Starting a fish blog

InsaneIchthyology

I've decided to start a fish blog on blogspot.com, so any feedback would be lovely!
I've only got two posts so far but I plan to do more. If you have any ideas about topics for me to write about, please let me know :)
http://insaneichthyology.blogspot.com/

thekoimaiden

It's looking pretty good, but when you post your tanks you might want to include the size of the tank, too, as well as a justification for keeping each fish there. You don't want people to see you keeping an Oscar in a small tank and think they can do it, too. What we need more of on the internet is scientific knowledge about fishkeeping. You could also look at some journal articles and relate them back to fishkeeping. If you plan to be an ichthyologist (not exactly to my taste, while I studied fisheries science and took ichthyology as a class I'd rather work in conservation), you should really look into joining the American Fisheries Society. It's a professional society for people who study fish.

ETA: Uhh. You do realize that common Goldfish need at least 50 gallons per fish, right? And that they get around a foot long? You should really get that little guy out of the bowl and into a pond pronto! The fancies also need roughly 10 gallons per fish plus an additional 10 gallons as a buffer.

InsaneIchthyology

The little guy in the bowl is actually only a Goldfish that was mixed in with some feeders, so to be honest I'm not too worried about him in the small tank. I might move him eventually, but right now he isn't getting any bigger so I'm probably gonna leave him there. The fancies I'm definitely gonna move in the future, probably in the next few weeks since I'm gonna rearrange my tanks then. Thanks for the heads up though :)

InsaneIchthyology

by the way, I'm thinking about doing an article on Goldfish and I was wondering if you could tell me a bit more since you seem pretty knowledgeable on the subject. Like, what would be a proper diet for a Goldfish? What kind of substrate/tank environment? Maybe even a bit about the history of Goldfish and where they come from (China right?)
Anything would be really helpful, and I'll be sure to credit you

thekoimaiden

I do love my goldies, so any place that spreads proper info on them is a great place in my book (unless you are beating kittens or something like that lol but not really at the ideas of kittens being beaten). Actually most of what I could tell you about Goldfish could be found in either our profile of them (click the shaded name if you haven't already figured that out) or on another reputable fishkeeping site. They are rather basic, but what makes them a harder for the beginner aquarist is the size tank and water changes they need (that's a good idea for an entry, what does and doesn't make a good beginner fish). I have to do 50% PWC weekly on my 55 gal just to keep the nitrates around 20ppm and that is just with two Goldfish. I know it is strange to say, but wikipedia actually has a great article on Goldfish including information about their domestication. The article also has a great number of sources (some of which come from peer-reviewed journals) on Goldfish. One of the only things I can tell you that you probably won't be able to find there is a good Goldfish diet. New Life Spectrum is great for both fancies and single-tails. However, like all dry food it can cause GI problems in fancies. If that is the case, gel food is best. I have a ryukin that has run into these problems so I make my own gel food using a recipe I got from some fellow Goldfish keepers.

About your little comet, the reason he isn't growing is due to poor water quality. Poor water quality is the main cause of stunting in fish. Stunting most often happens in small tanks because due to the high wasteload of Goldfish it's very hard to keep the water good. I have a friend with one comet in a 10 gal tank, and she is doing 70% daily PWC to keep the ammonia down. Goldfish in good water with ample swimming room grow like weeds. If your little guy is over a year old he should already be pushing 10 inches. In that bowl, you would need to do 100% daily water changes. Also have you ever thought about a pond? Because common Goldfish do better in ponds than tanks also most people don't want to devote a 75+ gal tank to just Goldfish they would rather have oscars or Discus. Also ponds are heavenly.

InsaneIchthyology

Aquariums & Terrariums: Proper Goldfish Care
Last thing- does this look pretty accurate?

thekoimaiden

It's looking very good. The one thing I would change is about the partial water changes. All aquariums (with the exception of very specialized tanks) need weekly water changes for the health of the fish and plants. A typical water change is between 30% and 40% of the tank water. Goldfish just need larger changes than most (between 40% and 50%). And this is for all sized Goldfish tanks. I have a friend with a 250 gal Goldfish tank, and she takes out about 100 gallons a week. The only time a water change regime isn't need with Goldfish is with ponds. I can explain if you'd like.

I know most people don't think about Goldfish and heaters, but they are actually recommended with fancies unless the room temp keeps the water between 72F and 78F. Mine doesn't, so I need a heater in the winter. Fancies are much less hardy than the single-tails which can live at temps from close to freezing to around 85F. It's not something most people think about, so it might be neat to add in.

Oh! And another Goldfish fun fact is the Guinness Book of World Records has the largest Goldfish at 14 inches long. It's an oranda. You should be able to find a video of it on Youtube. That thing is huge!