[Meg]

i did this on Goldfish obviously, as there isnt one in the forum, I didnt exactly follow the standard of this, but i got the info down. There are many breeds of goldfish but other then tail shape and color basically, the profile is the same. If you want me to break it up i will, but i figured as the goldfish forum isnt all that active that it would be better to group them together, other wise the species profiles would be longer then the entire forum. I can do various breed profiles as well, for some of the more exotic or little known types, and have them in one post or what ever. Or maybe problems gf are inclined to have, as well as a compatible species list? i have no idea, im new at this. Just tell me whut you want, I'll do it up. - Meg


Goldfish

Size: Depends on the variety and breed of Goldfish. The round-bodied varieties being generally between 6 - 10 inches, while the slim bodied varieties range from 12 -20 inches.

Tank Requirements: For the round-bodied varieties, 10-15 gallons per fish is needed. For the slim-bodied varieties, 20-30 gallons is needed, however, much larger tanks are needed due to the large amount of swimming room needed by these species. Ponds are recommended.
With both varieties, tall, narrow tanks are to be avoided. A few plants should be used, and the tank should have either a bar bottom, or substrate too large to be picked up in the mouths of the fish.

*Note: Avoid sand, glass grit, crushed coral/sea shells, and medium grade gravel as substrate. These can cause serious problems for your goldfish.

Water Conditions: Goldfish need a temperature of 60-75 degrees, and a pH of between 7.0 and 7.6.

Diet: Goldfish thrive on a varied diet. Pellets are flakes are a good base, and supplement with green and other vegetables, some fruits, and live foods (fresh, or frozen) such as brine shrimp, worms, salad shrimp, or daphnia.

Sexing Fish: The male goldfish is usually more streamlined then the female, while the female is usually bigger then a male of the same age. When looking at the anal openings of the fish, the female's openings are larger, protrude slightly, and are round in shape. The anal fin is also thicker and the anal fin has a heavier spine. The male's openings are small and oval, the anal fin having no noticeable thickness to it. It is almost impossible to tell the sex of a goldfish under a year old. However, the easiest way to distinguish between the sexes is when the fish is sexually mature, and ready to mate. It is at this time when the male gets tubercles (also referred to as breeding stars), which look like grains of salt on his gill plates and the spine of his pectoral fin.

Breeding: Goldfish will spawn on their own quite easily, but spawning can be triggered by lowering the tank to 64-68 degrees for 1-2 weeks, feed your fish high protein meals often, and do more water changes. There needs to be a few soft plants in the tank for the female to lay her eggs on. After 1-2 weeks gradually raise the temperature on the tank to 75-78 degrees over the course of about 3 days. While spawning, the male will follow the female constantly with his head up her backside. This can make your female a bit battered, and if she gets too beaten up, she should be separated from the male for a few days. Eventually, the female will release her eggs, and the male will come behind her and fertilize them. Remove the plant the eggs are on and put it in a separate tank with no more then 6 inches of water salted to 0.3% and a sponge filter and keep it at about 76-78 degrees for optimal growth. When the fry become free swimming, they must be fed live brine shrimp. When the fish are 2 weeks old, they will start to look like fish, and it is then that you do the culling. At about 3 months, the fry will start changing colors and eating normally.

This post has been edited by Meg: 10 June 2005 - 05:44 AM