GOLD FISH

INTRODUCTION

Nothing is more fascinating and as saleable as the humble goldfish. Into this hobby, during my college years, I stumbled upon how beautiful can a black veil tail be. I adore the beautiful telescope, the alluring oranda, the perfect fantasy,l, and more. Off late there's been many breeds of the. To name a few others are Ryukin, Rancho, lionheart, bubble, and so on. In Kolkata and Mumbai where mass production is carried on in many fisheries, they're overtly cheap and available. You won't find any aquarium shops without at least 2 breeds of this lovely pet. 

ORIGIN 

Originally coming from China they are abundant in the whole of South Asian countries but the major concentration is in China, India, and few other countries with their common carp species being either used as human food or a turtle feed because of their easy availability and cheap price. 

Carassius auratus as they're scientifically known are rampant in almost every corner of the globe by now.

FEEDING HABIT

They feed on a wide range of food including eggs of many fishes. Algae and plant parts also form a large part of their diets. They are messy eaters and without a strong filtration its almost impossible to keep them; they can make the water quality bad very fast. They're very infamous for being dirty little beauties. Hierarchical dominance is observed while eating food but even the smaller and younger ones are very aggressive during feeding time. In the aquarium, they're fed with algae wafers and pellets; while in the wild they fed on anything that fits their mouths.

LIFESPAN

I included this section in only this particular blog of mine only for the sole reason that their long life is actually super long among aquarium fishes that are kept. Guinness world record reports a goldfish living until 43 years of age.

Most of the goldfish could be long-lived provided they are fed with multiple diets with a variety. 

Since goldfishes are generally kept in bowls hence deteriorating water quality is marked as a single reason for their untimely death.

BREEDING 

During the breeding season, the males develop few white spots on or near their tails and the females get plumper. The mating begins by the following of the male which forces the females to lay the eggs on a hard surface. The male then releases its sperms and fertilizes the eggs. It's always advisable to remove the eggs as the parents will feed upon them. Once the babies hatch they should be fed with dilute infusoria or small blood worms or daphnias.

VARIETIES

As being already said there are many breeds of this fish. Starting from black veil to bubble eye to lion head to shubunkin. Most of them are cheaper variety but the ones with more beautiful body patterns and longevity are heavily priced.

In India, a pair can cost anything from 100 to 1000 bucks or more. It's always advisable to purchase the young pairs. Although the introduction of the new individuals at any stage in the aquarium is welcomed.

DISEASES

Most of the common fish diseases are what goldfishes also suffers from. The main cause is attributed to the poor water quality in the bowl or tank and also for the messy eating habits of the fish itself as this stirs the debris from the substrate which affects the water quality and detritus keeps floating in the water hence lowering its overall quality.

Fin rot and white spot diseases are very common with goldfish and they suffer extensively from ichk too. Many brands promise to provide health-related safety but I myself have seen nothing to work when the disease sets in.

CONCLUSION

Goldfishes are a eternal symbol of beauty and very easy to keep provided they are well fed and their water is kept exceptionally clean. They are owner favorite and are known to swim upto them like Oscars and discus fish. They're very sensitive to bad water quality and hence should be kept properly. 

They're a very favorite fish not only for aquariums but also for ponds and lakes . They clean the pond from algae and other micro life.

.

.

.

.

Check our other blogs on INTROVERTS:  INTROVERT SPEAKS

.

.

Check our other episodes on AQUA-LIFE: AQUA-SPEAKS

.

.

Also, check our official page: A THOUGHTFUL VISION