School Fish Farm Trip

Today we went to the Fish Farm (again) - its a school trip, SGD 16.00 paid in advance for each student. At first, Mom was wondering why it would cost that much to just a fish farm. But now (just only), she realised it is because of the 2 fishes - gifted (so-called) by the fish farm. Obviously, these fishes had been paid for -- haa, SGD 16.00, nah but probably a little lesser after deducting the transport costs. So, we were all given a brand new fish tank with 2 goldfish.

Mom scratched her head as she sees them. Honestly, she has no experience in looking after an aquarium. So she spent some time on the net, to research on Care for Goldfish and sorts... Anyway, here are the findings;

• Buy a big enough goldfish aquarium: The classic round goldfish bowl with the narrow opening at the top is actually one of the poorest choices for keeping fish alive and healthy, according to many experts...
  

• Buy a water filter with an air pump: Goldfish need highly oxygenated air because unlike betta fish, they can't breathe air from the surface of the water.

• Do a "fishless cycle" before adding fish: As described here, a fishless cycle that includes setting up the tank, introducing ammonia and encouraging the growth of friendly bacteria is a kind way to prepare the goldfish's new home before they ever leave the pet store.

• Feed goldfish the right food; Goldfish flakes that are formulated for their dietary needs are a great choice for their regular feedings

• Don't overfeed the goldfish: It's fun to watch goldfish darting around after their flakes, but they should not be fed any more than they can eat in about 3 minutes. Goldfish love to eat and will overstuff themselves, which is not healthy and any leftover food can rot and lead to toxic chemicals in the water.

• Change the water regularly; Run the replacement water into a clean container, add water conditioner (which removes chemicals like chlorine from tap water) and let it sit overnight. Try not to remove the fish during the water change if possible. Also, 100% water changes are not recommended because they remove the healthy bacteria that help keep harmful chemicals in check

So at the end of the day, she went to buy some products for a trial instead... Chlorine Remover, Salt and Oxygen Balls (a substitute for a pump). She had spotted one small aquarium tank that costs SGD 50.00 that comes with a filter system and pump. Well, it looks not bad and she is considering that..

But again, placing a fish tank within a home needs some knowledge. Some results gained from doing some google search - The best directions to position a Water Feature are North, East, and Southeast.. extract from some Fengshui Webbie

Anyway, still needs further discussion with Daddy again as far as keeping an aquarium is concerned.