Adding Goldfish to the Aquarium in Three Simple Steps
However well you have chosen your new goldfish, and however carefully you have transported them home, they will be stressed by the journey and will need some time to acclimatize to their new surroundings. Don't simply tip them into the new tank. The immediate environment in which the fish live - their water – will be different in the bag and in the aquarium, and you will need to make sure that the temperatures have equalized first.
Adding Fish to The Aquarium
- Turn the aquarium lights off. Take the plastic bag containing the goldfish out of the paper bag or bin liner and roll down the sides to form a collar. Carefully float the bag in the tank to equalize the temperatures between the water in which the goldfish have been transported and that in the aquarium.
- After 15 minutes, add some aquarium A. water to the bag. Leave the bag floating in the aquarium for a further 15 minutes before you gently release the new fish into the aquarium. Turn the bag on its side and hold it open with one hand. Gently tip it up with your other hand so that the goldfish swim out into the aquarium. Check that none is trapped inside the collar of the bag.
- Leave the fish to settle in their new home for an hour before you turn the aquarium lights on. The fish will probably try to hide until they become more confident. Be patient and don't try to tempt them out with food. Wait at least a week before adding more fish.
Stocking the Aquarium
It is vital not to exceed the stock capacity for the aquarium size. The recommended stocking level for a goldfish aquarium is 60cm2 of water surface area for each 1cm of fish length, excluding the tail. So an aquarium measuring 60 x 30 x 30cm has a surface area of 1800cm2 and this divided by 60cm2 means that it can hold a total of about 30cm of fish. (A 24 x 12 x 12in tank can hold 12in offish.) For an aquarium this size you could buy, for example, either 12 fish of 2.5cm (lin), and move some to other tanks as they grow, or two goldfish of 15cm (6in). However, remember that this is only a guide. Water testing can tell you if your tank is overstocked.
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