19 tips on keeping your gold fish alive

As I peer over at our noisy gold fish, I think how lucky we are to have gold fish as pets.

I promptly take a photo of them happily swimming around, which is weird because they haven’t really changed for the last 9 years. They don’t look older, they don’t look any different at all, and yet  it’s good to have photos of them like the dog and the children.

Yes decisively these fish are pets.

So with that insight I thought I would share what I think have been instrumental in keeping our dear piscis alive and happy for 9 years.

(BTW some of these sound a little crazy but I actually think it works. I mean check out our gorgeous gold fish).

19 Tips to keeping your gold fish alive

1. Show them affection ( I often put my fingers in the water and give them a gentle stroke. They even seem to swing over for a rub!

2. Talk to them through the glass. Don’t go over board or you might get locked up, but generally acknowledge them when you come home

3. Along a similar line, say good morning to them when you wake up. No one/thing likes being ignored.

4. Gently tap the outside glass and show them you are interested in them

5. Feed them

6. Feed them when they ask. Sometimes they have days when they appear ravenous. So I feed them extra

7. Have a filter

8. Change the filter wool regularly

9. Keep the water a big warmer than cold and cooler than tepid. Just right

10. No need for heaps of chemicals – let them be

11. Top up with filtered , silver rock socked water (you know filtered water)

12. Give them Christmas Cards

13. Give them Easter Cards

14. Try not to cut-up or prepare other fish species infront of them for dinner. Well actually we do, but some how it never feels right

15. Put them in an area that gets lots of day light but not direct sun light

16. Put them some where that gets lots of people traffic. They like being a part of the family

17. Say good night to them so they know it’s time to sleep. They seriously sleep.

18. Keep a lid over the top of the tank but allow air to easily circulate. (This was learned the hard way when Sponge Bob jumped out one day and Honey saved his life by barking and bringing it to my attention). Suicide attempt who knows? Or maybe they just don’t see the glass ceiling.

19. Give them fresh weed – it’s like their little treat and keeps them healthy

Yes, as weird as it sounds, I really like Sponge Bob and Square Paints as pets. They are cool, steady and interesting. Do we love them, I would say everyone in the family does.

My son always points out he is the youngest behind the gold fish.