Caring for Festival Goldfish — Tips for Healthy Keeping

Many people who bring home goldfish from summer festival scooping games want to raise them for years. However, festival goldfish have been through harsh conditions, and the care they receive in the first few days greatly determines their survival rate.

What You Should Know First

Festival goldfish are typically "koaka" (small wakin goldfish fry) or telescope-eye goldfish. These are inherently hardy breeds, but they have endured overcrowding in small containers, prolonged transport, poor water quality, and the stress of being chased during the scooping game.

Initial Care After Bringing Them Home

Immediately upon arrival: Float the bag in your prepared container (bucket or plastic case) for 30 minutes to equalize temperature. The container should hold dechlorinated tap water. After temperature matching, gradually mix container water into the bag over 30 minutes. Transfer only the goldfish by net, discarding the dirty bag water.

No feeding for the first 3 days: Feeding exhausted goldfish causes digestive problems and further depletes their energy.

0.5% salt bath: Dissolve 5g of salt per liter of water for 3-5 days. This reduces osmotic stress and helps the goldfish recover. Use additive-free table salt, starting with a lower concentration and gradually increasing.

Setting Up a Proper Tank

Tank size: Koaka grow to 15-20 cm, so provide at least a 45 cm tank (approximately 35 liters). A 60 cm tank is ideal for 2-3 fish. Goldfish bowls are unsuitable for long-term keeping due to unstable water quality.

Filtration: A submersible box filter is convenient and easy to maintain. A hang-on-back or canister filter offers higher filtration capacity.

Aeration: Goldfish consume a lot of oxygen, so an air pump is essential.

Common Diseases and Treatment

White spot disease (ich): The most common disease, showing white granular spots. Gradually raise temperature to 28-30 degrees Celsius and treat with 0.5% salt bath plus methylene blue medication.

Fin rot: A bacterial infection where fin edges turn white and dissolve. Treat with antibacterial medication.

Swim bladder disorder: The fish floats upside down. If caused by digestive issues, fast for 2-3 days then feed easily digestible food (shelled green peas).

If you discover a love for goldfish through festival scooping, consider adopting premium varieties on BriChoku, where breeders raise beautiful goldfish including ryukin, azuma-nishiki, and ranchu.