Carassius auratus

From The Aquarium Wiki

(Redirected from Common Goldfish)
Jump to: navigation, search
Goldfish
Ryukin Goldfish
Species Carassius auratus
Difficulty Moderate
Min. Tank Size 75.708 liters
75,708.236 mL

20 US Gallons (75.7L)

Size 35.56 cm

8-14 " (20.3-35.6cm)

pH 6.5 - 8.0
Temp. 283.15 K
50 °F
509.67 °R

298.15 K
77 °F
536.67 °R10 -25 °C (50-77°F)

Water Hardness

5-25

Stocking Ratio 1:2 M:F
Availability Very Common
Diet

Omnivore
Pellet Foods
Flake Foods
Live Foods
Other (See article)

Life Span

10-35 years


Contents

[edit] Alternative names

Fancy Goldfish: Fantail, Telescope, Veiltail, Moor, Pom pom, Celestial, Chocolate, Lionhead, Oranda, Bubble-eye, Hamanishiki
Common Goldfish: Common, Shubunkin, Comet

[edit] Other Scientific Names

Carassius auratus auratus

[edit] Sexing

Males develop breeding tubercles on their gill covers and on the leading ray of their pectoral fins. Females may have rounder convex vents while males have thinner concave vents. It is only possible to sex Goldfish when they are mature (over a year old) and usually only when it's their breeding season, which is in the springtime (although it has been known for some fish to show signs at other times of year).

[edit] Tank compatibility

It is generally recommended to keep Goldfish in a species only tank as they can be bullies, nippy or victims to other fish as they are slow moving and the Fancies are delicate due to their stunted and deformed bodies. Fancy Goldfish should NOT be mixed with Common/Comet type Goldfish for this reason, a Common type is capable of injuring or even killing a Fancy, as well as outcompeting it to food.
Common Plecos are NOT good tankmates for Goldfish as Plecos are not only tropical fish but have a difficult time getting enough to eat and. given they are nocturnal, they may also latch onto Goldfish while they are sleeping. This will harm the Goldfish and leave it open to infections and parasites.
Other Catfish such as Otos and Corydoras also do NOT make good tankmates. Otos can develop a taste for a Goldfish's slime coat, as can many other suckermouth catfish and Loaches, but both these types of fish can also be eaten by Goldfish. Both Otos and Corys have spines, poisonous in Corys, which can cause them to get lodged in the throat of larger fish, including Goldfish, causing the death of both.

[edit] Diet

Goldfish are omnivores and should be fed a balanced diet that includes fresh foods. Select fresh foods that are low in starches and sugars, e.g. shrimp, oysters, crab, clams for protein and vegetables such as peas, green beans, lima beans (butter beans), greens (e.g. spinach, collard, mustard, turnip, kale), squash, etc. They will also benefit from live foods like worms, snails, small insects and aquatic plants (e.g. duckweed, azolla or salvinia) and algae.
Note - Fancy goldfish have a distorted indigestion system, so need food which is low in protein, starch and sugar as they get older. Constipation is a real concern with these type of goldfish. So be very careful that you don't over feed this fish. Never give it more than it can eat within a few minutes. Try the gel diet foods like 58LK or 5ML6 which are excellent.

[edit] Feeding regime

Adults - Two or three mouthfuls per fish, twice a day.
Fry and juveniles - feeding multiple small high protein meals promotes growth.
For outdoor goldfish, when temperature drops to below 10°C (50°F) do not feed.

[edit] Environment Specifics

Goldfish should NEVER be kept in unfiltered bowl environments. This is not a suitable home for any living creature.
Juvenile Fancy Goldfish need at least 15 US Gallons (56.8L) per Goldfish and juvenile Common Goldfish need at least 20-25 US Gallons (75.7-94.6L) per goldfish, with view to upgrade further as they grow. If well cared for, Fancies can get around 8" (20.3cm) long and Commons over 12" (30.5cm), so adequate room for swimming and turning is also necessary. For this reason, Commons do best in a pond environment.
Goldfish are large and messy fish, so you should have filters that move at least 10 times the amount of water in the tank per hour. Filters with separate areas for mechanical and biological are best. Water should be well buffered to avoid pH crashes (KH > 125ppm (7d)), and fairly hard (> 100ppm (5.5d) GH).
Avoid tank ornaments with sharp edges especially with Bubble Eye Goldfish. Also avoid using gravel that could get stuck in their mouths, gravel either needs to be very small or very large, such as large river rocks. Goldfish can thrive in bare-bottomed tanks. They will nibble and uproot plants, keep with tough plants such as Java Fern which can be rooted to decor rather than the substrate, or stick with silk plants.
Common Goldfish can be kept outdoors if the pond doesn't freeze or drop below 5°C (41°F) . Fancy Goldfish will not tolerate colder temperatures as they are more delicate and will prove to be easy picking for passing predators such as Herons and domestic Cats.

[edit] Behaviour

Very sociable and generally peaceful, except when spawning. When spawning, males chase and bump the female causing her to release eggs which the male fertilizes. Attention to water quality is important after spawning as it may cause ammonia to spike from all the protein in the water.

[edit] Special notes

Goldfish carry the chemical thiaminase, so if goldfish are fed to other animals as Feeder Fish, then that carnivore may develop a serious vitamin B1 deficiency.
If your Goldfish cannot swim or is having problems staying upright, this is a sign of constipation having effected their delicate (and deformed in Fancies) swimbladder. If not caught early enough this can prove irreparable and even fatal. Feeding of natural fish laxative such as cooked de-shelled pea followed by a day, or several days, without food can help. Overfeeding is the prime cause of swimbladder disorders.
A group of Goldfish is called a troubling[1].

[edit] Identification & Pictures

[edit] Fancy Goldfish

Short-Bodied and Double-Tailed.

[edit] Veil Tail

  • Very round-bodied with a long, flowing "veil" tail, colour metallic or calico.

[edit] Ryunkins (Ryukin)

  • Half-way between the Veil-Tail and Fan-Tail with a deep body. Tail varies in length with a pointed head and a dorsal hump.

[edit] Orandas

  • A Veil-Tail with a raspberry-like growth on the head called a 'hood' or 'wen'.

[edit] Telescope

  • The same as a Veil-Tail but with protruding 'bubble' eyes. Available in all colours except black, see below.

[edit] Moors

  • The same as a Telescope but with protruding 'bubble' eyes and coloured deep velvety black. Can develop other colours as the colour black is not stable in Goldfish, it would then be called a Telescope Goldfish.

[edit] Fan Tail

  • A short egg-shaped body with a short tail which is forked and held out like a fan.

[edit] Bubble-Eye

  • Short body and very large bubble-like sacks under the eyes. No dorsal fin. This is an exceptionally delicate Fancy Goldfish, no sharp decor should be present in the tank, and has poor eyesight so must be fed carefully. Available in most colours.

[edit] Celestial

  • A short body, no dorsal, with protruding, upturned eyes. Exceptionally delicate and bad eyesight. Should only be kept with other similar Goldfish such as other Celestials and Bubble-Eyes.

Celestial/Pom Pom Cross

[edit] Pearlscale

  • A short rounded body with raised scales in the shape of pearls.

[edit] Hamanishiki/Crown Pearlscale

  • A Pearlscale with Oranda-like head growths.

[edit] Demekin

A cross between a Ryukin and a Telescope. They have a high arched back with telescope eyes.

[edit] Eggfish

  • Short rounded body, no dorsal fin, long flowing finnage.

[edit] Lionhead

  • Short rounded body, no dorsal, with downward pointing tail, Oranda-like head growths.

[edit] Ranchu

  • Like the Lionhead but with a more prounounced curved spine, no dorsal and downward point tail.

Black Ranchu

[edit] PomPom

  • Short rounded body, no dorsal fin, large, frilly nasal septa.

Pom-Pom/Fantail Chocolate cross

[edit] Wakin

  • Slightly shorter body than wild-type with a double, fantail-like tail, metallic colouration only.

[edit] Jikin

  • Slightly shorter body, divided tail which is splayed outwards.

[edit] Tosakin

  • Similar to fantail except for the undivided double tail which is splayed sideways and forwards.

[edit] Man-yu

  • Or Oriental Twintail, intermediate between Fantail and Ryukin, smooth dorsal contour and fairly long, drooping, forked tail.

[edit] Common Goldfish

Long-bodied and single-tailed fish

[edit] Common Goldfish

  • Wild-type long body form and short finnage. Available in metallic or calico colouration.

[edit] Comet Goldfish

  • The same body shape as the wild-type Common but with forked elongated caudal fins. They come in several true colour types including metallic orange, metallic yellow, metallic red, sarassa (white with a red 'cap') and calico. Cross-colour types with a mix of these are also available due to non-selective breeding.

Sarassa

[edit] Shubunkin Goldfish

  • A long-bodied Goldfish which is always calico in colouration. Usually have long Comet finnage.

[edit] Videos

Common Goldfish:


Fancy Goldfish on show at Aquarama 2007:


[edit] References

  1. ↑ San Diego Zoo - Animal Group names

[edit] External links

Facts about Carassius auratus
Availability Very Common
Common name Goldfish , Fancy Goldfish, Telescope, Veiltail, Moor, Pom pom, Celestial, Lionhead, Oranda, Bubble-eye, Hamanishiki, Common Goldfish, Shubunkin, and Comet
Diet Omnivore  +
Difficulty Moderate
Family Cyprinidae  +
Foods Pellet Food  +, Flake Food  +, Live Food  +, and Other Foods  +
Maximum Size 14 in (35.56 cm)  +
Maximum age 35  +
Maximum hardness 25  +
Maximum pH 8  +
Maximum temperature 298.15 K (25 °C, 77 °F, 536.67 °R)  +
Minimum Tank Size 20 US Gallon (75.708 liters, 75,708.236 mL)  +
Minimum hardness 5  +
Minimum pH 6.5  +
Minimum temperature 283.15 K (10 °C, 50 °F, 509.67 °R)  +
Scientific name Carassius auratus, and Carassius auratus auratus
Retrieved from "http://www.theaquariumwiki.com/Carassius_auratus"
Personal tools
brackish water