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If you are thinking of bringing a goldfish home for your child, then there are some easy care tips for kids that you should know about. This article provides information about the same.
Kids love goldfish because they are not only cute and adorable, but also because there are so many interesting facts about goldfish, like they do not close their eyes when they are asleep, and they do not have a stomach. Kids love to take the entire responsibility of their pets. However, with conventional pets like cats and dogs, this is not possible as these pets need to be looked after continuously. It is not so with goldfish. Goldfish care is so simple that kids can look after these pets quite easily. Before bringing the goldfish home, both the parents and the child need to be aware of the necessities of the fish (which are minimal). Kids need to know what the goldfish needs. Here is a list of things which are a must regarding caring for these fish.
Aquarium
Though goldfish are small animals, they need a lot of space, which is mainly because they are great swimmers. Goldfish also tend to hide, as if playing hide and seek. Bring a big aquarium for your goldfish, as a small one could impede its normal growth and lead to stunted growth. The aquarium should have a water holding capacity of at least ten gallons. So, preferably, a fish tank is required for one goldfish. Do not buy a bowl, because normally bowls are too small even for one goldfish. However, a ten gallon bowl will take up a lot of space in the house.
Food
It is important to remind the kids when they are feeding the goldfish that they are small pets, so you can’t give them a handful of food. It has to be a pinch of fish food which consists of flakes, vegetables, pellets, chopped earthworms, etc. Goldfish love pellets. However, it is advisable to feed them pellets in the end, because the pellets contain air, and the goldfish gobble the pellets without letting the air sink in. So it is necessary to feed them pellets after the flakes or veggies, especially in cases of baby goldfish. Too many pellets can cause air bladder disease. Also, remove the leftover food to avoid production of ammonia. Thus, feeding the goldfish properly is very essential.
Water
Other animals need water only to drink and bathe, but water is the lifeline of fish. Ideally, you need to change the aquarium water once in a fortnight. Keep some water in the aquarium while changing it, as we do not generally move the fish out of the aquarium while changing the water. However, at any given time, the water temperature should not exceed 68 ºF. Although these aquarium fish can survive in cold water, in fact they can even hibernate if the temperature falls too low, some goldfish cannot tolerate water below 50 ºF. You also need to check the water for chemicals like chlorine or ammonia which are harmful for fish. You get ready-made kits in the market with which you can measure the level of chemicals present in the water. You also need to religiously practice aquarium care by cleaning it once in a while.
Filter
Goldfish waste makes the water dirty, which lessens the amount of oxygen in the water. If the oxygen in the water becomes less, the goldfish find it difficult to breathe. However, if you add a filter, the goldfish won’t have to face this problem. The filter cleans the water, thus maintaining the level of oxygen. So a filter is necessary. If you think a filter will take up a lot of space inside the aquarium, then you can put it outside the aquarium.
Goldfish care for kids is very easy. You can also add accessories to your aquarium like gravel, coral sand, aquarium plants, etc. to make it special for the kids. However, do not add so many accessories that the goldfish don’t have enough space to swim.
