The Goldfish
This is the goldfish tank. It is a 10 gallon tank with 5 goldfish. Yes, each fish has a name, as any pet should :)
Now, most people think taking care of a goldfish is one of the easiest tasks as far as having pets. Just put them in a bowl, feed them every day, and clean it once in a while. Well, this is not at all true. As you may have noticed doing it this way, goldfish don't live long. On the contrary, goldfish live VERY long, just not in a bowl. Goldfish need air, even more than some other fish. The surface area of the water in the tank provides them with this. In a bowl, especially the ones that get smaller at the top, there is hardly any surface area for the fish to get air. They usually end up at the top all the time sucking air because they are suffocating. They also need much more room because goldfish grow to be very big! One single goldfish can become too big for a 10 gallon tank if it survives that long. So putting them in a bowl is the worst thing for them. Goldfish also like to eat veggies and meat in addition or in replacement of their fish food. Our fish, when we move out and get out own place, will have a much larger tank to grow in, and the guppies will get the 10 gallon :)
We have also learned (the hard way) that sinking food is better than floating. Goldfish are susceptible to getting too much air in their swim bladder. This causes them to float upside-down, unable to swim normally. This takes a long time to go away, and if it is too serious, it never goes away. We had to put two of our fish out of their misery because of this :( Since then they only eat sinking food, and we added an extra air stone for air and live plants for more air in the water. This way they don't go to the top for air or food and they don't suck too much in.
This is Baby Blue, a Bluescale Oranda. Baby Blue is rather energetic compared to the others.
This is Blinkin. He is a Black Moor.
Bubba, a Calico Ryukin. Bubba likes to swim with his nose to the ground.
George is a Ryukin also. As he grows bigger he is getting a very long fanned tail.
Henry is the biggest, the fattest, and the hungriest. He is a Pearlscale goldfish.
And this is Norma Jean, a red and white Ryukin.