The RSPCA has very poor info in general when it comes to keeping fish, sometimes they do state info which is correct (more than often such correct info is just common sense though), but more than often they seem to have no idea about what they are talking about and end up giving appalling/wrong or very vague advice- for example the RSPCA SA advises keeping goldfish in plastic containers (WFT?!) during the winter, and mentions nothing about minimum tank sizes for keeping goldfish in or cycling tanks etc;
http
/www.rspcasa.asn.au/page?pg=407
It also mentions other poor info, like "If goldfish are housed in rectangular aquariums that are properly made and maintained, they can live for many years"- which essentially quite wrong, it doesn't matter what shape aquarium you keep them in, if it isn't big enough the fish will die before their time.
Another RSPCA site on goldfish care;
http/www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Satellite?...;pg=FishPetCare
a "Goldfish can live for up to 25 years"- not true, they can live for a lot more than 25years depending on the variety of goldfish, in the guiness book of records there was a common goldfish which lived to 47 years old, almost twice the maximum 25year life expectancy the rspca site gives.
b. The article often mentions fish gasping at the surface and that if they are doing this it is most likely oxygen starvation- this is actually rarely the case, more than often such symptoms are caused by poor water quality conditions or gill flukes infesting the fishes gills etc.
c. "The bottom of the aquarium should be covered with clean gravel"- maintaining clean substrate is obviously good advice, however, gravel is not actually the most ideal substrate for goldfish as it is one of the most difficult substrates to keep clean in goldfish tanks and goldfish have been known to accidently swallow the stuff and choke on it- very fine small rounded gravel, or even better, sand is much better.
d. "If fish are suitable to be kept outdoors, they need a large pond with some overhanging plants or trees to provide shade"- this is actually not good advice at all. Tree roots can often puncture the lining of ponds (depending on the variety of tree), and all the leaves many tree's and plants regularly shed will end up in the pond, rotting at the bottom and causing water quality problems.
The best form of shade and cover in ponds is often the pond plants themselves, like water lillies.
e. "A variety of water plants in the pond or aquarium to provide oxygen"- pond plants in aquariums will be eaten and uprooted by most varieties of goldfish, while it is also a common misunderstanding the ponds will oxygenate the pond/aquarium- many plants produce oxygen only during the day, and take it out at night. The best way to oxygenate a pond or aquarium is to simply get a strong filter to provide water movement and oxygen etc.
Anyway, there's so much more i can disagree with their advice on keeping goldfish and other fish in general, but you get the point. The only good thing the RSPCA seems to do when it comes to fish is trying to ban goldfish at fairs. However, its ironic that because of their often poor/vague/completely incorrect advice that the RSPCA gives out itself it is probably responsable for the deaths of thousands of fish because people read their fishkeeping articles and follow their (often) poor advice.
