Goldfish were first bred by the Chinese over 4500 years ago and introduced into Britain in the early 18th century.

Goldfish have an average life span of between 5-10 years. The oldest known goldfish lived to 41 years of age. The average goldfish is fairly small but they can grow up to a foot in length.

Overfeeding is one of the most common and harmful errors in caring for fish. The food that is not eaten turns into toxins in the tank. Fish should be fed small amounts once or twice a day, if they eat the food in 2-3 minutes and are looking for more, add another small pinch.

Fish are dependent on dissolved oxygen for their breathing, so it is vital that steps are taken to ensure that oxygen replenishment of the water is both plentiful and continuous. Goldfish bowls are too limited in size to be satisfactory, so a rectangular aquarium with a fairly large surface area is recommended.

It is important to carry out regular partial water changes, this keeps the level of dissolved wastes down to a minimum. Remove 10-20 percent every two to three weeks and replace with fresh water. Remove dead leaves from plants and remove algae from the front glass panel with a scraper.

Until they measure 12cm the common goldfish are suitable for keeping in an aquarium, over this size they need the freedom of a pond. Within five years, the goldfish may have reached a length of 20cm some eventually attain 40cm in length and can live up to 25 years.

If the fish are kept in a pond apart from removing fallen leaves and thinning out water plants, ponds need cleaning out periodically. Remove most of the water first to make catching the fish easier and keep them in a larger container of pond water whilst the pond is being cleaned.

Proprietary brands of dried, flaked foods are nutritious and formulated with the goldfish's dietary needs in mind. They require two to three meals a day, each meal should be eaten within ten minutes and the amount adjusted accordingly, overfeeding leads to water pollution.

Healthy, well fed fish can last two to three weeks without food, at holiday times ensure that the fish are left in clean water with a good supply of water plants.