To maintain the health of a goldfish, very little care is needed; the key to its survival capacity is its adaptability to poor quality waters

The goldfish, goldfish or redfish is one of the most popular species of the aquarium hobby. It is a cyprinid fish, from the carp family. It is common to see it in glass tanks or in large ponds in the city parks where, having more space, they tend to grow a lot. A highlight is the good health of a goldfish.

This fish is one of the easiest to breed due to its ability to reproduce, its adaptability to a wide variety of climates and its resistance to different diseases. They are native to East Asia and became popular as ornamental fish centuries ago in Europe.

How is a goldfish?

The common varieties of goldfish are between 15 and 30 centimeters long and weigh about 300 grams, but in natural conditions, they can triple their size and weigh up to almost two kilograms. His body is short and oval with long fins and tail, which makes him a perfect swimmer.

These small tents are usually of different yellow and orange tones, strong and bright colors that can be indicative of the health status of a goldfish.

They are long-lived fish, and if they stay well, they can live between 5 and 10 years. There are even cases where they have overcome the decade in more natural conditions such as lakes and ponds.

The goldfish is a very resistant species

The goldfish is a kind of freshwater that is not found in seas or oceans. In the wild the goldfish prefer shallow waters of lagoons and rivers of slow current, with abundant vegetation and soft bottoms; They are usually found near the banks.

However, this species is able to survive in unfavorable conditions, such as polluted water, with low oxygen concentration and at low temperatures, conditions in which other species of fish cannot survive.

Survive a low oxygen concentration

The goldfish and other fish species can survive periods of anoxia – Shortageor lack of oxygen- for periods of hours to days. These animals have biological mechanisms to reduce their energy demand in unfavorable conditions such as lack of oxygen.

This process is known as metabolic depression and consists in greatly reducing the body’s metabolism of the fish, so it needs much less energy to stay alive. The animal presents a series of physiological changes during the metabolic depression:

• It reduces approximately three times its heat production.
• It increases glycogen stores in the liver and brain as an energy-producing molecule.
• It does not accumulate toxic metabolic waste products since in the muscles it converts lactic acid into ethanol and CO2 that can be excreted in the water by the gills.
• Anaerobic glycolysis is a metabolic pathway for energy.

And at very low temperatures

This type of carp can withstand very low temperatures, even in icy waters, thanks to a series of physiological mechanisms such as the previous ones and their behavior during the winter seasons.

When the cold increases, the goldfish can bury itself under the mud and thus survive a less active time, but with enough brain activity to remain alert in its natural environment.

Due to its particular metabolism, its great adaptation to the environment, its easy reproduction, and longevity, the goldfish has become a species that has spread throughout the world.

There are many cases of owners who ‘get tired’ of their fish and release it in parks and lakes, where they grow without any restriction of space and become the most abundant species. And, since for the health of a goldfish, water with very special characteristics is not necessary, it has become a very typical species in our environment.