The feeding line your goldfish sitter needs most
One small pinch of your goldfish's usual food, once a day, is the feeding instruction to write in bold. Goldfish beg convincingly at the glass, and a kind sitter who feeds at every visit will cloud the water and strain the filter within days. State plainly that uneaten food is the biggest holiday risk, that a missed day does a healthy goldfish no harm, and that no substitute foods, bread, or treats from the kitchen should go in. If you use more than one food, label each container with its day so the sitter never has to guess which tub is which.
Equipment checks to spell out on the sheet
Your goldfish's filter, air pump, and light timer each get one line a non-fishkeeper can follow. Write that the filter should hum and ripple the surface, that bubbles should rise steadily from the air stone, and that the sitter should phone you rather than unplug or open anything if either stops. Note that the light runs on its timer and needs no switching. Add where the spare plug fuse and a jug for top-ups live, and remind the sitter to wash hands free of soap and lotion before touching anything near the water. Mention, too, that the tank lid stays on and any window near the tank stays shut on sunny afternoons, since direct sun can warm even a large goldfish tank faster than a sitter would ever expect.
Water instructions a beginner cannot misread
A goldfish sitter should not be asked to improvise a water change, so write the exact version you trust. Say how much water to remove with the siphon if the trip runs long, how the replacement water must be treated with conditioner and matched roughly to tank temperature before it goes in, and that tap water never goes straight in untreated. If your trip is short, write that leaving the water alone is the right call. Include one sentence on what cloudy or smelly water means: stop feeding, phone you, and do not drain the tank in a panic.
What normal looks like, and when to call you
Describe your goldfish on an ordinary day so the sitter can spot a real change. Mention where the fish rests, how actively it scavenges the gravel, and how fast it rises for food. Then list the call-you signs in plain words: lying on the bottom for hours, gasping at the surface, white spots or torn fins appearing, or a filter silent on arrival. Give your mobile number, the dates you are unreachable, and the name of a local aquatic shop that can advise if you cannot be reached and equipment has failed.
Leaving the sheet where it will actually be used
Tape a copy beside the goldfish tank and send the same sheet to the sitter before you travel, not on the doorstep as you leave. Walk through the pinch size with your own fingers once, because written amounts are easy to misjudge. KinsLe Care Pass lets you pass that exact goldfish sheet to your chosen sitter for the trip, so the feeding warning, the equipment checks, and your call-you list travel together instead of scattering across texts.