As a fish veterinarian, I am frequently asked about fish personalities. Well, although no scientific studies have been done, and honestly, I’m not sure how it would even be attempted, from my 10 years of experience, fish absolutely have personalities, with various fish behavioral quirks. Fish personalities can vary widely and many do not stick
Looking to add a pet fish to your family house hold but have no experience? Well, our experts can help guide you to the best beginner fish available and how to set yourself up for success! Before You Get Started Before you head off to the pet store, ask yourself, ‘why do I want a
**Post contains affiliate links.** Understanding how often to feed goldfish is an important concept for all owners to understand. In learning how often to feed fish of any species, it comes down to one critical point: temperature. Why is temperature important in feeding fish? Almost all fish, with very few exceptions, are ectotherms. This means
Breeding goldfish can be a fun endeavor for any fish keeper. Before you start breeding your goldfish, plan ahead to make sure your fish will be healthy and strong. Read on to learn how to breed goldfish. Are you ready for more goldfish? Remember, goldfish are messy critters and require lots of room, starting at
**Post contains affiliate links.** If you have a goldfish, you are likely to run into one of these most common goldfish diseases. Learn how they occur, how to fix your fish and how to prevent them from coming back! Goldfish diseases pictures are included below. Remember: All disease processes are made WORSE by poor water
**Post contains affiliate links.** Help! I have a goldfish laying on bottom of tank! What do I do? If your fish is in distress, there are certain steps you should take in order to get him back to normal. Step #1: Check Your Water Chemistry We’ll never stop saying it; water quality is the #1
As prominent members of the carp family, goldfish contain the genetics for very large growth. There are many giant goldfish claims that actually turn out to be orange koi, a very close cousin of the goldfish. Depending on the goldfish type in question, how big do goldfish get? How big do comet goldfish get? Comet
In an emergency scenario, you may need to let your goldfish go without food. This is not the same as fasting, which should never be attempted without veterinary supervision, and is not an excuse for vacation care. But, when the situation occurs, how long can goldfish go without food? Temperature Considerations Remember that almost all
When it comes to choosing goldfish tank mates, it mostly comes down to size and temperature tolerances. Goldfish are relatively easy going fish; for the most part, there are always outliers. Here is a selection of what fish can live with goldfish: Only Child Yes, your goldfish can be an only child. Most goldfish will
A goldfish’s 10th birthday is something they rarely get to celebrate. For many others, this isn’t even half way through their lifetimes! The world record holder for oldest goldfish lived to be 43! How can you ensure your goldfish lives a long and happy life, possibly surpassing this milestone birthday? If you’re thinking, ‘why would
Many clients call our office with concerns about “bumps on goldfish.” Most of these growths are benign cutaneous tumors within the layers of the fish’s skin. (Technically nerve sheath tumors aka neurofibromas or shwannomas.) It is very common to have goldfish with a few lumps, bumps, nodules or growths; whatever you want to call it.
First, let’s get one thing straight: not all quarantine protocols are legitimate. You may have been told your fish has been “quarantined,” but what does that really mean? How long was the quarantine? Were they mixed with fish from other dealers? Were they prophylacticly treated with anything? The best way to protect your fish is
How to tell the gender of a fish? There are some situations in fish keeping where you will need to know which are boys and which are girls. For example: trying to set up a single sex population can help keep spawning practices from hurting your fish, but determining males from females can sometimes be
If you’ve owned your goldfish/betta/koi for a few years, you may have noticed that they might not look the same as when you first brought them home. It is NORMAL for many fish species to change color as they get older, with some orange goldfish turning white, white bettas turning blue, and black and red
Not all goldfish are created equally, especially fancy goldfish. Fancy goldfish buoyancy disorders are very common due to their manipulated anatomy. Many of these varieties have sacrificed internal function for hunched bodies, long, decorative fins and bulging body parts. Most comet and other long-body goldfish varieties will look like this on the inside (minus the