GOLDFISH: THEIR CARE IN SMALL AQUARIA AND PONDS ^ 



By E. C. Feaenow 

 Superintendent of Fish Distribution, V. S. Bureau of Fisheries 



CONTENTS 



Page 



Introduction 445 



Suitable form of aquarium 446 



Suitable aquarial plants 446 



Balanced aquarium 447 



Liglit 449 



Water 449 



Temperature 449 



Prevention of acid condition 450 



Food 450 



Page 



Diseases and their treatment 451 



Strong salt solution 452 



Dilute salt solution 45.'> 



Ichthyophthirius 453 



How to distinguish sex 454 



Rearing young goldfish 454 



Aquarium cement 456 



Ponds 45(5 



Conclusion 457 



Bibliography 458 



INTRODUCTION 



The goldfish is a member of the carp family, and ■while its brilliant 

 colors have become fairly well established through selective breed- 

 ing the scale varieties, which include the common goldfish (Caras- 

 sius auratus), assume the colors of the carp at first and change, when 

 they are from 3 to 6 months old, to gold, white, or black. Through 

 selective breeding in China, Korea, and Japan, numerous fancy 

 breeds of goldfish have been produced and are now on the market. 



Although the Bureau of Fisheries neither propagates nor dis- 

 tributes ornamental fish, the need of a publication for use in answer- 

 ing the numerous inquiries concerning the care of goldfish has been 

 apparent for some time. It is the aim of this article to set forth 

 briefly such practical advice as appears necessary for the amateur 

 aquarist. 



Since the bureau is concerned in the propagation of the food and 

 game fishes only, it has no literature on the methods of goldfish 

 breeding, but excellent advice on this subject may be obtained by con- 

 sulting the current publications on goldfish. Neither does the bureau 

 serve as a medium for advertising goldfish or aquarium accessories- 

 Publications devoted to aquarium fishes and related subjects con- 

 tain advertisements of dealers in goldfish, aquatic plants, and, in 

 fact, everything that is needed by the aquarist. 



In the preparation of this publication the following authorities 

 have been freely consulted : Wolf, Mulertt, Innes, Mellen. and 

 Aquatic Life. (See bibliography.) 



' Appendix VII to the Report of the U. S. Commissioner of Fisheries for 1924. P.. F. 

 Doc. 980. This paper is a revision and enlargement of B. F. Doc. 035, " Goldfish : Their 

 care in small aquaria." 



40114°— 25 



445 



