One of the most popular fish for aquarium tanks and outdoor ponds is goldfish; available in a wide variety of breeds, this member of the carp family was first domesticated in China more than a thousand years ago. Various, less colorful breeds of carp had been raised in China for centuries earlier, and, during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), a natural genetic mutation produced a gold color -- actually, a yellowish orange -- rather than the normal silver coloration. Since that time, goldfish have been bred for bright colors as well as variations in size, body shape, and fin configuration.

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The range of goldfish available today for aquarium tanks is almost overwhelming; do some research to find out which fish are more appealing to you. Some varieties are relatively hardy and can live in the wild; others are purely domesticated and can survive only in aquarium tanks. Goldfish are not large; as of 2008, the largest identified specimen in the world, in the Netherlands, was measured at 19 inches in length. Two years later, a 16-inch goldfish weighing 5 pounds was found in a pond in England; it was thought to have been abandoned after outgrowing its tank.

Goldfish live in fresh water and can be kept in relatively small aquarium tanks; for most common varieties, figure on 20 gallons of water for each fish. Some fancy varieties, which are smaller, require only 10 gallons of water per fish. Water surface area is also significant, because oxygen diffuses and dissolves into the water via surface area; figure on about 1 square foot of surface area per fish. If you aerate your water via a water pump, filter, or fountain, then you can safely reduce the surface area.

Goldfish produce large amounts of waste, both through their gills and through their feces; these waste products release harmful chemicals into the tank water, and chemicals can build up quickly. It’s important to have an adequate filtration system; most goldfish enthusiasts recommend employing both mechanical and biological filtration systems. Mechanical filtration removes debris from your tank; this kind of filtration is effectively provided by a power filter or canister filter, which hangs on the back of your tank. These powerful filters are efficient at moving water through the filtration media and preventing solid detritus from settling on the bottom of your tank.

Biological filtration, on the other hand, encourages the growth of beneficial bacterial colonies in your tank, which convert pollutants to harmless nitrates. The primary pollutant that must be treated is ammonia, which discharges from fish respiration and waste. An overabundance of ammonia will naturally encourage the proliferation of good bacteria, which converts the ammonia to nitrites through an oxidation process. These nitrites, though not as harmful as ammonia, are still deadly to fish; as nitrite levels rise, another variety of good bacteria begins to proliferate that converts the nitrites to harmless nitrates. A biological filter will provide a firm medium for good bacterial colonies to develop, and there are various methods for helping your goldfish flourish through the initial stages, as ammonia and then nitrite levels spike while the bacterial colonies are still growing.

Your tank’s water temperature should be kept at a constant as well. The ideal temperature for goldfish is between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit; you may need a heater to maintain constant temperature. Especially in smaller aquariums, water temperature fluctuations can occur rapidly; temperatures under 50 degrees Fahrenheit, as well as extremely high temperatures, can be deadly to your fish, especially fancy varieties.

Goldfish in the wild live off a diet of insects, crustaceans, and various plant matter. In an aquarium environment, goldfish will continue to eat, even if they are full; overfeeding can be fatal, so care must be taken to feed only the proper amounts of food. Goldfish food can be purchased from your local fish dealer; these prepared foods contain all the nutrients your fish require, and come in flake form (which floats on the surface of the water) and pellets (some of which sink). Serving your fish floating pellets or flakes may make it easier for you to determine how much your fish are consuming, since they will continue to float on the water’s surface until eaten. Some goldfish owners supplement these prepared foods with shelled peas (remove the outer skins), green leafy vegetables, and brine shrimp. However, to ensure that your fish get their daily requirements, the main course should always be the prepared food. It has also been suggested that several small meals each day (four feedings) are better than a single large feeding.

Goldfish are compatible with some other species of fish and can be kept in a community tank; just remember that goldfish require a relatively large volume of water, so make sure your tank is big enough to accommodate the goldfish plus any other species you wish to introduce. Hillstream loaches are algae eaters that can coexist with goldfish but need to be fed separately; you should get into the habit of feeding the two species at opposite ends of the tank. Weather loaches are slender, fast fish that sometimes grow to 6 inches in length; corys are a miniature breed of catfish, seldom growing to more than 3 inches in length. Both of these varieties tend to stay near the bottom of your tank and need sinking food, so you can easily feed them separately from your goldfish.

If you keep your goldfish in an outdoor pond, they are compatible with koi; in fact, koi and goldfish are commonly mixed in outdoor environments.

Goldfish typically live to ten years and more; well cared-for goldfish can break the quarter-century mark, and occasionally can live to the age of forty. The oldest goldfish in the world is reported to have died at the age of forty-five in Devon, England, in 2005, but, given that goldfish have been raised domestically for centuries around the world, it’s impossible to say for sure to what age the oldest goldfish lived. In any event, with proper care, your goldfish will give you years of pleasure.