BEHAVIOR
Behavior can vary widely both because goldfish live in a variety of environments, and because their behavior can be conditioned by their owners.
Goldfish have strong associative learning abilities, as well as social learning skills. In addition, their visual acuity allows them to distinguish between individual humans. Owners may notice that fish react favorably to them (swimming to the front of the glass, swimming rapidly around the tank, and going to the surface mouthing for food) while hiding when other people approach the tank. Over time, goldfish learn to associate their owners and other humans with food, often “begging” for food whenever their owners approach.
Responses from a blind goldfish proved that it recognized one particular family member and a friend by voice, or vibration of sound.
This behavior was remarkable because it showed that the fish recognized the vocal vibration or sound of two people specifically out of seven in the house.
Goldfish are gregarious, displaying schooling behavior, as well as displaying the same types of feeding behaviors. Goldfish may display similar behaviors when responding to their reflections in a mirror.
Very rarely does a goldfish harm another goldfish, nor do the males harm the females during breeding. The only real threat that goldfish present to each other is competing for food.
Goldfish have a memory-span of at least three months and can distinguish between different shapes, colors and sounds.By using positive reinforcement, goldfish can be trained to recognize and to react to light signals of different colors or to perform tricks.
Fish respond to certain colors most evidently in relation to feeding.
Fish learn to anticipate feedings provided they occur at around the same time everyday.
CARE
Goldfish do not like to be petted. In fact, touching a goldfish can endanger its health, because it can cause the protective slime coat to be damaged or removed, exposing the fish’s skin to infection from bacteria or water-born parasites.
However, goldfish respond to people by surfacing at feeding time, and can be trained or acclimated to taking pellets or flakes from human fingers. The reputation of goldfish dying quickly is often due to poor care.
Goldfish that have constant visual contact with humans also stop considering them to be a threat. After being kept in a tank for several weeks, sometimes months, it becomes possible to feed a goldfish by hand without it shying away.
Like most other fish, they are more comfortable and will come out more and be more active if you can provide them with 50-75% cover - this means you should make half to three fourths of your tank space hiding places. Providing sufficient cover will reduce stress and therefore improve your goldfish’s immune system, reducing chance of disease.
The lifespan of goldfish in captivity can extend beyond 10 years.
TANK
A 10 gallon fish tank is really only suitable for one goldfish.
Goldfish produce a large amount of waste both in their faeces and through their gills, releasing harmful chemicals into the water. Build-up of this waste to toxic levels can occur in a relatively short period of time, and can easily cause a goldfish’s death.
Fantails can be sensitive to prolonged exposure to low water temperatures. Keeping Fantails in an aquarium requires an ideal temperature ranging between 55 to 70°F (13 to 21°C).
DIET
Remember that your goldfish is an omnivorous (eats anything) scavenger, so provide him with a varied and high carbohydrate diet. Many goldfish foods are available on the market today, and most frozen fish foods are also appropriate, provided you do not feed meaty foods too often.
Fantail Goldfish accept most food sources and can without problem be kept on a diet of flake food and pellets as long as you make sure that the food you use contains vegetables. It is important to adjust the amount of food given to the temperature in the aquarium/pond at any given time.
Goldfish have large appetites, but they also graze for food constantly. Don’t let their ‘mock hunger’ and grousing around for food fool you into over feeding them
. Your fish should be able to consume all the food you offer within two minutes of feeding. If there is food in the aquarium after this time has elapsed, this will contribute to poor water quality and make your goldfish more susceptible to disease.
You will only need to feed your goldfish once a day. If you feed more than once a day you will increase the waste your fish is producing and will also increase the risk of over feeding, so it becomes more important that you are performing your weekly 10-15% water changes and all necessary filter maintenance. Providing a proper diet will increase your goldfish’s life expectancy and bolster their immune system.
PLANTS
Pond plants and aquatic plants found in garden centres are often better choices. There is however a number of commonly available plants that are suitable to be kept in an aquarium tank with Fantail goldfish such as Crinum, Elodea (Egeria) and Anubias species. Java moss is another suitable plant to be used that also help give fry a chance to survive in your garden pond without extra help. Fantail goldfish should never be kept alone and always in groups.
source:
wikipedia
http://www.firsttankguide.net/goldfish.php
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/goldfish/fantail.php
http://goldfishcareguide.com/2008/03/05/what-makes-the-perfect-goldfish-aquarium/
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_GHKb5tdoGQ/TcQnZo32dsI/AAAAAAAABs4/O0FDGsoe19M/s1600/Fantail-Goldfish-Pictures.jpg
http://www.aquariumfish.net/images_01/red%20_ryukin_111023a5_w0480.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_J3rBz2474Mk/SM4D1J0rPKI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/OvoV3ioqLWw/s320/lovely+goldfish.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4046/4631162365_fe3a56d5c7.jpg
http://www.petgoldfish.net/file/fantail-goldfish-1.jpg
http://www.smartgoldfishcare.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/picture-of-goldfish-in-bag.jpg
http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/content/ebiz/wilkinsonplus/invt/wc00013/wc00013_l.jpg
