Goldfish are one of the most popular of all domestic fresh water aquarium fish.

This is largely because there is such a great and interesting variety of them. They range from the simple Comet goldfish (also known as the 'feeder' goldfish) to very ornate and unusual varieties like the Orandas or Ryukin.

Goldfish are also popular because, if properly cared for, they will usually live to be between 12 and 20 years old, becoming, in essence, like a family member. With patience, they can even be tamed and hand-fed.

Like all fish, Goldfish require a healthful environment in order to thrive. This includes proper water conditions, water temperature, and diet and feeding.

Goldfish are very active fish and they require more oxygen than most other fish. They are also heavy excreters of bodily waste. So, for all three of these reasons, you will definitely not put your goldfish into a small, unfiltered bowl.

Instead, a good rule of thumb for goldfish is to provide one gallon of filtered aquarium water for each 1/2" of fish, measured from the nose to the base of the tail. When deciding what size of aquarium to purchase, you must also consider that a goldfish can grow up to four times its original size within a year's time. So, you don't want to put more than two fish in a 10-gallon tank.

In addition to the more traditional mechanical filter, you will also want to provide a good biological filter system. This is a plastic grid type system that sits on the bottom of the aquarium (see picture ad above) and is covered with an inch or two of gravel. The water is pulled through the gravel, creating an oxygenated gravelbed. This is where the 'good' kind of bacteria grow, and by that, I mean the kind that breaks down fish waste into something less harmful.

After a new tank is set up, it takes about 60 days for enough of the 'good bacteria,' to establish itself in the tank. Good bacteria is what processes the harmful ammonia that is generated by fish waste and un-eaten food. This process is called 'cycling,'

After the first 60 days, you will change out one-third of the water and replace it with aged and conditioned water. Be sure to use a good conditioner. The one I use is called Start Right with Allantoin, by Jungle (see picture ad) because it dechlorinates, neutralizes metals in the water, promotes skin slime and contains an extra product (the Allantoin) that promotes healing.

After the initial 60-day water change out, the one-third water change is repeated every two weeks. This is one of the most important tasks in preventing goldfish disease in otherwise healthy fish.

One other trick I use to keep the aquarium environment healthy is to 'spot vacuum' the substrate (the gravel) using a regular aquarium siphon (see picture ad) while I'm siphoning out the change out water. Just insert it into the gravel and when the gravel starts to lift pull up the siphon. The gravel drops, and the particles are siphoned up.

The worst thing you can do is overfeed your goldfish.

Unfortunately, because of the way nature has programmed them, Goldfish will attempt to eat every morsel you put in the aquarium. Not only can this damage their swim bladder (the part of the goldfish anatomy that helps them stay afloat) the uneaten food will fall to the bottom and cause unhealthy bacteria to form. So put in only the amount of food that can be eaten in a few minutes time. No more.

You also need to make sure your goldfish get a good balance of the nutrients they need.

You can accomplish this by feeding them a good quality flake variety in the morning and then alternating with either some kind of green vegetable, like spinach, and freeze dried brine shrimp or blood worms in the evening. I know. Eeew, but they like it. If you are really feeling brave, there are also live versions of the shrimp and worms available too.

Goldfish love greens. In fact you will probably notice that if you put live aquartic plants in the aquarium, it won't be long before they eat them into stubble. Their love for greens extends to green vegetables as well. I like to keep a variety of frozen green vegetables on hand just for them.

I have been an aquarium enthusiast for years.

I can still remember being underfoot as a young girl in my brother's fish store - handing him this and that while he cleaned the tanks and went about the numerous tasks at hand.

And nothing has ever given me as much serenity as standing in front of a clean, attractive aquarium full of healthy inhabitants.

But, they do require commitment and work. For some, like me, the cleaning and involvement is part of the joy of aquarium keeping. It can also be quite expensive to establish a new tank.

If you have never kept an aquarium, then maybe you will want to start with something easier like Siamese Fighting Fish, more simply known as Bettas.

Bettas are a sturdy fish and easy to care for, so you may want to consider starting here to see if you like the process before you invest heavily in an aquarium. Here is a link to my hub on Betta care: