The Pet Charity guide to caring for your GOLDFISH
Goldfish are typically trouble-free pets for all the family to enjoy. Goldfish are one of the easiest of all fish to keep, but if they are to be kept in an aquarium you must remember that they are totally dependent on you for their welfare. A well cared for goldfish can live for eight years or longer.
There are many varieties to choose from ranging from the common goldfish to varieties such as Comets, Fantails, Orandas, Lionheads, Shubunkins and Moors. These fish can all be kept in a tank or pond at room/outdoor temperature, so it is unnecessary to heat the water.
General care
Healthy fish are bright-eyed and have a shiny appearance. First signs of distress are usually sluggish movement and drooping of dorsal and/or tail fins.
The most common illnesses are fungal infections of the skin, parasites and constipation.
Loss of scales, split fins and wounds received from predators can cause infection. Injuries can usually be treated with one of the many preparations available for this purpose. Your pet shop or aquatic centre will be able to advise you on the many proprietary remedies available.
Choosing your goldfish
Goldfish varieties can be mixed but all fish should be of a similar size and be compatible for water temperature and feeding habits. It is recommended that you find out how big your chosen fish are likely to grow.
A healthy goldfish should:
• Swim easily through the water and be active
• Not gasp at the surface of the tank or swim in a peculiar manner
• Have scales that cover the body evenly without any cuts or growths
Equipment
There is a large variety of aquaria, ponds, equipment and accessories available to make fish-keeping even more enjoyable. All manufa...
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...pt to a minimum and cause as little stress as possible. Use a net to catch the fish - gently corner it and catch it quickly. Place the fish gently in a holding receptacle that contains water from the tank.
Shopping list
Aquarium tank
Pond/liner
Plants
Rock/stones
Filter
Lighting
Siphon cleaning accessory
Remedies and conditioners
Food
Ornaments
Gravel
Water testing kit
Book on goldfish keeping
Remember – you should never release your fish in the wild and plants should be disposed of correctly.
This leaflet is produced by The Pet Charity, a national charity which promotes the joy and benefits of pet ownership.
The Pet Charity www.thepetcharity.org.uk Registered Charity No: 1052488
Since three-forth of the world is composed of bodies of water, it’s natural that a great number of people rely on fishing for their livelyhood or just for their recreation needs. There are numerous of fish species swimming under the lakes, seas, ponds, and rivers. Most anglers consider fishing as the delight in their purpose-driven life, a sport, as they say.
and the millions of creatures around it. The spread of Asian carp could be fatal to our native fish species (Barbara A. Somervill 24).
The Red Lionfish (Pterois volitans) is an invasive saltwater predator that is increasing exponentially in the tropics of the western Atlantic (Benkwitt, 2013). The Lionfish invasion is causing a dramatic decline in native marine reef species due the gluttony of the lionfish.
Goldfish, like other cold-blooded animals, have pigment cells that are called chromatophores. Inside chromatophores are chromatosomes, which are the organelles which hold the pigment. The chromatosomes can absorb or reflect light. The color of a fish is dictated by what kinds of chromatosomes are in its cells, how many chromatosomes there are, and where in the cell the chromatosomes are located; these, in sum, control which chromatosomes absorb light and which ones reflect it, therefore affecting what color we see when we look at the fish. Chromatophores can change color in two ways: by the chromatosomes spreading apart inside the cells, making the color more apparent to the eye; or by the chromatosomes changing color, prompting a visual difference in color throughout the entire organism.
Since this first encounter I have caught lots of these magnificent fish and as the years go by they seem to keep getting bigger and bigger. I have developed several baits and presentations that help me to catch these fish and I would like to share them with you.
There is something fascinating and relaxing in having an aquarium in a home. Like a fireplace’s warm glow and bright colors, the colors that are emitted from an aquarium can be just as warm and even more colorful. From the slow and graceful movement of the fish to the frantic feeding frenzy, an aquarium is different each time it is viewed.
In The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister tells how a beautiful, extraordinary, yet, self-centered blue fish learns that being beautiful isn’t the key to happiness. The blue fish came to find this lesson when he lost his friends. Pfister takes a simple ocean setting and explores the consequences of an individual’s arrogance toward their peers, the process of humbling of oneself, and the tremendous reward one feels when they learn to share. The story achieves these morals by the author’s use of detailed imager and also, the influence of minor characters on the antihero in order to reveal to the audience the true thematic message; selfish actions bring true happiness.
Since the start of time, humans have been catching fish. The sport has, in many ways, evolved hugely, and yet in many aspects has stayed exactly the same. To me fishing is unique and I find it can be anything from relaxing to a very intense experience.
My friend had invited me along with him and his family to the ocean. It was vacation for the family, but for him and me it was the beginning of a week of serious business. We had an obsessive hobby to pursue. As avid and long-term freshwater fisherman, we were thrilled by the thought of catching those large and exotic saltwater fish we had seen on television a billion times before. Yet little did we expect there to be such vast differences between our freshwater fishing and the saltwater fishing, which we were about to pursue. We learned through trial and much error that in order to have a successful saltwater fishing experience we had to make adjustments to all the freshwater tackle, tactics, and gear we knew.
• Understand the movement of fish. Since small water bodies have limited oxygen supply, fish tend to stay shallower. On the contrary, fish in larger lakes have adequate oxygen supply; hence, fish tend to stay where there is food. The fish may also stay deeper because the temperature of the deep water is slightly higher.
Freshwater fish and saltwater fish are very similar in a lot of ways, but also have differences between them so you can tell them apart. Marine water (saltwater) equals over 96 percent of the water on Earth and over 70 percent of Earth’s total surface. Freshwater is less than four percent of Earth’s total water and is about one percent of Earth’s surface (Freshwater Fish). Interestingly a few species of fish can live in either freshwater or saltwater, but for the majority, they must live in a specific environment. All species of fish used to live in a saltwater environment until certain geological events (earthquakes, volcanic activity, etc.) occurred, creating conditions that isolated groups of fish. The new habitats, included freshwater, and new food sources caused fish to either adapt, or to die (Lohrey).
The catfish maintains an advantage over most fish due to its ability to walk on land. This helpful adaptation comes from the pectoral spines which they flex in order to contour to their body in a walking motion. While the adaptation for land walking is impressive the ability to breathe on land is also beneficial. This ability comes from the hills of the fish which have “highly vascularized arborescent organs that act like accessory breathing structures” (Masterson 2007). Their gas bladder is also minimized to allow for stiffening so that the fish do not collapse on the land (Masterson 2007). Along with the voracious appetite of the fish they have other adaptations that make them invasive as well. The fish can survive in waters that most fish cannot such as hypoxic waters or muddy ponds. Along with being nocturnal these survival abilities allow them to invade aquaculture farms and take prey on the fish stock
Migration between fresh and salt water occurs during every season of the year, depending on latitude and genetic characteristics of the fish. Groups of fish that migrate together are called runs or stocks. Salmon spawn in virtually all types of freshwater habitat, from intertidal areas to high mountain streams. Pacific salmon may swim hundreds, even thousands, of miles to get back to the stream where they hatched.
A clear contrast for dogs and fish are their habitat. This is probably the most notable contrast when considering having a dog or a fish as a pet. A fish has to live in an underwater habitat. This habitat can be as extreme as a wall to wall tank or as mundane as a small bowl on a desktop . Either way, this habitat causes the owner to incur extra expenses when purchasing a suitable tank, water, and
One of the most unique creatures are fish. As I am sitting here in my room, my fish are swimming about with not a care in the world. I wonder what it would feel like to be a fish.