How to care for goldfish in a round aquarium?

Small round aquariums look beautiful in any interior and are easy to clean and move. In such containers, novice aquarists often start small, unpretentious fish: guppies, cockerels, mollies, platies. But the most popular option is a round vessel in which a goldfish swims.

The predecessors of the goldfish or Chinese crucian carp were domesticated by the inhabitants of China in the 7th century AD. This fish originated from the common goldfish. Since the 13th century, fish have gradually become an adornment not only of the luxurious houses of the rich, but also of the homes of ordinary Chinese.

The goldfish has a short, high, angular body, which is slightly flattened from the sides and has a coating of dense and rough scales. Length reaches 30 cm, weight no more than 350 g... Fish of the original form are silvery in color. As a result of breeding, goldfish have acquired a variety of colors, which, depending on the breed, range from metallic yellow and orange to black.

Nowadays, there are dozens of varieties of goldfish breeds, but most often in aquariums you can find an ordinary a goldfish, a veil tail, a pearl, a lion head, a telescope.

In order to choose a healthy goldfish that can live in a round aquarium for as long as possible, Before buying, pay attention to the following signs:

• healthy fish swim actively and greedily rush to feed;
• do not buy goldfish with damaged eyes and fins;
• rashes and cloudy plaque on the scales are signs of exhaustion;
• when the fish is healthy, its dorsal fin is raised; in sick individuals, it is pressed to the back;
• males and females of this fish can be distinguished from each other only during the mating season;
• short-bodied goldfish, with good care, live for about 15 years, and those with a long body - 20-35 years.

Among aquarists, goldfish are considered hardy and unpretentious aquatic inhabitants that are easy to care for. Despite this, even keeping one fish in a round aquarium requires some basic knowledge.

• The volume of the aquarium. These fish require a fairly large amount of water. A standard round aquarium holds 30 liters. Therefore, such a container can contain only one goldfish or its varieties with a short body (veil-tails, riukins, telescopes).
• Compressor. This type of aquarium fish needs a lot of oxygen, and a round aquarium does not have enough space for proper aeration, therefore a powerful compressor marked "for round aquariums" should be purchased. Aquatic inhabitants cannot live without oxygen. In a round aquarium without a compressor, a goldfish will live very little.
• Filter... A feature of goldfish is that they are actively digging soil at the bottom and stirring up the mud. Therefore, experts recommend buying a good filter. If you want to keep a round aquarium without a filter, then be prepared for daily maintenance and frequent replacement of cloudy water. But it's easier to get an aquarium with a lid that contains all the necessary equipment.
• Water composition... For the first time, the water for the aquarium must be defended for a day, boiled, cooled to room temperature, and then poured into a container. A comfortable temperature for a goldfish is + 15 ... 20 degrees Celsius. The acidity should be 6.5 -8.0 pH, and the degree of nitrates should not be higher than 20. The water should not contain ammonia. Once a week, you should change 1/5 of the water even with a good filter.
• Lighting. Set up the aquarium in a well-lit place, or use lighting. From a lack of light, the fish loses its color and may die. Algae also require lighting for photosynthesis.
• Soil and plants. It is necessary to purchase coarse soil or gravel - the shallow soil the fish will dig and pollute the water. At the bottom, you can place a small shell or a ship figurine without sharp corners. For a beautiful shade of the bottom, a special colored primer is now commercially available. Plants are a must in a goldfish round aquarium. Recommended for planting elodea, cryptocoryne, vallisneria, hornwort, pistia.
• Feed. Goldfish can be fed 2 times a day with small portions of live food (bloodworms, daphnia, brine shrimp) in combination with plant or special balanced nutrition for this type of fish. Remember, this is a case where underfeeding is better than overfeeding.

For more information on keeping goldfish, see the next video.