Treating Ich: A Natural Cure

If your goldfish is laying at the bottom of the aquarium with white spots sprinkled along their body and fins, that's a sure sign that you have ich.

"It will look like somebody took a salt shaker and sprinkled it all over your fish." - speakman10227 (YouTube)

Ich (white spot disease) can be deadly if given enough time, so it's best to treat it early before the disease spreads and parasites infect more fish.

Today I wanted to discuss a natural ich remedy you can use: the heat and salt treatment. It is proven to be highly effective for many fish hobbyists. Plus, you don't need to rely on any commercial remedies to foul up your water (or impact your biological filter).  

• The first step is to raise the water temperature to 86 °F (30 °C). This will speed up the ich life cycle, allowing you to kill each parasite during the free-swimming stage a lot faster.  
• Next, make sure your aquarium is well oxygenated. The high heat reduces oxygen levels in your aquarium, so you want to increase surface agitation as much as possible (put in a few air stones if you need to or lower the water level in your tank).  
• Add 1 teaspoon of aquarium salt for every gallon of water. Both the heat and salt will work together to exterminate nasty parasites.  
• Continue treating your aquarium for at least 10 days. Once you stop noticing signs of white spot disease, keep treating your aquarium for three days more to ensure you've gotten rid of all the ich.  
• Reduce the water temperature back to normal. You now should be free of those nasty parasites! But don't stop there. Consistently monitor your aquarium to make sure pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels are where they should be. 

If this doesn't work for you, check out my in-depth ich treatment guide for more information about white spot disease and how to cure ich.

The author of the video below does a great job explaining how he treats ich in his aquarium.
Quality goldfish care is an ongoing process to promote thriving, healthy goldfish.

Conditioning Your Tank for the First Time - Chemicals to Alter Your Aquarium Water

There is only one water conditioner you need, and that's a dechlorinator.
via firsttankguide.net

If you use tap water, it's imperative that you use a water conditioner to break down those harmful metals that could potentially kill your goldfish.

In my first days of fish keeping over 10 years ago, I would put my poor goldfish in a tank filled with unconditioned tap water, only to find my fish dead the very next day.

Don't make the same mistake! Keep that water conditioned. I've been personally using AquaSafe for years, and it works very well. Plus, it's cheap and you can pretty much find AquaSafe in any pet store you frequent.

Treating Ich in Your Goldfish Aquarium

Ich (also known as ick) is a common goldfish disease that can often show up when the immune system is lowered due to stress or poor water quality.

Luckily, there are medications and even at-home treatments you can use to get rid of ich. If you want to go the less stressful route, gradually raise the water temperature a few degrees and buy aquarium salt (following the recommended dosages for disease treatment). Another method is to buy ich treatments directly from the pet store (medication can range from $5 to $15, depending on the brand and where you live).

The following is a great video that walks you through the process of how to treat ich with medication.

Remember: the best cure for any disease is prevention. Always maintain good water quality by using a freshwater testing kit and changing 25% of the water weekly for proper goldfish care. And if you can, catch ich early by staying attentive to telling goldfish disease symptoms before ich spreads and turns into a disaster.

Changing Your Aquarium Water for Proper Goldfish Care

Goldfish are very messy and excrete a lot of waste, which can quickly release harmful toxins into the water that can be dangerous (even deadly) for your goldfish. Uneaten goldfish food can also cause water quality problems, as the food decays and clouds your fish's environment. For this reason, you should strive to at least change 25% of your aquarium water once per week for proper goldfish care.

In order to keep up a regular water changing routine, you'll need a water siphon, a bucket, and a nearby sink (so you don't have to lug all that water all over the house). You'll also need a water conditioner to neutralize harmful metals in tap water before you dump the water into the aquarium - this step is particularly crucial, since tap water that is not conditioned can kill goldfish (or any species of fish) within minutes. A testing kit is also useful to have around, since you'll always have a good grasp of how well your tank is doing (and can prevent drastic ammonia spikes before they happen and potentially harm your fish).

The author of the following video does a terrific job showing the necessary steps for a regular water change routine.

Changing the water of your goldfish aquarium may seem difficult at first - and it can even appear daunting - but over time, with practice, you'll find that it's really not that bad. It will even become a habit, just like showering or going to the bathroom, as you start changing the water every week. And your goldfish will appreciate the hard work and effort you put into maintaining a healthy aquarium environment.

Happy fish keeping!

What Is the Appropriate Size for Your Goldfish Aquarium?

I just came across the video below and was blown away at how comprehensive it was (and the aquarium she uses is simply breathtaking!). But more than just the incredible scenery and beautifully colored goldfish circulating the tank, the author does a very good job in explaining how much space in an aquarium a goldfish needs to thrive.

Preferably, you'll want to put your first goldfish in an aquarium that is at least 20 gallons (80 liters according to the video). Any additional goldfish you add will require an extra 10 gallons (40 liters) per fish. This rule of thumb is generally good for fancy varieties (since they're slow swimmers and don't grow as large as common or comet goldfish). Single-tail goldfish varieties (generally commons or comets) are faster swimmers and grow pretty quickly, getting bigger than fancy goldfish. These goldfish will need 20 gallons per fish because of their large size. However, most aquarists keep such fish in ponds with kois, offering a larger environment than their homes will allow.

Of course, if you're just starting out, you can stock goldfish in a 10-gallon tank while they're still young and growing, but you'll need to upgrade that aquarium as they grow (even within a year). Personally, you're better off just saving the money and purchasing a large tank to begin with, rather than upgrading the tank every so often (coughing up more cash over time).

Better yet, build a pond! You'll still need to bring the fish indoors for winter months though (if the climate gets particularly cold in your area).

Note: NEVER keep your goldfish on a glass bowl. The author does a good job explaining why you shouldn't, including some very nicely done diagrams. But there are a number of reasons why you should never confine your goldfish in a bowl: the most important ones being that a) goldfish require a lot of space and a bowl will actually stunt growth (watch the video for some interesting theories as to how growth may be stunted) and b) goldfish excrete TONS of waste and that waste will quickly turn the water toxic, even killing your fish.

No matter how much goldfish food you feed your fish, you won't be able to keep goldfish successfully in a bowl. Either they die early or are absolutely miserable for the rest of their lives. Stay clear of bowls, and your goldfish will thank you ten times over by staying healthy and living long-lasting lives.

If you're considering owning goldfish (or even if you already have a few of your own), I highly recommend giving the above video a look.

For more in-depth guides on how to care for goldfish, visit Complete Goldfish Care, your one-stop goldfish care resource.

Happy fish keeping!

Make the Most of Goldfish Care

"Many people find it relaxing to watch their slow, leisurely movement. Goldfish are a great place to start for the novice aquarist to build up experience and confidence before moving on to more rigorous demands of tropical fish."  - VideoJug

The following is a marvelous video I found on how to properly care for goldfish. The video is divided into 5 key goldfish care areas: the goldfish aquarium, goldfish types, goldfish feeding, tank maintenance, and goldfish illnesses.

I mentioned many of these areas in my article Goldfish Care: There's More to It Than You Think when I introduced goldfish care. But it's worth noting that goldfish need a good sized tank with proper filtration and regular water changes in order to stay healthy and prevent illnesses. VideoJug does a great job outlining these key points, and I believe this video is worth a look.