How to Care for Goldfish in a Tank

Goldfish are hardy coldwater fish that can live for decades if cared for properly. One important factor in caring for them is space. Goldfish are relatively large aquarium fish and need a large tank. Otherwise, food and basic maintenance are not complicated, so even inexperienced aquarium owners can keep goldfish successfully.

Things You'll Need

  • 30-gallon or larger tank with light
  • Gravel
  • Rocks
  • Aquatic plants
  • Fake plants
  • Aquarium filter
  • Tap water
  • Goldfish pellets or flakes
  • Live food
  • Buckets
  • Dechlorinator
  • Gravel cleaner
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Instructions

    • 1

      Purchase a large tank. You need a minimum of 20 gallons of tank space for one goldfish and 10 gallons for each additional fish. Because goldfish are social animals, it is best to keep a pair or a small group rather than a single fish. This means a minimum tank size of 30 gallons.

    • 2

      Rinse the gravel and add to the tank. Use about 1 pound of gravel per gallon of tank space. Rinse and add rocks or other accessories, install the filter and fill the tank with tap water. Leave the tank for at least 24 hours to allow the water to dechlorinate.

    • 3

      Plant a range of aquatic plants in the tank. These oxygenate the water, remove impurities and provide a habitat for the fish. Goldfish like to eat plants, so choose hardy species such as Java plants. A few plastic plants provide extra hiding places for your goldfish.

    • 4

      Purchase your goldfish a week after setting up the tank. Float the plastic bag with the goldfish in your tank for an hour before releasing them, allowing the bag and tank temperatures to equalize.

    • 5

      Feed your fish small quantities of goldfish pellets or flakes several times a day. Supplement with live food such as Daphnia once or twice a week.

    • 6

      Dechlorinate tap water in buckets once a week. Use a dechlorinator, available from aquarium supply stores, or simply leave water in the buckets for 24 hours. You need to dechlorinate about a tenth to a quarter of the tank volume. For a 30-gallon tank, dechlorinate 3 to 7 gallons.

    • 7

      Remove dirt from the tank along with a quarter to a tenth of the water with the gravel cleaner and replace with dechlorinated water.

    • 8

      Change the filter media once a month.