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Fish as pets can be great but there are some simple habits you really need to get into.
Cleaning does NOT mean pull everything out of the tank, clean it all and put it back. If you do your fish will more than likely die.
Cleaning is cleaning the filter, water change (10-20%), wiping the glass down, removing dead leaves, snails and fish - but not all at once.
Depending on the size of the tank and the size of the fish water changes should be done regularly, also depending on your filter system. Cleaning of gravel (via gravel syphon) should be done every second time you clean your tank, on the other weeks the 10-20% water change should be done.
Goldfish don't like a super clean tank, well they do but as they produce a lot of waste cleaning it to well can upset the bacteria levels to where they will stress out your fish, so in case of goldfish less amounts is more.
Filters can save a lot of work, invest in a good filter system and clean the filters regularly. A good filter system doesn't mean top of the range as your usually just paying for a name.
My 2ft bare bottom tanks only have two large sponge filters in them, while my 3ft tanks have external canister filters. My hospital/quarantine tank has a HOB (hang over the back) filter.
While live plants can aid in the supply of C02 fish love to eat plants, especially goldfish who will pull them out of the gravel and eat them. Suitable plants for goldfish is java fern as they don't like the taste of it.
Plants need light, without light they wont grow and will rot in the tank. Sunlight is not enough. Fish also need dark, so ideally you should have a light on a timer giving them at least 8-12 hours of light a day.
If you get algae, light can be the cause, either to much or to little light.
Depending on the type of fish you keep, flakes are probably what you'd be feeding your fish. Flakes are good but a change of diet or some additional types can also be a bonus, things like pellets, boiled pea inners (no shell and cut in tiny bits), micro worms, blood worms.
Water tests, things like PH, KH, GH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate etc should be tested, especially for a new tank. If you are unsure take a small sample of tap water to your local pet shop and get them to test it for you. They might charge you a dollar or two but the finding can be the difference between long living heathy fish and your new fish floating the next day.
Usually if fish have a problem it is water related, a decent 20-50% water change over a week or so can usually fix most things but once a fish is stressed, the chances of it surviving are less if the water conditions are bad.
Don't over feed fish. Fish will always appear hungry but it's only because they don't know when they've had enough and would just keep eating until they died or leave the food if they don't pass it fast enough causing it to rot in the tank. So feed them once or twice a day with only as much as they can eat in 5 minutes. Baby fish (fry) need more food. A hungry fish is a happy fish, even skipping a days feeding a week can be good for them, don't worry fish can go a week or more without food.
Fish are fun but do require a lot of maintenance, pond fish are the easiest to keep but you don't get to see them any time of the day.
