February 2007

GFSA Info

The January/February Goldfish Report is in preparation, with an assortment of interesting articles. For info and general updates on the Goldfish Report, take a look here for info from the editor on upcoming issues of the Goldfish Report and the publication schedule.

If you have let your membership lapse or have been thinking about joining the GFSA, now is a great time - here is a form you can print. To submit material for the Goldfish Report to our editor, please see the updated society contact info. Articles and photos in electronic form are particularly appreciated.

The current line-up of people filling the GFSA offices is on the society officers page. The GFSA Board of Directors continues 2007 with a focus on ensuring that the society is undertaking activities and providing services that our members want. Tell us if there is something you really want (even better, volunteer to help us do it).

Interested in joining the GFSA but still not sure? We have two sample Goldfish Reports available to download, to demonstrate that every issue is packed with thought provoking information and pictures available nowhere else. We are also promoting an electronic membership option that significantly lowers the cost of membership.

Lessons Learned "Quick Hits"

We are soliciting short lessons-learned from hobbyists: events that possibly left you sadder, but measurably wiser. Have a good one? Please send it to the  . Here is a brief diatribe from the Webmaster:

Controlling the current from external filters: for fancy goldfish kept in aquariums, you want plenty of good filtration for good water quality. However, the desired high filter flow (a flow of 10 time the tank volume per hour) can also leave your goldfish swimming constantly. For heavy bodied goldfish this can be stressful and for young growing fish it diverts energy that could be used for growth. So the trick is to limit the current in the tank while still maintaining a good turnover of water through the filter. The easiest way to achieve this is to use some sort of baffle or diffuser for the current coming out of the filter. A piece of open-cell filter foam is a good choice to do this, placed in the outflow path. Foam sleeves for powerheads also work well for this purpose, with a string through their center hole tied around the filter to hold them in place. One thing to keep in mind: the baffle material is now part of your filter system and will become dirty and clog up like other parts. So you have to clean and maintain it as well.