Robert Crosby *This article is a revised and updated version of the original article “Steps in a Crisis”, by Matt Lyon, which originally appeared in the Nov/Dec, 2003 issue of The Goldfish Report In this article, I would like to describe some of the commonly seen problems affecting goldfish, and list the most probable causes of these … Read more
For years, I used a classic DIY brine shrimp (bbs) hatchery design that worked fairly well; the simple design employed a couple of 2L plastic soda bottles, some rigid airline tubing and a desk lamp for heat. The main problem with this rig was that the upside down bottles were top-heavy and could tip over … Read more
**There is a brief glossary of genetic terms at the end of this article. If you have ever wondered how goldfish breeders go about pairing and breeding their fish to consistently produce show quality specimens, then please read on, because this article is intended for you. I would like to explain some important concepts to … Read more
One of the first axioms of goldfish keeping is, “don’t keep everything in the same place”, by this, it is meant that if you want to avoid disaster, spread your stock out among different tanks, tubs and ponds. The first corollary to this might be “Don’t subject everything to the same treatment”. Whether you … Read more
By Rob Crosby As all hardcore goldfish enthusiasts will attest, sooner or later, you will have more fish than you can handle, and you will likely be looking for an outlet to offload some extras. Back in the day, we could always take these fish to the local fish store and trade them for store … Read more
Have you ever noticed how for some people, the aquarium hobby is as much about filtration as it is about the fish? I can remember my first aquarium- a five gallon metal framed tank with a small corner box filter. The filter media were “angel hair”, or spun glass, and charcoal. At that time, … Read more
January 12th, 2017 By Rob Crosby All experienced goldfish breeders are familiar with the challenge of keeping young fry adequately fed with live food throughout the first 6-8 weeks of life. Newly hatched brine shrimp (sometimes referred to as bbs for short), are the usual favorite amongst breeders as a first food, and an essential part … Read more
In my last post, I reviewed the reasons and general methods for culling fry, and as a follow up post, I want to raise some important considerations about fry density, and best culling practices under different circumstances. Certain, breeds or types offer the advantage of having distinctive traits that can be selected for at a very … Read more
December 16th, 2016 By Rob Crosby In this episode, I would like to discuss the reasons and early criteria for culling baby goldfish. First off, it is important to realize that the fanciest goldfish varieties are not so easy to produce in great quantities, simply because the characteristic trait combinations will only occur in a … Read more
By Rob Crosby Although I have been keeping and breeding goldfish for about 15 years now, I am always amazed that I can still learn something new just about every day. For most of that 15 years, I had a basement fishroom and several outdoor containers and ponds, however, I recently retired and relocated to … Read more
