How to Set up a Healthy Goldfish Aquarium
Get the right size tank for the type and number of goldfish., Place your tank in a convenient location with some natural sunlight., Support the weight of your tank., Install a filtration system with a strong flow rate., Add three to four inches of...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Get the right size tank for the type and number of goldfish.
For instance, if you own single-tailed goldfish, you’ll need 40 gallons of water per fish.
However, if you own fancy goldfish with small bodies and double tails, you’ll only need ten to twenty gallons per fish.The more space your fish have, the healthier they will be.
The reason you need such a big tank for goldfish is that they produce a lot of waste during digestion.Get a twenty-gallon tank for one fancy goldfish.
Pick a forty-gallon tank for two fancy goldfish or for one single-tailed goldfish. -
Step 2: Place your tank in a convenient location with some natural sunlight.
You’ll want a spot that is close to a power supply and a water source.
It should get some natural sunlight but shouldn’t be directly in front of a sunny window.
Since a consistent temperature is important, you’ll also want to avoid a drafty location.If you are not breeding the goldfish, you want to maintain a consistent temperature of 23 Celsius (74 Fahrenheit).
Because goldfish normally live in a fairly bright tropical environment, they need some sunlight during the day and darkness at night.
If you use an aquarium light, you’ll need to turn it off at night so that your goldfish can rest.
If your goldfish don’t get enough light, their color will fade. , Because a full goldfish tank is very heavy, you’ll need a tank stand or a very sturdy piece of furniture.
If you have a very large tank, you’ll also want to position it so that the weight is evenly distributed across your floor joists.A ten-gallon goldfish tank will weigh approximately 100 pounds.
A 100-gallon tank weighs about half a ton. , Because goldfish produce more waste than other fish, you’ll need a really strong filtration system.You’ll need a very strong flow rate, which is the amount of water filtered per hour.
Pick a filtration system that moves at least five and as much as ten times the volume of your tank per hour.
Although both internal and external filtration systems will do the trick, you’re more likely to get that kind of flow rate with an external system.If you are using a twenty-gallon tank, you’ll need a flow rate of 100-200 gallons per hour.
If you have a forty-gallon tank, you’ll need a flow rate of 200-400 gallons per hour.
Undergravel filters are only recommended if you're on a budget or if you're keeping sharpness sensitive goldfish such as the Bubble Eye.
Canister filters are best for large tanks. , Fill a bucket halfway up with gravel.
Run water over the gravel and agitate it with your hands.
You should see dirt and sediment rising up from the gravel.
Dump out the sediment and rinse it again.
When it looks clean, you can add three or four inches to the bottom of the tank.If you are using an undergravel filter, you’ll need to install it prior to adding the gravel.
A recommended gravel size is 1/8’’ (3 mm).
Goldfish tend to put small gravel in their mouth, so you should avoid smaller gravel sizes. , Pick some colorful rocks from your aquarium store, such as slate or red shale.
Put the decorative rocks on top of the gravel.
If you have any other special scenery, you can add it at this time., Run some clean, cold water into a bucket.
Pour the water into the tank.
At this point, you’ll want to make adjustments to the scenery.
Try to make sure the fish have some hiding places but also plenty of room to swim around.
If you have some plants that need to be secured in the gravel, you could make those adjustments., Fill a bucket with clean, cold water.
Pour it into the tank until the water is close to the top of the tank.At this point, you can make any necessary adjustments to the filtration tubes.
For instance, if you have an undergravel filter, you’ll want to make sure the lift tubes are halfway in and halfway out of the water. , Although goldfish can withstand relatively cool temperatures, you’ll need to keep your tank warm to encourage strong growth and overall health.
However, if you plan to breed your goldfish, you’ll need to introduce seasonal variations in water temperature.Use either an internal or an external aquarium thermometer to measure temperature.
If you want to breed your goldfish, keep the temperature at 10 Celsius (50 Fahrenheit) during the winter months.
In the spring, raise the temperature to somewhere between 20 Celsius (68 Fahrenheit) and 23 Celsius (74 Fahrenheit) to encourage breeding.
Don’t let the temperature go above 30 Celsius (86 Fahrenheit).
Your goldfish will get stressed out if the temperature gets that high.
Avoid extreme fluctuations in water temperature. , Once you have your tank completely setup with everything except the goldfish, you’ll need to build up the good bacteria by adding ammonia.
For every gallon of water in your tank, you’ll need to add one drop of ammonia.
Every day, add the required number of drops of ammonia into your tank.If you have a ten-gallon tank, you’ll be adding ten drops of ammonia.
You can get bottled ammonia at the pet store.
You can also add fish food and let it decompose in your aquarium, which will add ammonia to the water. , After adding ammonia for a few days, you’ll need to start testing the water for nitrites and ammonia.Take two water samples with the syringes included in your master test kit.
Shake the solution for testing ammonia and add the number of drops indicated on the side of the bottle.
Next, shake the solution for the nitrites and add the number of drops indicated on the side of the bottle.
Finally, match the colors in the test tubes to the color chart to determine the concentration of ammonia and nitrite in your tank., After a few weeks of adding ammonia, you should be able to start testing for nitrates.
Take a water sample with the syringe included in your master test kit.
Shake the bottle for nitrates and add the required number of drops to the test tube.
Match the color to the color chart to determine nitrate concentration.
Also, test for ammonia and nitrites.
If the ammonia and nitrite levels go down to zero but there is some nitrate, your tank is successfully cycled and ready for fish!You’ll still need to add ammonia to feed the good bacteria up until the day you add your goldfish. , You’ll want to change half of your water in order to lower nitrate levels prior to adding your fish.
To be safe, you should add one fish at a time.
Since the aquarium is a very delicate setup, it is best to see how one fish lives in the tank before adding any more.After you add the one goldfish, you should keep testing the water for nitrates, ammonia, and nitrites.
You want low levels of ammonia and nitrites, but some nitrates are fine.
You can add the next goldfish after testing the water for two weeks to make sure the tank is cycling properly and there is sufficient water volume in the tank to handle the additional fish. -
Step 3: Support the weight of your tank.
-
Step 4: Install a filtration system with a strong flow rate.
-
Step 5: Add three to four inches of gravel to the bottom of the tank.
-
Step 6: Decorate the tank with rocks and scenery.
-
Step 7: Fill the tank halfway with cold water.
-
Step 8: Fill the tank all the way up with clean water.
-
Step 9: Keep your tank at a temperature of 23 Celsius (74 Fahrenheit).
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Step 10: Add one drop of ammonia per gallon of tank water.
-
Step 11: Test for ammonia and nitrites with a master test kit.
-
Step 12: Test the water for nitrates.
-
Step 13: Add one fish at a time.
Detailed Guide
For instance, if you own single-tailed goldfish, you’ll need 40 gallons of water per fish.
However, if you own fancy goldfish with small bodies and double tails, you’ll only need ten to twenty gallons per fish.The more space your fish have, the healthier they will be.
The reason you need such a big tank for goldfish is that they produce a lot of waste during digestion.Get a twenty-gallon tank for one fancy goldfish.
Pick a forty-gallon tank for two fancy goldfish or for one single-tailed goldfish.
You’ll want a spot that is close to a power supply and a water source.
It should get some natural sunlight but shouldn’t be directly in front of a sunny window.
Since a consistent temperature is important, you’ll also want to avoid a drafty location.If you are not breeding the goldfish, you want to maintain a consistent temperature of 23 Celsius (74 Fahrenheit).
Because goldfish normally live in a fairly bright tropical environment, they need some sunlight during the day and darkness at night.
If you use an aquarium light, you’ll need to turn it off at night so that your goldfish can rest.
If your goldfish don’t get enough light, their color will fade. , Because a full goldfish tank is very heavy, you’ll need a tank stand or a very sturdy piece of furniture.
If you have a very large tank, you’ll also want to position it so that the weight is evenly distributed across your floor joists.A ten-gallon goldfish tank will weigh approximately 100 pounds.
A 100-gallon tank weighs about half a ton. , Because goldfish produce more waste than other fish, you’ll need a really strong filtration system.You’ll need a very strong flow rate, which is the amount of water filtered per hour.
Pick a filtration system that moves at least five and as much as ten times the volume of your tank per hour.
Although both internal and external filtration systems will do the trick, you’re more likely to get that kind of flow rate with an external system.If you are using a twenty-gallon tank, you’ll need a flow rate of 100-200 gallons per hour.
If you have a forty-gallon tank, you’ll need a flow rate of 200-400 gallons per hour.
Undergravel filters are only recommended if you're on a budget or if you're keeping sharpness sensitive goldfish such as the Bubble Eye.
Canister filters are best for large tanks. , Fill a bucket halfway up with gravel.
Run water over the gravel and agitate it with your hands.
You should see dirt and sediment rising up from the gravel.
Dump out the sediment and rinse it again.
When it looks clean, you can add three or four inches to the bottom of the tank.If you are using an undergravel filter, you’ll need to install it prior to adding the gravel.
A recommended gravel size is 1/8’’ (3 mm).
Goldfish tend to put small gravel in their mouth, so you should avoid smaller gravel sizes. , Pick some colorful rocks from your aquarium store, such as slate or red shale.
Put the decorative rocks on top of the gravel.
If you have any other special scenery, you can add it at this time., Run some clean, cold water into a bucket.
Pour the water into the tank.
At this point, you’ll want to make adjustments to the scenery.
Try to make sure the fish have some hiding places but also plenty of room to swim around.
If you have some plants that need to be secured in the gravel, you could make those adjustments., Fill a bucket with clean, cold water.
Pour it into the tank until the water is close to the top of the tank.At this point, you can make any necessary adjustments to the filtration tubes.
For instance, if you have an undergravel filter, you’ll want to make sure the lift tubes are halfway in and halfway out of the water. , Although goldfish can withstand relatively cool temperatures, you’ll need to keep your tank warm to encourage strong growth and overall health.
However, if you plan to breed your goldfish, you’ll need to introduce seasonal variations in water temperature.Use either an internal or an external aquarium thermometer to measure temperature.
If you want to breed your goldfish, keep the temperature at 10 Celsius (50 Fahrenheit) during the winter months.
In the spring, raise the temperature to somewhere between 20 Celsius (68 Fahrenheit) and 23 Celsius (74 Fahrenheit) to encourage breeding.
Don’t let the temperature go above 30 Celsius (86 Fahrenheit).
Your goldfish will get stressed out if the temperature gets that high.
Avoid extreme fluctuations in water temperature. , Once you have your tank completely setup with everything except the goldfish, you’ll need to build up the good bacteria by adding ammonia.
For every gallon of water in your tank, you’ll need to add one drop of ammonia.
Every day, add the required number of drops of ammonia into your tank.If you have a ten-gallon tank, you’ll be adding ten drops of ammonia.
You can get bottled ammonia at the pet store.
You can also add fish food and let it decompose in your aquarium, which will add ammonia to the water. , After adding ammonia for a few days, you’ll need to start testing the water for nitrites and ammonia.Take two water samples with the syringes included in your master test kit.
Shake the solution for testing ammonia and add the number of drops indicated on the side of the bottle.
Next, shake the solution for the nitrites and add the number of drops indicated on the side of the bottle.
Finally, match the colors in the test tubes to the color chart to determine the concentration of ammonia and nitrite in your tank., After a few weeks of adding ammonia, you should be able to start testing for nitrates.
Take a water sample with the syringe included in your master test kit.
Shake the bottle for nitrates and add the required number of drops to the test tube.
Match the color to the color chart to determine nitrate concentration.
Also, test for ammonia and nitrites.
If the ammonia and nitrite levels go down to zero but there is some nitrate, your tank is successfully cycled and ready for fish!You’ll still need to add ammonia to feed the good bacteria up until the day you add your goldfish. , You’ll want to change half of your water in order to lower nitrate levels prior to adding your fish.
To be safe, you should add one fish at a time.
Since the aquarium is a very delicate setup, it is best to see how one fish lives in the tank before adding any more.After you add the one goldfish, you should keep testing the water for nitrates, ammonia, and nitrites.
You want low levels of ammonia and nitrites, but some nitrates are fine.
You can add the next goldfish after testing the water for two weeks to make sure the tank is cycling properly and there is sufficient water volume in the tank to handle the additional fish.
About the Author
Jeffrey Adams
Writer and educator with a focus on practical organization knowledge.
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