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Setting Up Your Goldfish Aquarium |
There is no more popular image of the goldfish than in a typical goldfish bowl. However, there is no more harmful place for a goldfish than this very inhumane contraption. While goldfish are extremely easy to care for, one of the things that must be guaranteed them is well-aerated water. The goldfish bowl prevents this.
The typical goldfish bowl is wide in the middle and narrow up top. What you need is an aquarium or container that gives you maximum after surface-to-air ratios. The more water surface exposed to air, the more oxygen and gas will exchange, resulting in enough air for your goldfish to breathe comfortably.
For anyone who has had a goldfish in a goldfish bowl, the one thing you will remember is the goldfish near the surface of the water, breathing rather heavily. This is because the goldfish was actually suffocating. The oxygen in the water had been quickly used up, leaving the fish no choice but to hang near the surface and gulp for air. This is not good for your fish. A muddy puddle in a deep pothole would probably be better.
Fish Tanks
Most tanks today are made of glass and sealed with a silicone rubber cement that is both extremely strong and water-resistant. Never accept a tank that has any scratches on the glass or any spots that are not caulked with the silicone rubber cement. These tanks will have a tendency to either leak or burst.
The first thing you need to remember when placing your tank on a surface is that it will be filled with water—and water is heavy! Water weighs approximately 8 pounds per gallon. A 10-gallon tank weighs approximately 80 pounds and a 20-gallon tank would be approximately 160 pounds. It is important that you use the strongest piece of furniture possible, or buy one of the specially constructed aquarium stands available at your local pet or department store.
The typical goldfish bowl is wide in the middle and narrow up top. What you need is an aquarium or container that gives you maximum after surface-to-air ratios. The more water surface exposed to air, the more oxygen and gas will exchange, resulting in enough air for your goldfish to breathe comfortably.
For anyone who has had a goldfish in a goldfish bowl, the one thing you will remember is the goldfish near the surface of the water, breathing rather heavily. This is because the goldfish was actually suffocating. The oxygen in the water had been quickly used up, leaving the fish no choice but to hang near the surface and gulp for air. This is not good for your fish. A muddy puddle in a deep pothole would probably be better.
Fish Tanks
Most tanks today are made of glass and sealed with a silicone rubber cement that is both extremely strong and water-resistant. Never accept a tank that has any scratches on the glass or any spots that are not caulked with the silicone rubber cement. These tanks will have a tendency to either leak or burst.
The first thing you need to remember when placing your tank on a surface is that it will be filled with water—and water is heavy! Water weighs approximately 8 pounds per gallon. A 10-gallon tank weighs approximately 80 pounds and a 20-gallon tank would be approximately 160 pounds. It is important that you use the strongest piece of furniture possible, or buy one of the specially constructed aquarium stands available at your local pet or department store.
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