Pleasing 4 Pets

One of the easiest and most popular pets for children to look after has to be the common Goldfish.

In comparison to other species of fish that have been reared in captivity the Goldfish boasts an interesting and extended history. Today’s’ Goldfish are available in a range of varieties, but where exactly did Goldfish come from?

They are believed to originate from a variety of wild carp, know as the Crucian Carp. This is a relatively small carp which is a native of East Asia and its late descendant the Goldfish was one of the initial species of fish to be housed in ponds by humans.

It is not clear how or when they became domesticated but some of the earliest Chinese literature indicates that in China at least, Goldfish were kept as domestic pets as early as 800AD.

Later during the mid 17th century When Europeans began trading relationships with the Eastern world and Chinese culture had begun to farm Goldfish selectively, they were introduced to Europe and were housed outdoors in ponds. By the 19th century the common Goldfish had become firmly established as a domesticated pet and were housed indoors.

Goldfish are the most popular coldwater fish to be kept as pets in the UK and are very sociable and responsive, and where possible should be accommodated with other goldfish. The common Goldfish is toughest and most resilient of coldwater fish which obviously encourage their popularity as easy to care for pets. If your goldfish has a companion, a decent sized fishbowl or aquarium with properly filtered water, and a few underwater plants or pebbles, he will be contented and much likelier to survive for longer.

In an ideal world you should feed your fish each morning and each evening whenever possible, with special flaked fish food, or with water-fleas or bloodworms for a treat. Each goldfish requires only a few flakes sprinkled on top of the water. If your goldfish discontinue feeding after about 10 minutes, take out any uneaten food flakes very carefully with a small net. This will help to keep the tank clean and will discourage the goldfish from over-feeding.

You should also keep your tank out of direct sunlight and avoid environments with extreme temperatures. You should also clean your goldfish tank on a regular basis, ensuring that 20 to 30% of the water is replaced each time using plain tap water mixed with a little warm water to bring it up to room temperature.