How To Stop Aquarium Goldfish From Getting Ill

The old saying Prevention is better than cure is usually sound advice which also applies to preventing your goldfish getting ill in the first place, instead of trying to cure the illness when it has established itself. There are some practices that you should follow in order to limit the likelyhood of a domestic goldfish becoming ill.

When fish are added into the tank they require extra care to overcome the stress caused by transportation and being introduced into a new environment. New goldfish are more likely to suffer from goldfish diseases as a result of this stress. To reduce inital stress, float the bag they arrive in the tank for about 20 to 30 minutes so they can get acclimatized to the water temperature and their new home. Keep a close watch for goldfish ick otherwise known as goldfish whitespot disease after adding new fish.

Like all creatures, Goldfish require to be fed with a decent quality feed that supplies them with their dietary requirements. A decent goldfish food will be well digested, reducing the volume of waste material the goldfish produce. Poor quality foods can result in a diet that might be short of the necessary nutrients, potentially they might also result in excessive waste being released into the tank, blocking up the gravel and reducing the water quality.

Every aquarium requires a suitably sized filtration system which helps to extract solid and liquid wastes. The basic function of a filtration system is to filter out waste and pollutants and keep the water clean. All tanks should have an oxygen supply over and above the oxygen absorbed naturally at the water surface. This is done by using an air-pump in conjunction with tubing and an air stone or alternative device that dissipates the pumped air into thousands of tiny air bubbles. A quality air pump will achieve this quietly and efficiently. Gravel at the base of the tank needs to be kept reasonably clean with a gravel siphon as accumulated detritus can pollute the water. Water should be changed at 3 or 4 weeks. Mains water should be treated utilizing a well known water conditioner which can be obtained from local or online pet stores or aquatic centers.