Goldfish are a temperate breed that can be found in cool streams, lakes, and ponds throughout Asia and part of Eastern Europe. However, ones you will buy for your tank have been bred in captivity. Once you’ve decided that Goldfish is right one for you – you will need to find right kind of goldfish. Take your time and find out more, rather than just rush out and buy first goldfish you find in first pet store you come by. Decide on how many you want to buy. If you really want just a single Goldfish, please do a re-think on issue because it can get lonely and boring for a lone ranger in a tank! Once you’ve though it out, here are some of things you must keep in mind:

• Choose right pet shop. Ask people you know who are committed fish keepers for reputed goldfish dealers. These are people who care and would have professional knowledge of breeding and nurturing goldfish. See if they give a proper fish guarantee. When you enter shop, look around at all tanks. Make sure that tanks are not overcrowded with fish. See if all kinds of fish are thrown together in one tank or care is taken to separate various species. Look out for dead floating fish. The dead fish could have spread an infection to other fish.

• Question Goldfish Dealer. If dealer claims that goldfish are imported, then find out which country they are from and when they arrived. Ask him or her is correct quarantine procedures have been adopted before putting up goldfish for sale. If they were bred, find out when they were bred and how fish have been kept till now as in what kind of medications if any has been used and for how long. Find out if dealer has used salt in water.

How can you tell whether your Goldfish is male or female? You might want to know because you want to breed them, or give them right name before Jack turns out to be mother Goldfish! Here are some clues that might help you sort out Goldfish boys from Goldfish girls:

* The female Goldfish are slightly bigger than males and look even heavier in abdomen when they are full of eggs.

* Male Goldfish develop white spots on their gills and pectoral called “breeding tubercles” during spawning time.

* Males have midline ridges on their undersides beginning from back of their pelvic fins and ending at their vent opening. This feature can be absent or smaller in females.

* Males have firm abdomen while in females; area between pelvic fins and anal fins is more pliable.