signs of Stress and Disease that are listed above."Fin rot", "pop eye", "dropsy", and "cotton mouth" are difficult to cure. But before they occur, the fish often show milder Signs of Stress and Disease like clamped fins. If you treat a fish at the first Sign of Stress and Disease, you'll have a much better chance of curing it.
Take Immediate Action  If you see any of the symptoms listed above or if several fish have recently died in your aquarium, you should immediately take action and treat your fish. When fish can be cured, the Recommended Treatment is usually the same for all of the symptoms listed above.