A goldfish is one of the most common pets to give a child for a first pet because they are generally thought to be easier to care for than a dog or cat, especially if the child is very young and not quite ready for a bigger pet. But believe it or not, goldfish also have one of the highest mortality rates in the animal species game. And not because they have extremely short lives either. A goldfish will quite happily live for a number of years before succumbing to the goldfish equivalent of old age. So long as we remember to feed and care for them properly.

A lot of people think goldfish are an easy pet to care for, but the opposite can be true more often than not. Let’s take a typical tropical tank setup, for example. First you have to get the tank, water heater and filter and get them set up and your tank environment ready for your goldfish. This can take anywhere up to a week. And you still don’t have any fish yet.  Then once your fish are installed, you need to maintain water temperature and check it regularly. Your checklist would include water conditioner, algae remover, fish food, replacement filter material, regular cleaning of your tank. These are just some of the things you need to think about when owning goldfish. And they can be as fun as watching paint dry sometimes, so there isn’t even the consolation of them doing anything exciting to reclaim your interest.

When you have them all set up you may begin to notice certain characteristics your goldfish display. Watch them and learn from them because if anything is wrong, their behavior is the first sign to look for changing. Different swimming patterns or hiding away when you’d swear they always came to greet you, are all signs your fish may be ailing.  

Unfortunately, with goldfish it can be hard to treat an illness. Some fish will recover completely, while some who seemed only mildly affected will die rapidly. Any ill fish should be separated from the rest to prevent undue stress in a specially prepared area. It may be prudent to treat any other fish in the tank at the same time if the illness is of a contagious nature.

Prevention is the best and easiest way to keep your goldfish healthy, which can be achieved by maintaining good hygiene in the tank. All it takes is a little effort on your part.