Domestic Fish-keeping
Fishes are kept at home in aquariums and ponds. The hobby of fish keeping is divided into brackish, saltwater, and freshwater fish keeping, out of which freshwater fish keeping is the favorite. The fishes which are popular for fish keeping are angelfish, goldfish and guppies. Different species of fishes can be kept together and sometimes fishes of the same species are kept together for breeding purpose. With breeders, the popular fish species are guppies, mollies, catfish, killifish, cichlid, and characin.
Fish keeping was started centuries ago. At that time fishes were bred for food. Also, due to religious reasons, fish was eaten on days when meat wasn’t allowed. The Chinese and Japanese traditions included fish keeping for food purposes. But later the kings began keeping goldfishes and koi, because of their attractive colors. They were kept in ponds and when guests used to arrive, the fishes were shifted indoors in fish bowls. Romans were also known to keep lampreys in pools with salt water. Ancient Egyptians kept fishes from Oxyrhynchus in temple pools.
Saltwater or marine fish keeping is more difficult and expensive. Usually experienced fish keepers or aquarists are into this hobby. This is certainly not for beginners. But it sure is very attractive with colorful and attractive fishes along with different types of corals. Brackish fish keeping involves both freshwater and saltwater fish keeping, because the salinity of the water is in between that of seawater and freshwater.
Fish keepers which are into this hobby also focus on the aquatic plants. Some hardcore aquarists even attempt to grow coral reef with the help of living rock, worms, and calcareous rocks with algae growth, sponges, and worms. When the corals begin to grow echinoderms, crabs, mollusks, and shrimps are also added to the aquariums, which are also called as reef tanks.
The aquarium should have ecology which is similar to the natural habitat of the occupant fishes. This is an extremely difficult task. Also, it is important to maintain the predator prey relationship balance. Also more than the volume of the water, the surface volume is important. This is because, more the surface volume, more the oxygen levels in the water. Air pumps also are used to increase the dissolved oxygen in the water. This is part of the nutrient cycle, which should be maintained and controlled for the well-fare of the fishes. Larger aquariums are more preferable and they make things easier, for example the event effects are diluted easily and the systemic shock is absorbed well.
Other factors to be controlled are nitrogen cycle, dissolved gases and balanced food supply. The salinity of the water should be checked regularly depending of the aquaria being maintained. The pH level should be checked to test the acidic nature of the water. For freshwater aquarium, most of the aquarist use tap water, which is a mistake as it contains chlorine. Chloramines should be used in tap water to make it chlorine free.
Depending on temperature, the aquarium can be differentiated to have tropical and cold water. For tropical aquarium, the water should be warm and the temperature should be nearly seventy-seven degree Fahrenheit. For cold water aquarium, the water temperature should be less than room temperature. For this purpose, a refrigeration device called chiller can be used.
Plants and certain organisms can be introduced in the aquarium which metabolizes the waste, especially nitrogen. But more the number of organisms added to the fish tank, the more difficult it is to maintain. The needs of all the aquatic organisms must be considered. Introducing many types of species in an aquarium is known as biological loading. Two important factors should be considered which include filtration process and oxygen levels. Aquarists interested in fish breeding should be more careful. Firstly, they shouldn’t mix many types of fishes together. They should also develop special conditions called spawning triggers for proper breeding.
Artificial ponds can be also made in the garden. It is very similar to freshwater keeping, except that they are big and out in natural conditions. Tropical fishes are a good choice for such garden ponds. But where the temperatures are cold, goldfishes, orfe and koi are good options.
Goldfish Maintenance
Goldfishes were first among the fishes and also the most common fishes that were kept as pets. They are popular because they are inexpensive and long lasting. They can even survive in ponds covered with ice, until they have sufficient supply of oxygen. Many types of goldfishes are available in the market. Because of selective breeding, different types of goldfishes are available which differ in color, shape, eye and fin configuration. Some of these fishes cannot survive in the wild and must be kept only in the aquarium. This is because of their attractive colors. Thanks to mixed breeding, the body of some fishes have been modified which is an obstruction in natural breeding. Such kinds of fishes are hand bred, but this procedure is very risky and has to be executed very carefully.
Goldfishes can be kept in aquarium with cold water. According to the popular perception, goldfishes should have to be kept in goldfish bowl. But what people do not realize is that the decreased water surface area provides lesser oxygen to the fishes, which can result in difficulty in respiration. The fishes also die very quickly because of ammonia or nitrite poisoning. Hence, goldfish bowls have been banned in many countries. Also goldfishes that are kept in bowls have a shorter lifespan. One medium sized goldfish need minimum of ten gallons of water. Goldfishes intoxicate the water very quickly with their feces and the chemicals released from their gills. The water should be cleaned regularly otherwise the fishes can die in a short period. The water surface area should be considered when introducing new fishes to the aquarium, because more the water surface area, more the diffused oxygen. The water can also be aerated with the help of filter or water pump. Goldfishes cannot survive sudden water temperature shifts. This usually happens in winters, when the heating is turned on.
The goldfishes shouldn’t be touched because it would result in slimy coating on its body coming out, which exposes the skin to bacterial infection. This is very dangerous to the health of the fish. Goldfishes, when kept in dark will loose their color. This is because they have pigments in the cells, similar to the pigments in human, which causes it to become tan. Therefore, lights should be installed in closed rooms. A full hood can be used to provide adequate light. But if the aquarium has water less than thirty gallons, then the room lights will do the job. Also the aquarium can be placed in natural light, if it is available.
Goldfishes are opportunistic feeders, that is, they will eat whenever food is provided to them. The more the food given to them, the more the waste created. They should be given food only twice a day and the quantity must be only that much which it can finish in couple of minutes. The food should have high carbohydrate and low protein, as the fish will be unable to digest proteins well because of the lack of stomach. Other than the commercial food flakes and pellets, they can also be given bloodworms and green leafy vegetables. If the fishes are overfed, it could lead to the bursting of their intestines.
The goldfish can grow up to twenty-three inches and can weigh up to ten pounds. There are known to live for twenty years, but in captivity they live for eight years. Goldfishes although are good in aquariums, they can also be kept in ponds. The depth of the water should be more than thirty inches, so that the water doesn’t freeze in winter. Plants should also be added to the pond as they will filter the water and even increase the oxygen amount in the water. Along with that, filters should also be used to the clean the pond water. Ponds are a good place to breed goldfishes. Water surface should be one square foot for each inch of fish’s length.
The goldfishes kept in the aquarium and as well as in the ponds should not be mixed with tropical fishes or any other kind of fish. Since most of the goldfishes are hybrid variety, they are more prone to attacks. Some fishes not only attack the goldfishes, but also suck on their wounds.
