This is because your fish is not getting enough roughage in its diet. Goldfish and all herbivorous fish and animals need a lot of roughage in their food to ensure their digestive system works properly. Feed a good quality food such as FishScience Goldfish Flakes which contain optimal levels of roughage. Feeding Daphnia is also […]
Author: adam
Why is my Oranda swimming on its side?
Fancy goldfish such as Orandas, Ryukin, pearl scale etc are prone to losing their balance. This often happens shortly after feeding and has always been blamed on them taking in air when they feed at the water surface. Whilst this may contribute to the problem in a few cases, I believe the main problem is […]
How can I tell the age of my goldfish?
Goldfish can live for over 40 years, with the oldest recorded in the Guinness Book of Records being an amazing 43 years old. Determining how old they are is very difficult, particularly with goldfish that are kept in an indoor aquarium. Size is no real guide as this is impacted by the genetics of the […]
Why does my Plecosomus have trailing faeces?
Plecs and all other plant eating fish need a lot of roughage in their diet to ensure that their digestive system is able to function effectively. This is no different to other herbivores such as rabbits, horses or even elephants. Without this roughage their intestines don’t function effectively. The trailing faeces that is often seen […]
What is wrong with my water?
The importance of good water quality in an aquarium cannot be stressed too greatly. Fish and plants are completely surrounded by the water, therefore any harmful compounds or sudden changes in the water quality will have an immediate and often drastic effect. Poor or incorrect water conditions are responsible for considerably more of the problems […]
What is wrong with my fish?
The majority of fish keepers will experience problems with unhealthy fish at some stage. Sometimes the cause of the poor health is obvious and it is relatively easy to treat the fish. However it can also be more difficult to get a good diagnosis despite looking at books, magazines and relevant web sites. However there […]
How can I get rid of snails from my aquarium?
Snails usually arrive in your aquarium on plants or other décor. When present in small numbers they pose no problems, but once they start to breed and increase in numbers they can be unsightly, damage plants and block aquarium filters. Controlling snails can be undertaken in the following ways. Manually remove the snails. Simply disposing […]
Fish Colouration
The colouration and patterns of the fish that we keep in our aquaria are in many cases, the things that attract people into the hobby of fishkeeping. For enthusiasts who show fish, these two factors are also very important in determining the quality and therefore the value of any particular fish. Yet our understanding of […]
When should I use Pond flake?
Pond Flakes are a great food for smaller pond fish. A good quality pond flake will have all of the nutrients that these smaller fish require to thrive and grow, but in a size that they can easily consume. Finely crumbled pond flakes are a perfect diet for fry, though you may need to feed […]
Vegetable gardening and algae control
Growing watercress in your pond can provide a great source of this popular food throughout the summer as well as helping to control unsightly algae. Watercress grows quickly and, in doing so, uses lots of nutrients. The more you harvest it for eating, the faster it grows, and the more nutrients it uses. To get […]
What causes Summer water losses?
During hot spells of weather large quantities of water can be lost from a pond due to evaporation. This can be up to 10cm per week in exceptional conditions. It is best to replace the evaporated water on a regular basis using water from a tap or other sources (rain water, well etc). In this […]
What are the common Summer pond problems?
In most cases ponds are at their best during the summer and need relatively little maintenance. Some problems can occur, with the following being the most likely: Water loss. This is usually caused by evaporation due to the warm temperature. See the question relating to Summer water losses for more details of what to do. Fish gasping. In […]
How should I store pond food?
Pond foods will have a best before date on the packaging. For FishScience food sticks this is 18 months from the date of manufacture, for the flakes it is 36 months. Once opened the foods should be kept in an airtight container away from moisture, direct sunlight and excessive heat. Moisture is the biggest problem […]
How much should I feed my fish?
This is a difficult question to give an exact answer to as the amount to feed will depend on how many fish you have, how big they are, what the water temperature is, when they were last fed etc. However the golden rule of feeding them 2–3 times a day on as much as they […]
What is the difference between stick foods and pellet foods?
Both types of foods are readily available for feeding to pond fish. The main difference is in the ingredients and the way the foods are made. Food sticks are made using a process called extrusion and use air to make them float. As a result they are lighter and generally produce less waste. Pellets use […]
Do I need to feed the fish in my heavily planted pond?
In a pond with lots of plants and very few fish you may not need to feed your fish at all. In such conditions they will get enough food from the plants and insects that are in the pond. However, even in these conditions it is a good idea to feed the fish a few […]