Your Child's Goldfish ~ Easy, Inexpensive Care ~
By Stephanie Olsen, Fri Dec 9th
Goldfish are popular starter pets for children and a goodparental choice when it comes to budget and time considerations,although you should take note that goldfish can grow to beanywhere from 6 to 12 inches and may live for as long as 10years. Getting Ready The day before you take your child to the pet shop, fill cleanbuckets with 10 gallons (that's 16 quarts or nearly 40 liters)of water so that it has 24 to 48 hours in which to allowchlorine, lead and any other toxins to evaporate and in orderthat the water is room temperature. Goldfish can survive in awide range of temperatures, from above 50 to below 80 degreesFahrenheit (that's 10 and 27 degrees Celsius respectively). It'sthe sudden change in temperature that kills them. Add about 2teaspoons per gallon of uniodized table salt (the big crystals,not the fine stuff from your saltshaker).
What to look for Remember to look for a lively fish when choosing, and to stayaway from tanks with any obviously sick fish in them. If theowner catches the fish without a net, either by scooping orusing his hand, that's a sign that you're dealing with aprofessional. Fish have a slimy protective coat (that's why theyfeel so slippery in your grasp) and using a net can cause damageto this surface. The Aquarium If you've got a spare 10 - 20 gallon size aquarium at home,that's great. If not, any similar size waterproof container willdo as long as it's got enough surface room for the fish tobreathe. Standard glass fishbowls are inappropriate as they areobviously too small; furthermore, they do not provide enoughoxygen: every inch of fish (head and body measure) needs 20square inches of surface (multiplying the length and width ofyour container will give you the area, so a 12" x 8" rectangulartank
has a total surface area of 96 sq in., enough for a fishfour inches in head/body length). Put the tank near a window so it gets plenty of indirectsunlight. A cover (which can be foil loosely placed over top)helps keep out dust and also keeps an active fish in! Sand orgravel bottoms look nice, but make work in that they must becleaned. If you have a clear aquarium, just put a placemat underit and you'll have an instant sea floor or sandy base. A littlemirror propped up on the outside of the tank will give your fish"company". Clean Water means a Healthy Goldfish Change the water every second day, replacing the old with waterthat's been aged and salted. It just takes a minute and meansthat you don't have to buy a filter or air pump - a substantialsavings. Scoop your fish out of the aquarium in a holding pail,dump the dirty water from the aquarium, rinse a few times,re-fill and return the goldfish. Feed Sparingly and Wisely Soak the food you buy from the pet shop so that it sinks to thebottom of the tank when you feed your goldfish. Feed a tinyamount every time you change the water and, if you like,supplement that with some plants you find growing wild in freshwater rivers and ponds such as anacharis (which is probably themost common aquarium plant and readily available in any petstore). Have Fun You and your child will not only have fun but will learntogether while caring for your little golden water creature. AndI'll bet you'll name her "Goldie"! About the author:About the Author: Stephanie Olsen, published writer, homeschooling mother of twoand ESL teacher currently residing in Europe, is also owner ofthe expatriate site, Family Life Abroadhttp://www.familylifeabroad.com where you'll find humorous andinformative articles by experienced expatriates on all aspectsof living abroad, with lots of links and travel tips. |
