How to Take Care of Your Carnival Goldfish

Co-authored by Doug Ludemann

Last Updated: September 17, 2024

Winning a goldfish at a carnival can be an exciting moment. However, caring for your new goldfish is a serious undertaking. Your goldfish will need a properly sized home, clean water, and a proper diet to help it stay healthy and live a full life. Learn more about how you can best care for your new friend.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Assembling the Aquarium

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1
Purchase the proper items to house your fish. You will need specific equipment and tank dimensions to properly house your goldfish. By providing the right environment for your goldfish, you will help your new friend to be comfortable and healthy in its new home.^{[1]
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- For the aquarium itself, you should try to find one that is around 20 gallons (76 L) in size. This may seem large for your new fish, but remember, it will grow over time, up to 12 or more inches! Fish bowls, contrary to popular belief, are absolutely lethal to goldfish and will decrease your fish's life span by multiple years.
- You will need both a water filter and an air pump. Sometimes these are combined into one device. You will also need to buy filters for the water filter itself.
- Additional items will include a stand and cover for the tank. These help keep the fish safe and secure in its new home.
- Make sure you find a compatible UV light for the tank. This is important because not all reptile UV units are safe to use near water. Some filters or covers come with a light built in. However, if your cover doesn't include a light you will need to add a separate one. Run the light for 12 hours a day.
- Inside the tank you will want to place both sand, along the bottom, and then decorations to sit on the sand. Gravel and larger rocks can be dangerous as goldfish may accidentally swallow them and possibly perish. Also, the larger gaps between pieces of gravel trap poop which is quite unsanitary for your new pet.
- Finally, you will want to purchase fish food. These are found in pet stores and usually come in the form of flakes.
2
Prepare the aquarium. Before you start assembling your aquarium, you will need to take a few steps to make sure it is a safe and healthy place for your new fish. Make sure you do the following before adding any water or your fish:
- Wash and rinse the tank, decorations, and gravel to make sure they are clean. Don't use any soap or detergents.
- Put the aquarium in a safe and stable place in your home. Once you fill the tank with water, it will be very heavy. So, make sure to select a location where you'd like to house the tank long-term. The surface you set the tank on should also be stable and strong enough to hold the tank when full of water.
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3
Add the gravel and decorations to the aquarium. After you have cleaned the tank and the items that will go into it, you can start putting them into the tank. Have fun decorating the tank and setting it up to be a great and safe place for your fish to live.
- Place the gravel first, covering the bottom of the tank.
- Add your decorations next. Have fun making the tank look interesting to you.
4
Pour in the water. After you have cleaned and arranged the tank to your liking, it's time to add the water. Pour the water in slowly to avoid disrupting your arrangement or stirring up the gravel at the bottom of the tank.^{[2]
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- The water should be room temperature, around 65° to 75°F.
- Add a dechlorinator to the water to remove harmful chlorine from the water.^{[3]
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  Doug Ludemann
  Professional Aquarist
  
  Expert Interview. 27 August 2019.}
5
Add your filter and air pumps to the tank. Once the tank is full with clean, room temperature water, you can add your filter and air pump. Some filters may also function as an air pump, in which case you will not need both.^{[4]
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- Your filter will help keep the water clean and free of waste produced by your fish.
- Air pumps, and some filters, will add oxygen to the fish's water, which it needs to breathe.
Turn on the filters, air pumps and lights to make sure everything in the tank is running properly. Leave the filters and air pumps on to prepare the water before adding your fish. Keep an eye on the temperature to make sure it remains between 65° to 75°F.
7
Introduce your fish to new water slowly. If you drop your fish into the new tank water without letting it acclimate, the fish may become shocked and die. There are differences in the quality of the water that your fish will be sensitive to. Give the fish time to acclimate properly before adding it to the tank.
- Add 2 cups of tank water to the bag that your fish is in.
- Add another 2 cups of tank water to the fish's bag every five minutes.
- Stop when you have added 8 cups of tank water to your fish's bag.
- If you want to (and can), you can use drip acclimation for about 30 minutes to an hour.
- Carefully net your fish and add it to the tank. Dumping the fish and bag water into the tank can also dump any waste the fish may have released.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Feeding and Caring For your Fish

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Provide the best food for your fish. Caring for any pet will require you to feed it a balanced and nutritious diet. By receiving such a diet, your fish will stay happy and healthy.^{[5]
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Doug Ludemann
Professional Aquarist

Expert Interview. 27 August 2019.} Try including some of the following elements in your fish's diet.
- Carbohydrates can be provided by some aquatic plants. Most sources in prepared fish food come from wheat, oats, soy beans and rice.
- Oils and fats are necessary in your fish's diet. Try to provide food with a range of 3-10% fat content, as too much fat can cause health problems.
- Protein is used to repair and maintain tissues and cells in the body but too much protein is bad as well. Most fish flake formulas include protein from other fish, shrimp, algae or soy beans.
- Your fish will also need small amounts of vitamins and minerals.
2
Properly feed your fish. Even though you may have food to feed your fish, you still need to feed it the right amounts and at the right times of day. Use the following guidelines to ensure that your fish is getting the most out of its food.
- Feed your fish twice daily, once in the morning and once in the evening.
- Feed your fish only what it can fully consume over the span of three minutes.^{[6]
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  Expert Source
  
  Doug Ludemann
  Professional Aquarist
  
  Expert Interview. 27 August 2019.}
3
Provide the best quality water for your fish. The water your fish lives in will have to be properly maintained to help keep the fish as healthy as it can be. Dirty or unhealthy water can cause your fish to become sick or even die.^{[7]
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Doug Ludemann
Professional Aquarist

Expert Interview. 27 August 2019.} Keep track of and maintain the following aspects of your fish's water.
- Keep the water oxygenated. Despite living in water, your fish still breathes oxygen.
- You will need an air pump and an air stone for your tank in order to oxygenate your water. Adding plants can help as well.
- Some water filters will have an air pump built in. If yours does, you won't need to buy a separate air pump or air stone.
- Monitor the temperature of the water. Fish are unable to control their own body temperature and rely on the temperature of the water to survive.
- Place the tank in an area that keeps the water temperature at between 65° to 75°F.
- The final level that needs to be maintained is the pH level. The pH level lets you know how acidic or basic the water is. Usually this level is the least of your worries, so check that every other parameter is acceptable first.
- Your fish will do best with a pH between 6.5 and 8.

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Question

Will goldfish eat meat?

Doug Ludemann
Professional Aquarist
Doug Ludemann is the owner and operator of Fish Geeks, LLC, an aquarium services company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Doug has worked in the aquarium and fish-care industry for over 20 years, including having worked as a professional aquarist for the Minnesota Zoo and Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. He received his Bachelor of Science in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from the University of Minnesota.

Doug Ludemann

Professional Aquarist

Expert Answer

They're omnivores, so they may snack on some meat if they can get their hands on it. I would absolutely not recommend feeding your goldfish a carnivorous diet, though. Stick with the goldfish pellets or flakes.

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Do goldfish need clean water?

Doug Ludemann
Professional Aquarist
Doug Ludemann is the owner and operator of Fish Geeks, LLC, an aquarium services company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Doug has worked in the aquarium and fish-care industry for over 20 years, including having worked as a professional aquarist for the Minnesota Zoo and Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. He received his Bachelor of Science in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from the University of Minnesota.

Doug Ludemann

Professional Aquarist

Expert Answer

Yes, you'll need to keep your goldfish's tank clean to keep it healthy. Dirty water may make your fish sick or could even kill it.

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Question

How do I know if I overfeed my goldfish?

Doug Ludemann
Professional Aquarist
Doug Ludemann is the owner and operator of Fish Geeks, LLC, an aquarium services company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Doug has worked in the aquarium and fish-care industry for over 20 years, including having worked as a professional aquarist for the Minnesota Zoo and Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. He received his Bachelor of Science in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from the University of Minnesota.

Doug Ludemann

Professional Aquarist

Expert Answer

If you're feeding your goldfish properly, it'll finish eating its food within 3 minutes. If there is food left, you're overfeeding your fish. Reduce how much food you're giving your fish until there isn't any left over after the 3 minute feeding window.

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Tips

If you plan to add it into a tank with existing residents, it's recommended to quarantine the goldfish in another tank for a few weeks. Carnival goldfish can carry diseases, and you don't want your existing fish to get sick.

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Warnings

Carnival goldfish are often cheap and may be already diseased. If it passes and you have taken good care of it, just know you did your best.

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Helpful 18 Not Helpful 1
Don't add water from the goldfish's bag into your tank. It may not be the best quality water.

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Goldfish produce a lot of waste. If you see the water is dirty all the time, it could be inadequate filtration, among other things. A double filtration system is recommended.

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Never use round “goldfish” bowls or small containers to house your goldfish.

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Although it may be too late, cycling is always recommended in a tank, especially for goldfish. Before you get any fish, make sure you set up the tank and cycle it at least a month in advance.

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Never place your fish directly in a new tank. Allow it to acclimate slowly to the new water.

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Goldfish can grow extremely large over time. Don't believe the lie that fish grow to their tank size.

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NEVER put your fish in a bowl as they are too small

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