Goldfish

I want to get a show of hands for everyone here that has ever owned or taken care of a gold fish? Now I want a show of hands for everyone that has had a goldfish die on them due to unknown causes. (Everyone in the class raised their hands) According to infoplease.com, a recent poll in 2008 on the most common pets, freshwater fish and or goldfish are the third most common pet in the world.

Don?t you think it is sad for the third most common house pet to be one that people know the least about. When a fish gets ill it has a very low chance of survival. Not because it has a bad immune system but mostly because people just don?t know how to care for them.One of the most common mistakes in caring for goldfish is buying store bought medications for symptoms that are easily fixed by simple and natural household items and materials.

Paula Powell the director of husbandry at the Dallas World Aquarium said in an Article to United Press International “Like with many pets, people are often unaware of what goldfish really need, they don’t get the advice they need and they don’t know the right questions to ask,”People will often be ill informed by pet store owners to buy certain medications that can range anywhere from seven to thirty dollars. I am here to show you that medications will most likely harm your fish and that there are much cheaper and more efficient ways on treating your goldfish.Goldfish or Carassius auratus actually come from Asia and they were bred specifically for their bright silver and gold colors. Used as party ornaments, goldfish were placed in bulbs and bowls to show off their fancy colors.
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They come from the Carp Family and due to their ability to live in a variety of different environments they were bred as food fish.

According to Pet Library: Aquarium Guide When vibrant colors began to appear on goldfish first noted in the Jin Dynasty 265- 420 AD the goldfish took on a new role. It was no longer bred to be food it was bred to be an accent in water gardens for the royal courts in China.

Goldfish survived the journey from Asia to Europe and began to find their place among the very wealthy in the early 1600?s first recorded in Portugal and later Germany and France. Because of their shinny scales they came to symbolize good luck and fortune

In the mid 1800?s Goldfish were brought to the United States and became a very popular pet.

Due to massive popularity and how easy they are to find, goldfish are kept in a multitude of different habitats.

Transition: Even with all the readily available equipment and resources to keep and maintain your goldfish habitats, goldfish may still be susceptible to diseases.

When a goldfish gets sick most of us have no idea what to do.

A vet is almost always out of the question. Why would anyone spend over 50 dollars to diagnose a fish that might have cost at the most 3 dollars? Furthermore, finding a vet that specializes in fish would be an act of God all by itself.

The most reasonable solution seems to be to go to a pet store that sells fish. They must know the best way to keep the health of a fish in pristine condition because they sell them.

Pet store owners, as any companies with a business, are going try to sell you medications that are mostly used for grossly overstocked tanks. The medications that pet stores sell for goldfish might work if you were a professional breeder or if you had a 200 gallon plus aquarium, which few people actually have.

These medications are meant for high quantity commercial tanks and they have a great beneficial effect for those specific tanks but unless your house is the Long Beach Aquarium you should definitely stay away from store bought medications.

It is convenient for us to go to our local pet store and get the most random medication we can find available. It might be the easiest thing to do but it?s not the right thing to do.

Aquarium medications although made with the best intentions will often cause burns, blindness and will also contribute to numerous other deadly symptoms.

Imagine taking a bath in liquid nitrogen? doesn’t sound to smart right. Although liquid nitrogen can help in small quantities with removing warts or getting rid of dead bodies I saw it on a Episode of CSI. It can be very dangerous if we covered our bodies in it. It?s the same thing with Goldfish medications, The Medication is put into the water where they live and the goldfish ingests and absorbs the Medications for hours or days at a time for conditions that are usually misdiagnosed.

Not only are store bought medications not safe for your fish they can be very dangerous for humans. There is a reason why on most fish medication bottles, it says to wash your hands thoroughly after use. Most medications have harmful acids and chemicals and if there are children around your tank there is always the chance that they might be interested by the cool looking bottles. We don?t want that to happen.

So what are you supposed to do if your goldfish becomes ill?

There are a couple different options you have if you don?t mind sitting down reading a book and researching the topic. The internet has many tools to help and aid you in proper care of your goldfish. These options are also a lot less expensive and will not only be safer for you but be safer for your fish

First, there is the easiest and cheapest solution of changing your water.

Changing the water in your tank actually promotes good bacteria growth and promotes a cleaner environment. Most times when a fish gets sick six to seven fifteen percent water changes for a 5 day period usually does wonders.

Most infections are usually born and maintained by poor water quality in the words of seasoned fish expert and author of the book ?Aquarium Guide? Jim Kelly says ?We are not keepers of fish we are keepers of water.? So by maintaining perfect water conditions we can achieve a healthy and active fish community.

Second, there are a multitude of salt treatments you can use to help maintain water quality, promote healthy fish growth and safe bacteria for your fish to live in.

According to Goldfish-emergency.com
Studies show that the benefits from the major components of
Salt treatments can
Ease stress
Help muscles and nerves function properly
Help prevent artery hardening and blood clots
Make insulin more effective
Reduce inflammation
Improve oxygen use
Flush toxins
Improve absorption of nutrients
Help form brain tissue

Salt treatments are not only beneficial to your fish but they also will not harm plants and other organisms that you might have put in your aquarium such as snails.

The main ingredients of actually performing a salt treatment involve items that you can probably find around your house or you can find at your local drug store for very cheap.
Epsom Salt
Kosher Salt or Sea Salt
Baking Soda

Performing salt treatments is not hard and the benefits are not only beneficial to the health of your fish and your aquarium environment but easier and cheap than using medications that could kill off most of the life in your tank.

Transition: Although salt treatments are a lot safer and cheaper than store bought medications, they are not the answer to all your goldfish problems.

Prevention in regards to a goldfish’s general health

Chlorophyll promotes healing and is beneficial in treating ulcers; open wounds; tumors; internal and external bacteria infections. It also enhances general health and can boost a fish’s immune system.

The use of Chlorophyll in an everyday diet of a goldfish is very helpful and can prevent the need and use of salt treatments.

Chlorophyll added to a goldfish?s everyday diet promotes and enhances tank life and support healthy general health for fish

Dr. Erik L Johnson states in his book ?Fancy Goldfish: Complete Guide To Care And Collecting? ?Maintaining a healthy and stable food source is pivotal in keeping your fish for a long period of time. With proper nutrition at the base of your care your fancy goldfish can life over ten years!

Conclusion

Store bought medications are not suitable for common aquarium usage. They should only be used by professionals in large aquarium settings.

Not only are medications harmful to your goldfish when not used correctly but they also harm your tank environment by killing off plants and other living organisms

Store bought medications are very expensive and dangerous to humans if not used correctly.

Salt Treatments are not only cheaper than store bought medications but also safer and a more natural way to treat your infected and sick goldfish

The easiest and healthiest way to maintain your Goldfishes general health is through constant water changes and the use of effective fish food

?Humans and goldfish alike share a common bond in their biological make up. They require similar nutrients, and like most creatures on earth, they all share common needs.

IV. You wouldn’t use medication on a baby if you didn’t know what is was for so I am asking everyone before you medicate your goldfish consider safer options.

goldfish care

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