Fancy Goldfish Care
How to care for, feed, breed, and raise fry of fancy goldfish
STATS:
Temperament: peaceful
Care Level: easy
Breeding: intermediate
Temp: 68-74
Minimum Tank Size: 29 gal
Scientific Name: carassius auratus
Goldfish Basics
Goldfish have been bred for many years. They are the descendants of carp. Today there are a large variety of color morphs available, both single and double tail varieties. Goldfish can be fun, loving pets, if kept well cared for.
The Tank
Goldfish should be kept in a tank no smaller than 29 gallons. This is because of their large size and social nature. Ideally, you should have multiple goldfish together. For the tank substrate, you can use sand, gravel, or bare bottom. With goldfish, it is best not to use dirt because they like to rummage around in the substrate searching for food. Many goldfish hobbyists prefer bare bottom tanks because they are easier to clean, but is really a matter of preference.
Decor
With fancy goldfish the decorations you choose are important. You should not use decorations that are sharp and could damage the fish, especially if you are planning on housing bubble eyes, telescopes, or any other breed with vision impairments. Silk plants are best with fancies. Plastic plants are more likely to pop a bubble on a bubble eye, or rip off a pom-pom on a pom-pom, or cause damage to telescope's eye. With fancies, many people do a minimalistic design for their goldies, meaning hardly, if any, decorations added to the tank.
Goldfish are not really suited to the planted tank, because they are notorious for digging up or eating plants. Although many do have success if the tank is very heavily planted before the goldfish are added. If you really have your heart set on goldfish and live plants together, you could use hardy, thick-leaved plants such as java fern and anubias.
Tank Mates
Since fancy goldfish are large and slow moving, and require lower temperatures than most tropical fish, there aren't many fish that can be kept with them. White cloud minnows make great tank ayes for small goldfish. Although they cannot be kept with large goldfish or they will be eaten. Zebra danios are also compatible, but they are also small, just slightly larger than white clouds. Be careful though, they can be nippy. Rosey barbs grow to six inches, which is and ideal size tank mate, but they can be very nippy unless in a large shoal. They may also outcompete the fancies for food. Many native fish are also compatible.
A fish that is readily available, cheap, and will work with large goldies, is the dojo or weather loach. There is both golden and regular color morphs. They grow to 10 inches, with every part of their body jam-packed full of personality. They are truly the ideal tank mate for fancy goldfish.
Feeding
Goldfish are not picky eaters. They will eat just about anything that falls into the tank. Goldfish, especially fancies, are prone to swim bladder disease. A way to help reduce the chance is to feed ONLY foods that sink. If you feed them floating foods, they will take in air with their food, which contributes to swim bladder. I would also recommend feeding peas at least once a week. A varied diet heavy in veggies is great for goldfish.
Breeding
Breeding goldfish is fairly easy. Make sure you have a male and female. In my experience, it is better to have more males than females. Males will develope tubercles on their face and fins. These are known as breeding stars. Fish will usually breed in the spring, when temperatures are warming up. The best way to trigger your fish to breed is to raise the temperature gradually over the period of a few weeks. You should put java moss or a spawning mop in the tank for them. The male will chase the female in to the vegetation, where she will lay eggs. The male will then fertilize them. Once the eggs are laid, you should remove either the eggs or the adults to another tank, or else the eggs may be eaten.
Raising the fry
When the fry hatch from their eggs, they will feed on their yolk sac for 2-3 days. Once they completely consume their yolk sac they are ready to be fed. You can feed them baby brine shrimp as their first meal. You should feed them multiple meals a day, especially while they are really young. You should do 25% water changes at least twice a week, removing detritus, dead fry, and leftover food. As the fry grow, you can graduate them to larger food.
How to care for, feed, breed, and raise fry of fancy goldfish
STATS:
Temperament: peaceful
Care Level: easy
Breeding: intermediate
Temp: 68-74
Minimum Tank Size: 29 gal
Scientific Name: carassius auratus
Goldfish Basics
Goldfish have been bred for many years. They are the descendants of carp. Today there are a large variety of color morphs available, both single and double tail varieties. Goldfish can be fun, loving pets, if kept well cared for.
The Tank
Goldfish should be kept in a tank no smaller than 29 gallons. This is because of their large size and social nature. Ideally, you should have multiple goldfish together. For the tank substrate, you can use sand, gravel, or bare bottom. With goldfish, it is best not to use dirt because they like to rummage around in the substrate searching for food. Many goldfish hobbyists prefer bare bottom tanks because they are easier to clean, but is really a matter of preference.
Decor
With fancy goldfish the decorations you choose are important. You should not use decorations that are sharp and could damage the fish, especially if you are planning on housing bubble eyes, telescopes, or any other breed with vision impairments. Silk plants are best with fancies. Plastic plants are more likely to pop a bubble on a bubble eye, or rip off a pom-pom on a pom-pom, or cause damage to telescope's eye. With fancies, many people do a minimalistic design for their goldies, meaning hardly, if any, decorations added to the tank.
Goldfish are not really suited to the planted tank, because they are notorious for digging up or eating plants. Although many do have success if the tank is very heavily planted before the goldfish are added. If you really have your heart set on goldfish and live plants together, you could use hardy, thick-leaved plants such as java fern and anubias.
Tank Mates
Since fancy goldfish are large and slow moving, and require lower temperatures than most tropical fish, there aren't many fish that can be kept with them. White cloud minnows make great tank ayes for small goldfish. Although they cannot be kept with large goldfish or they will be eaten. Zebra danios are also compatible, but they are also small, just slightly larger than white clouds. Be careful though, they can be nippy. Rosey barbs grow to six inches, which is and ideal size tank mate, but they can be very nippy unless in a large shoal. They may also outcompete the fancies for food. Many native fish are also compatible.
A fish that is readily available, cheap, and will work with large goldies, is the dojo or weather loach. There is both golden and regular color morphs. They grow to 10 inches, with every part of their body jam-packed full of personality. They are truly the ideal tank mate for fancy goldfish.
Feeding
Goldfish are not picky eaters. They will eat just about anything that falls into the tank. Goldfish, especially fancies, are prone to swim bladder disease. A way to help reduce the chance is to feed ONLY foods that sink. If you feed them floating foods, they will take in air with their food, which contributes to swim bladder. I would also recommend feeding peas at least once a week. A varied diet heavy in veggies is great for goldfish.
Breeding
Breeding goldfish is fairly easy. Make sure you have a male and female. In my experience, it is better to have more males than females. Males will develope tubercles on their face and fins. These are known as breeding stars. Fish will usually breed in the spring, when temperatures are warming up. The best way to trigger your fish to breed is to raise the temperature gradually over the period of a few weeks. You should put java moss or a spawning mop in the tank for them. The male will chase the female in to the vegetation, where she will lay eggs. The male will then fertilize them. Once the eggs are laid, you should remove either the eggs or the adults to another tank, or else the eggs may be eaten.
Raising the fry
When the fry hatch from their eggs, they will feed on their yolk sac for 2-3 days. Once they completely consume their yolk sac they are ready to be fed. You can feed them baby brine shrimp as their first meal. You should feed them multiple meals a day, especially while they are really young. You should do 25% water changes at least twice a week, removing detritus, dead fry, and leftover food. As the fry grow, you can graduate them to larger food.