By Renee Wise, Carl Strohmeyer, Steven Wright
Updated 6/8/11
COMETS, FANTAIL, & COMMON GOLDFISH;
*Size: 12 inches, although pond specimens may grow longer.
*Scientific Name: Cyprinus auratus
*Natural Habitat: Goldfish are the earliest fish to be domesticated by humans. All modern goldfish are descended from Carassius auratus gibelio carp that lived in East Asia in the 3rd century (they caught the eye of the Chinese as early as 265 AD). The Common Goldfish has been kept in captivity longer than any other fish.
*Water Parameters: Ph 7.2 to 7.8, KH 150, GH 200. Goldfish can survive temperatures in the 40's to up to 80. A temperature of 66 F to 72 F is ideal.
As noted previously, good mineralization/electrolytes is important for healthy goldfish. For this reason, it is important to maintain a GH above 200 (150 absolute minimum) so you have enough Calcium, Magnesium and other essential minerals for osmoregulation in your water.
Please see this article for further information: "Calcium, GH, KH, pH in Aquariums & Ponds"
*Recommended Tank Size: 10 gallon +, about 10 gallons is needed per goldfish in an aquarium for optimal growth and health.
*Feeding: Goldfish are primarily herbivores despite what many aquarist feed them. Comets and Common Goldfish will take foods such as Brine Shrimp and shelled peas (which are excellent for constipation). However, “meatier” types of foods should be used sparingly, and very high protein foods such as worms should be avoided altogether.
Generally a Quality Pellet food is good food for goldfish. Goldfish also have a slow digestive system which makes some food better for them than others. A highly digestible Spirulina Algae Flake is an excellent part of any goldfish’s diet due to the “high digestibility factor” and immune system boost it provides.
Also, soak your fish food in water for at least 5 minutes so that it does not float. Soaking food will prevent your goldfish from ingesting air (which can cause digestive problems). Be careful about feeding too much flake food (even the spirulina flake, although this flake does not cause the intestinal gas problems that many flakes such as TetraFin do).
Additional Information:
"Goldfish Care and Basics"
Contributor Notes: By Renee Wise;
This is a very hardy fish if given good care. Contrary to what some people say, even feeder goldfish that are designed to only feed other fish can live years and be totally healthy if properly cared for. Goldfish are also quite friendly and will often greet their owner when they enter the room in a unique swimming fashion. Another thing goldfish like to do is forage for food in gravel a lot. When goldfish search the gravel for food they can (though rarely) get gravel lodged in their throats and die. To prevent this, keep gravel about 1/2 a centimeter in diameter in goldfish tanks. Goldfish also change color slowly over their lives so when you pick out a fish, don't expect it to retain its original colors forever. Goldfish should have aquarium salt kept in their tanks at about 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons to help with electrolytes they need and also to aid with stress and disease prevention.
ORANDAS & LIONHEADS;
*Size: 10 inches (26 cm.) in aquariums.
*Scientific Name: Cyprinus auratus
Description: Orandas and Lionheads are easily recognizable by the large growth on their heads (at least the better specimens). Not only do Lionheads have this growth (which is often even more pronounced than with Orandas), but they also are missing their dorsal fin (which often makes it difficult to compete with other goldfish such as fast-moving Comets and Shubunkins).
*Natural Habitat: Goldfish are the earliest fish to be domesticated by humans. Orandas and Lionheads are even more inbred. They are vastly different externally and even internally from their wild brethren.
*Water Parameters: Again, the water parameters these fish need are basically the same as Comets. However, fancy varieties are often more sensitive to poor water quality than a Comet or Common goldfish.
A Ph 7.2 to 7.8, KH 150, GH 200, goldfish can survive temperatures in the 40's to up to 80. I temperature of 66 F to 72 F is ideal.
Good mineralization/electrolytes are important for healthy goldfish. For this reason, it is important to keep a GH above 200 (150 absolute minimum) so you have enough Calcium, Magnesium and other essential minerals for osmoregulation in your water.
*Recommended Tank Size: Although a 10 gallon will work initially, Orandas and Lionheads will do best in a 20 gallon plus to grow out in.
*Feeding: Like ALL Goldfish, Orandas and Lionheads are primarily herbivores. Orandas and Lionheads often are VERY sensitive to poor diets due to inbreeding that has left their internal organs (especially the digestive tract) in poor condition to digest food.
Generally a Quality Pellet food makes a good food for goldfish which have a slow digestive system. A highly digestible Spirulina Algae Flake is an excellent part of any goldfish diet due to how easy to digest it is and the immune system boost it provides.
DL-methionine is an essential amino acid for producing the “Lionhead” feature in goldfish. High levels of methionine can be found in the vegetable proteins of spinach, green peas, garlic, and Vegetable protein extract. These ingredients are used in many commercial foods such as Sanyu Koi and Goldfish Food. DL-methionine can also be found in fish meal.
Orandas and Lionheads are very prone to swim bladder infections. Soak your fish food in water for at least 5 minutes so that it does not float to prevent your goldfish from ingesting air or getting swim bladder infections. This is EVEN more important then with Comets. Be careful about feeding too much flake food (even the spirulina flake, although this flake does not cause the intestinal gas problems that many flakes such as TetraFin do.
Contributor Notes:
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RYUKINS;
*Size: Ryukins generally don't grow as large as some other goldfish varieties. They generally grow 6 to 10 inches unlike other goldfish that can grow over 12 inches in length.
*Scientific Name: Cyprinus auratus
*Description: Ryukins have a similar body structure to fantail goldfish. They have a higher back than fantail goldfish too. All of a Ryukin’s fins should be paired except for its dorsal fin. These goldfish have a round, egg-like body shape and high-sloping backs. Ryukins also have high, stiff dorsal fins. Ryukins are generally orange, red, white, or a mix of two of these colors. However, these fish can come in other colors as well such as black, chocolate, and even calico.
*Natural Habitat:Like other goldfish, Ryukins are descended from carp. However, Ryukins have been very selectively bred (and in many cases inbred) to achieve their special egg-drop body shape.
*Water Parameters: Ph 7.2 to 7.8, KH 150, GH 200. A temperature of 66 F to 72 F is ideal. Because Ryukins are fancy goldfish, they are more sensitive to water conditions than non-fancy goldfish like Comets and Common Goldfish.
Good mineralization/electrolytes are important for healthy goldfish. For this reason it is important to maintain a GH above 200 (150 absolute minimum) so you have enough Calcium, Magnesium and other essential minerals for osmoregulation of your goldfish.
Please see this article for further information: "Calcium, GH, KH, pH in Aquariums & Ponds"
*Recommended Tank Size: 10 gallon +, about 10 gallons is needed per goldfish in an aquarium for optimal growth and health.
*Feeding: Like other goldfish, Ryukins are primarily herbivores. However, they are sensitive to poor diets because their body shape has been altered through breeding. Ryukins can be fed foods such as Brine Shrimp and shelled peas (which are excellent for constipation). However, “meatier” types of foods should be used sparingly and very high protein foods such as worms should be avoided altogether. Another tactic for dealing with constipation is to stop feeding for a couple days.
Generally a Quality Pellet food makes a good food for goldfish which have a slow digestive system. A highly digestible Spirulina Algae Flake is an excellent part of any goldfish’s diet due to its high digestibility and the immune system boost it provides.
Due to their body shape, Ryukins are more susceptible to swim bladder problems and constipation than other goldfish varieties. Extra care should be taken when feeding these goldfish such as to soak your fish food in water for at least 5 minutes. This will prevent your Ryukin from ingesting air (which can cause digestive problems). Be careful about feeding too much flake food (even the spirulina flake, although this flake does not cause the intestinal gas problems that many flakes such as TetraFin do). Also, be sure soak flake food as with other food you feed goldfish.
Additional Information:
"Goldfish Care and Basics"
Contributor Notes:
SHUBUNKINS;
*Size: 12 inches although pond specimens may grow longer.
*Scientific Name: Cyprinus auratus
*Description: Shubunkins have the same body shape as Common Goldfish but have longer fins. Shubunkins are most often calico-colored and have nacreous scales. Their body coloration also extends onto their fins, so if you see orange patch of coloration on a Shubunkin’s body, the patch may also continue onto the fish’s tail.
Besides the main type of Shubunkin, other varieties of Shubunkins goldfish exist. One is the Bristol Shubunkin which has large, rounded fins. Another is the London Shubunkin which has shorter fins than the main long-finned Shubunkin Goldfish. Shubunkins are a hardy fish and can be kept in ponds in the winter. These fish are also fast swimmers compared to some of the fancier goldfish varieties.
*Natural Habitat: Goldfish are the earliest fish to be domesticated by humans. All modern goldfish are descended from Carassius auratus gibelio carp that lived in East Asia in the 3rd century (they caught the eye of the Chinese as early as 265 AD). Goldfish has been kept in captivity longer than any other fish.
*Water Parameters: Ph 7.2 to 7.8, KH 150, GH 200. Goldfish can survive temperatures in the 40's to up to 80. A temperature of 66 F to 72 F is ideal.
Good mineralization/electrolytes are important for healthy goldfish. For this reason it is important to maintain a GH above 200 (150 absolute minimum) so you have enough Calcium, Magnesium and other essential minerals for osmoregulation of your goldfish.
Please see this article for further information: "Calcium, GH, KH, pH in Aquariums & Ponds"
*Recommended Tank Size: 10 gallon +, about 10 gallons is needed per goldfish in an aquarium for optimal growth and health.
*Feeding: Shubunkin Goldfish are primarily herbivores. They can be fed foods such as Brine Shrimp (which are excellent for constipation (as are shelled peas). However “meatier” types of foods should be used sparingly, and very high protein foods such as worms should be avoided altogether.
Generally a Quality Pellet food makes a good food for goldfish which have a slow digestive system. A highly digestible Spirulina Algae Flake is an excellent part of any goldfish diet due to how easy it is for fish to digest high and factor immune system boost it provides.
Also soak your fish food in water for at least 5 minutes so that it does not float. Soaking food will prevent your goldfish from ingesting air (which can cause digestive problems). Be careful about feeding too much flake food (even the spirulina flake, although this flake does not cause the intestinal gas problems that many flakes such as TetraFin do), Remember to soak any flake food too.
Additional Information:
"Goldfish Care and Basics"
Contributor Notes:
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ATI Hydro Sponge Filters
Filter Max Aquarium Pre-Filters
SunSun Premium Economy Aquarium HOB Filter
SunSun & Via Aqua Canister Filter
Aquarium Silicone