Goldfish
Types of Goldfish for Aquariums and Ponds – A Guide
Aug
| Description | Category |
| Family | Cyprinidae |
| Scientific name | Carassius auratus |
| Origin | China |
| Type | Fresh Water |
| Color Form | Wide Range of Colors |
| Difficulty | Varies from breed to breed |
| Breeding | Moderate |
| Max. Size | 4 to13 inches (10 to35 cms) |
| Life span | 10 to 15 years |
| Temperament | Peaceful, curious |
| Diet | Omnivores |
| Minimum Tank Size | 20 gallon ( liters) |
| Temperature | 68 – 75°F (20 – 25°C) |
| Acidity | 6.8 to 7.6 pH |
| Hardness | up to 12 dGH |
| Carbonates & Bicarbonates | 80 to 180 ppm |
| Nitrate | >20 ppm |
| Ammonia & Nitrite | 0 ppm |
Species Origin: Types of Gold Fish
Goldfish, Carassius auratus is a freshwater fish from the family of Cyprinidae, Order of Cypriniformes. Goldfish are native to Eastern Asia Add Form. They have been bred by the ancient Chinese for thousands of years. They are the first species that were selectively bred by humans.
This was supposedly developed during the Jin Dynasty, between AD 265 to 420. During the Song Dynasty people other than imperial families were forbidden to keep certain types of goldfish, such as yellow and orange varieties.
As they became more and more popular amongst the Chinese, the breeders were breeding more and more types of goldfish selectively, as desired by the people. As a result, today, we have over 200 varieties of Goldfish.
In the early 1600s, goldfish were introduced in Southern Europe via Portuguese. It was considered a symbol of prosperity.
In nature, the Prussian Carps are hardy and all-pervasive. You can find them in rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, reservoirs, and slow-moving freshwater bodies. They thrive in slightly murky water. Today, we can find them in temperate to tropical climatic environments.
Some of the types of goldfish are sensitive to water parameters. Whereas, some of the types of goldfish are hardier than their ancestral Carps.
Let us keep reading to know more about the types of goldfish and their requirements.
Single-tailed types of goldfish:
Common types of Goldfish:
As their name goes, are the common goldfish types. Everyone has seen them and most of us owned them at one point in time or the other.
They have a slender body with a short tail and come in a few different colors such as Orange, Yellow, Red, and White. Generally, it grows up to 12 inches (30 cms), but some of them have grown up to an impressive size of 20 inches (50 cms).
Water Parameters:
They are hardy, like their ancestors, and are easy to take care of. Common goldfish are peaceful and social. They can thrive both in Ponds and Tanks. They need a minimum of a 40-gallon tank and you cannot expect them to grow to their fullest growth capacity in a tank.
Common goldfish can live in a water temperature ranging from 55 to 80°F (13 to 27°C) with an acidity range of 6 to 8 pH.
Diet:
Their diet includes live and frozen food. You can feed them flakes, pellets, and brine shrimps.
Lifespan:
Generally, a common Goldfish has an average lifespan of up to 15 years. However, there are instances goldfish have lived over 40 years. They can live a long life if they are well cared for and of course with good memories too.
The common myth is that goldfish memory lasts only for 3 seconds. As we have stated it is a myth. Goldfish can have a very long memory, which many research papers go to prove.
Compatibility:
They are peaceful community fish that are compatible with other peaceful community fish and with the other single-tailed goldfish.
Never keep them with snails and shrimps as the goldfish will have them for a snack. And also you cannot keep them with other aggressive fish like Bettas, Jack Demsey, and other Cichlids.
Comet Goldfish
Comet Goldfish has a similar slender body the same as Common Goldfish Types, but with long flowing caudal fins.
They come in a few color variations just as the common Goldfish Types such as yellow, orange, red, and some are white with red patterns called Sarasa comet.
Their growth depends on the environment in which they live. They can grow up to 7 inches (18 cms) in a large aquarium, whereas in a smaller tank their growth is curtailed to a maximum of 4 inches (10cms).
If you want to see their best growth house them in a pond, where they can grow up to 12 to 14 inches (30 to 35 cms).
They are great swimmers and need plenty of room to swim. Hence, they make a better pond fish than a tank fish.
Water Parameters:
Comet goldfish are hardy, the same as the common goldfish types, and are easy to take care of. They are peaceful and social; can thrive both in Ponds and Tanks. They need a minimum of a 20-gallon tank per adult.
They can live in a water temperature ranging from 55 to 80°F (13 to 27°C) with an acidity range of 6 to 8 pH.
Diet:
Their diet includes live and frozen food the same as the common goldfish types. You can feed them flakes, pellets, and brine shrimps.
Lifespan:
Generally, a common Goldfish has an average lifespan of 5 to 14 years. However, just like the common goldfish, they can live a long life if they are well cared for.
Compatibility:
They are peaceful community fish that are compatible with other peaceful community fish and with the other single-tailed goldfish.
Generally, the aquarists keep them with Koi.
Never keep them with snails and shrimps as the goldfish will have them for a snack. And also you cannot keep them with other aggressive fish like Bettas, Jack Demsey, and other Cichlids.
Comet Goldfish is a great pond fish.
Shubunkin Goldfish Types:
Shubunkin Goldfish is just like Comet but with a Calico pattern to it. There are varieties of Shubunkin Goldfish that come under single-tailed and hardy goldfish, whereas, the other types of goldfish fall under the fancy breed of Gold Fish.
a. Japanese Shubunkin Gold Fish:
They are also called American Shubunkin is characterized by its tail. Their tails are longer and sharper than the other types and forked out.
b. London Shubunkin:
London Shubunkin may resemble fancy types of goldfish, but they are hardy. They have a slender body, with a paired pectoral and pelvic fins.
c. Bristol Shubunkin:
This has a slender body just like the London Shubunkin, but with a large pointed tail. Its caudal fins are rounder than London Shubunkin.
Shubunkins are favorites to most aquarists due to their unique pattern and coloration. They have an interesting calico pattern with dark spots all over their body including their fins. These dark spots are the ones we witness is the skin underneath the shiny scales.
Generally, it grows up to 12 inches (30 cms). They are hardy and easy to take care of.
Water Parameters:
Shubunkins are hardy, the same as the common and comet goldfish types, and are easy to take care of. They are peaceful and social; need a minimum of a 15-gallon tank per adult.
They can live in a water temperature ranging from 60 to 80°F (15 to 27°C) with an acidity range of 6 to 8 pH.
Diet:
Their diet includes live and frozen food the same as the common goldfish types. You can feed them flakes, pellets, and brine shrimps.
Lifespan:
A Shubunkin Goldfish has an average lifespan of 15 to 25 years. There are instances some have lived up to 30 years. However, their lifespan depends on the environment in which they live. In an aquarium tank, they may not live longer than 10 years, the same if you house them in an outdoor pond, they may live for 25 to 30 years.
Compatibility:
They are peaceful community fish that are compatible with other peaceful community fish and compatible with the other single-tailed goldfish.
Avoid housing them with aggressive fish types.
Wakin Type of Goldfish:
Wakin is a type of goldfish, which is generally mistaken for Koi fish. They resemble comet goldfish and have 2 caudal fins and 2 anal fins. Due to this trait, one may consider them as fancy goldfish instead of single-tailed or hardy goldfish types.
However, all the other traits make them more fit for hardy goldfish type than a fancy goldfish type.
They grow up to 12 inches (30 cms) and are a good swimmer with a large appetite. Hence, they belong in ponds rather than in aquarium tanks.
Wakin goldfish come in many different colors. The most common type is the red and white combination. Stripes of red on a white body or stripes of white on a red body are the common types of Waking Goldfish.
They also come in brown, black, orange, yellow, etc. colors.
Generally, they live 10 to 15 years. However, some Wakins are known to live over 20 years if they have an ideal living condition.
Though they are omnivores, they prefer a more vegetarian diet. You can feed them low-fat food, including pellets, flakes, vegetables, and frozen food.
They do well in a temperature range of 60 to 78°F(15 to 25°C) with an acidity of 6.5 to 7.5 pH.
Crinum, Elodea, Anubias, and Java moss are some of the recommended aquatic plants where Wakin goldfish are housed.
Jikin Goldfish Types:
Jikin goldfish have an elongated body and double anal and caudal fins just the same as Wikin Goldfish types.
They have a white body with red fins. They are pretty attractive with their neat and clean look.
Watonai Goldfish Types:
Watonai is a rare kind of goldfish type. They are a combination of Comet and Wakin/Jikin Goldfish types; have a pair of caudal fins with elongated and slim bodies.
Watonai makes a good pond fish although some hobbyists keep them in their tanks to see their beautiful long flowing fins and mesmerizing color combinations.
They have similar requirements as Wakin and Jikin when it comes to water parameters and the housing environment.
Fancy Gold Fish Types:
Fancy Goldfish Types has some of the most popular goldfish types.
Generally, an egg-shaped body is appraised as a fancy breed.
Fancy Goldfish Types include Fantail, Ryukin, Veiltail, Oranda, Tamasaba, Telescope, Butterfly, Tosakin, Pompon, Black Moor, Ranchu, lionhead, Pearlscale, Hama Nishki, Celestial Eye, and Bubble-Eye.
Fantail GoldFish:
Ryukin GoldFish:
Ryukins grow up to 10 inches (25 cms). Compared to most goldfish, they are smaller.
Veiltail GoldFish:
As the name suggests, Veiltail has long flowing paired caudal fins that flow around like a princess veil while swimming. They have longer and bigger fins than their bodies.
Its dorsal fins swag like a banner in the water. Their pectoral and pelvic fins are long as well as their caudal fins.
Their coloration can be solid or multi-colored and some of them with calico patterns; the body color runs till the end of their fins. In general, they come in a blend of orange and white.
Veiltails move slowly, gracefully like an aristocrat, you will have no doubt, that it is an ornamental type of goldfish.
Although they look so stately, they still can be housed in a pond with the right water parameters and environment.
Experienced aquarists, recommend keeping them as the guideline suggests. However, they can acclimatize to a wide range of water temperature, pH, and hardness over a period.
Water temperature should be 59-73°F (15-23°C), pH 6 to 8, and 5-19°dH hardness.
Most hobbyists keep them in an indoor aquarium tank. It is easier and simpler to maintain a stable environment than in an outdoor pond.
You will have to be careful with your choice of substrates and decors for your Veiltails as those long flowing fins veil-like fins could be easily damaged.
Commercial goldfish pellets float along with some live or frozen foods like brine shrimp as their main diet.
Veiltail goldfish grow up to 8 inches (20 cms) in length.
Generally, their life spans from 10 to 15 years, nonetheless, Veiltails have been known to live over 20 years, if they have an ideal living condition.
Oranda Goldfish:
Oranda Goldfish also called Tigerhead or Tiger Goldfish.
They have a peculiar swell on their head, called ‘wen’ by the Japanese aquarists. This wen grows bigger and bigger as they grow older.
This cap makes them one of the fanciest Goldfish types.
Red Cap Oranda is popular among the most aquarists, which has a bright red wen with an orange or white color body. Other colors include black, blue, chocolate, reds, and silvers.
Their bodies and fins resemble the Fantail Goldfish type. They can grow as large as 12 inches (30cms).
You should feed them with high-quality commercial flakes, pellets that float as they move slowly along with live or frozen blood worms and brine shrimp.
The water temperature should be 68-72°F (20 to 22°C). Hardness should be in the range of 6-18 dGH and pH should be close to neutral (between 6 and 8).
Oranda goldfish lifespans from 10-15 years and even up to 20 years provided an ideal environment.
Oranda goldfish makes a magnificent ornamental fish in your aquarium tank.
Due to their delicate fins and swim bladders, they belong best in your aquarium tank than in an outdoor pond.
Tamasaba Goldfish types:
Telescope and Dragon Eye Goldfish Types:
Butterfly Goldfish:
Tosakin Goldfish:
Pompon goldfish:
Black Moor Goldfish types:
Ranchu Goldfish:
Lionhead Goldfish:
Pearlscale Goldfish:
Pearscale is a unique goldfish type with a spherical body and small pointy face. They come in metallic self-colored or bi-color with a calico pattern.
They have a high level of calcium deposits in their scales, which creates the scales to swells out like a pearl. With a rounded pearl-covered body Pearlscape Goldfish reminds us of a golf ball.
Pearlscape goldfish has a single dorsal fin that extends to the tail fins. All the other fins are double and rounded. The caudal fins lobes are divided and forked in opposite directions.
They grow to a length of 4 to 6 inches. You need a minimum of a 20-gallon tank per fish.
They thrive better in water parameters with a temperature range from 65 to 72°F (18 to 22°C) and with a pH range from 6 to 8.
When it comes to their diet, you can feed them with high-quality flakes and pellets and brine shrimp (either live or frozen), blood worms, Daphnia, or tubifex worms as a treat. You can also feed them with blanched zucchini, carrots, lettuce, etc.
Though they are not that delicate, they belong in a tank with the other delicate types of goldfish, rather than in a pond.
If you have a fancy to own unique species, Pearlscape is the fish for you.
Celestial Eye Goldfish:
Celestial Eye by no means is a beginners’ goldfish. They are a delicate fancy type of goldfish is a mutation of Telescope Goldfish. Unlike, Telescope Goldfish, Celestial Goldfish’s eyes face upwards inspiring their name.
It comes in classic orangish-red color. Of late, they are bred in black as well. Celestial goldfish are small goldfish types with no dorsal fins.
Their habitat should not have any bright light since their eyes always look upwards. One has to be careful with the substrates and decors of the aquarium tank not to have any sharp edges.
Celestial goldfish are delicate and susceptible to diseases such as Ich, dropsy, swim bladder, etc.
They grow up to 5 inches in length and need a 20-gallon tank per Celestial.
They are sensitive to change in water parameters. Hence, it is imminent to maintain the water parameters stable with a temperature range from 68 to 78°F (20 to 26°C), pH 6-8, and hardness range between 5 to 19 dKH.
Their tank mates can be other delicate types of goldfish such as Telescope, Bubble Eye, Pompon, etc.
Bubble-Eye Goldfish:
The Bubble-Eye Goldfish are similar to Celestial Goldfish body shapes, fins, and upturned telescopic eyes.
However, the Bubble eye goldfish has 2 fluid-filled sacs right below their eyes. These sacs bounce around when while swimming particularly when there is a sudden change in their swimming directions.
The Bubble-eye goldfish are an extremely fragile type of goldfish with their upturned eyes and fluid-filled sacs with no dorsal fins. By no means they are beginners’ fish. They can be taken care of only by experienced aquarists.
Bubble-eye goldfish have a lifespan of 10 to 15 years and they grow up to 5 inches just the same as Celestial Goldfish.
They need stable water parameters just the same as Celestial with a temperature ranging from 68 to 78°F (20 to 26°C), pH 6-8, and hardness range between 5 to 19 dKH.
You need a minimum of a 20-gallon tank per fish. Their tank mates can be other delicate types of goldfish such as Ranchu, Telescope, Celestial goldfish, Pompon, etc.
Types of Goldfish – Conclusion:
It must be overwhelming to have such a long list of varieties to choose from. When you contemplate the list of goldfish types you can easily shortlist them according to the care requirements.
It is also important whether you want them in your pond or a controlled aquarium environment.
Most of all when you choose a goldfish type, you need to see how deep you dig into your pockets.
Goldfish can live easily for over 20 years with the right care. In some cases, it may even cross 40 years outliving any of your pet dogs, cats, etc. Hence, you must choose carefully your type of goldfish.
Some breeds are meant only for experienced hobbyists, whereas, there are many breeds a novice can handle.
I would like to write detailed posts on as many as goldfish types.
In the meantime, we would love to hear from you about the goldfish breeds you have housed and the goldfish types you choose for your tank/pond in the comments section.
