Let’s be honest. The typical Goldfish has a bad rap.
It’s the one fish most people picture in a bag from a funfair, the circus, the one circling unenthusiastically around a too-small bowl (and let’s be honest here, would you blame them?).
Jokes from the film Jerry Maguire aside, the Goldfish is your prototypical pet fish.
When the parents don’t want to deal with fur, scooping poop, or litter, and the kids still want a pet to call their own, the ‘basic’ Goldfish tends to take the reins.
We have to say, though, this is to the detriment of the fish. Most people think you can just plunk a fish in a bowl of water, and it will be fine. It’s a water breather, right? They don’t consider oxygenation, toxin buildup, waste removal, and a cleaning schedule. Not to mention the space required for what is healthy.
But let us move on and discuss the Fantail Goldfish (Carassius Auratus) as a prospective pet to keep in the hobby. This is classified as one of the Fancy Goldfish species popular in the hobby.
Ideal for beginners, they are, but they are capable of living a very long time and should not be considered a disposable option that doesn’t have their needs met with great care.
They have a vibrant gold hue, can have a lot of personality, and have low-maintenance requirements, which are what gained them popularity, possibly to a fault.
Native to East Asia, Fantail Goldfish have been selectively bred for centuries which makes them differ wildly from their ancestors. You won’t find the version available in stockists in the wild nowadays, but they do prefer the same parameters, which we will discuss later.
Let’s have a look at what will keep these super-popular fish happy and healthy, as this should be what we all strive for if we choose to keep one. They are not a temporary member of the family and should be looked after with care.
Fantail Goldfish Behavior
These are peaceful species of Goldfish. They do not engage in any aggressive behavior, which is probably a good thing since any retribution might involve nipping at their fancy tail.
They like to remain active and swim around the tank rather randomly. They are unlikely to be spotted in one spot for too long and like to keep their move on. Preferring the middle layer of the water column, for the most part, you will occasionally see them nibbling on plants or rooting around in the substrate for food.
They are highly social and enjoy interacting with others. So it’s pretty important to keep them in a group so that they can school or just hang out together. You should avoid keeping one solo as they will exhibit signs of despondency, depression, and lethargy.
Fantail Goldfish Lifespan
If you cater to the needs of your Damselfish, you could expect them to live for around 10 – 15 years, which is not an unsubstantial amount of time. The quality of their tank conditions will impact their lifespan, as always, so you can expect a longer life if you meet their requirements meticulously.
We will discuss more on tank requirements a little later in this article.
Fantail Goldfish Appearance
They are a vibrant orange-gold color that really stands out in the tank, a rich contrast to the usually green plant accompaniments in the habitat.
They can look quite rounded and bulbous in shaping, definitely not as flat as a basic goldfish. Most often, they are described as having an egg-shaped body when viewed from the front.
With double caudal and anal fins, they create an ethereal and romantic look that floats and waves sensationally in the tank.
Fantail Goldfish possess metallic, iridescent scales that gleam under the aquarium lighting.
Eyes can be black, orange, yellow, red, white, and even metallic blue. Additionally, they may also be ‘normal’ or telescopic, but telescopic eyes won’t usually reveal themselves as such until they are at least six months of age.
Size-wise, they can reach 6 – 8 inches in length, which requires a decent amount of tank space in your setup, although depending on where you live, a pond can also be quite suitable.
Fantail Goldfish Habitat And Tank Requirements
Since their ancestors in the wild were freshwater fish, you need to mimic this as best possible. The closest relatives being Carp, we can look to those fish environments when it comes to assessing what Fantail Goldfish require.
They love slow-moving rivers and dirt bed lakes with a variety of temperatures. That means they thrive in cooler waters, unlike their tropical relatives. They require a lot of plant life to stay happy too.
Many people keep these fish successfully in ponds in geographical areas that have warm year-round temperatures with great success. Their hardiness lends them well to this type of existence.
Fantail Goldfish Tank Requirements
When it comes to the substrate, you’ll want to choose a soft and sandy one. As this fish can often be spotted rooting, you don’t want it to get scratched and susceptible to injury or disease. These are adventurous fish who will always be exploring.
Filtration is essential for Goldfish as they can create quite a lot of waste. Air stones or additional water pumps for aeration can also be beneficial but isn’t essential. It depends on your aesthetic.
They enjoy some spots to hide in when they want some peace and quiet or are feeling vulnerable, so ensure you have some caves and decor that will assist with this facet.
Rocks, caves, and driftwood are all ideal as long as you avoid sharp edges.
Open swimming areas are needed as they do lark about most of the time and stay active. Planting anything too dense will deter them from doing what comes naturally, so it is best avoided.
Hornwort is a great option since it grows so quickly and is fairly resilient to nibbling by its neighbors. It can be floated too, which means any rooting around won’t disturb it. Anubias Nana and Java Fern would also work well with this fish to mix things up in your landscape. Crypts, Java Moss, and Amazon Swords will also work really well too!
For floating plants, try Duckweed, Frogbit, Water Lettuce, and Water Hyacinth.
Water changes need to be done weekly of at least 10 – 20% to keep optimum water quality.
Water conditions should be noted and maintained as follows:
- pH of 6 – 8
- Water hardness 4 – 20 dKH
- Temperature between 60 – 75ºF (15 – 24ºC)
- Lighting conditions can be standard
Fantail Goldfish Tank Size
These fish require a decent amount of space. You should provide 20 gallons per fish, but 30 is better. When you add in another specimen, another 10 – 20 gallons is essential as they produce a lot of waste.
Tanks should ideally be long and rectangular and on the shallower side to allow for the most aeration.
Choosing Tank Mates For Fantail Goldfish
When it comes to finding species appropriate for Fantail Goldfish, you need to consider carefully.
They don’t like to be alone, so you should keep a shoal of at least three.
Some tank mate pairings for your Fantail Goldfish that should work well include:
- Oranda Goldfish
- Black Moor Goldfish
- Common Goldfish
- Shubunkin Goldfish variants
- Chinese Blue Bitterling
- Northern Redbelly Dace
- Shrimp
- Crabs
- Snails
- African Dwarf Frogs
- Rosy Barbs
- Dojo Loach
- Hog Nose Catfish
- White Cloud Minnows
- Platies
- Danios
- Celestial Eye Goldfish
- Lionhead Goldfish
- Pearlscale Goldfish
- Ranchu Goldfish
Avoid anything aggressive which is strong and will compete with your Fantails. Things like Tiger Barbs, Cichlids, Betta Fish, Arowana Fish, and the like are not to be mixed with this peaceful creature.
Fantail Goldfish Feeding
One thing to note about Fantail Goldfish is that they do not have the best digestive system. With a compact body shape, it compresses digestive organs thanks to selective breeding and can cause issues.
They are omnivorous, and they aren’t picky either. Try feeding them in small amounts, which will keep the digestive load lighter. Twice is a day is the schedule you should stick to despite their protestations. And they will look grumpy close to feeding time as they hope for an extra sprinkle of whatever is on the menu that night!s
Keep to high-quality food sources that are high in protein. Supplement with blanched vegetables to provide enough fiber that keeps things moving through their digestive tract.
Frozen foods are well accepted, as are freeze-dried foods and dry foods like pellets and flakes.
Brine shrimp, bloodworms, and black worms are all great options for Fantail Goldfish. They love them but do take care to ensure that they are safe and parasite-free.
Fantail Goldfish Common Diseases And Illness
With a fair amount of digestive issues on the cards with Fantail Goldfish, swim bladder diseases, and dropsy are a few of the most common occurrences that can affect your charge. It’s usually noticeable in their swimming ability and caused by, ahem, constipation.
Remember to consider those blanched veggies for finer to keep things moving!
Ich is another familiar freshwater fish ailment that is parasitic in nature and relatively easy to spot and treat. Although it is highly contagious, there is a myriad of options from your stockist that can help treat this scourge.
Normally Ice is identified when white fluffy patches appear on the gills, fins, or body of the fish. Your Fantail Goldfish may be seen rubbing its body onto rocks or decor to rid itself of the unpleasant intruder occupying its body surfaces which is a classic indicator.
Flukes, fin rot, fish lice, and anchor worms are all additional parasites that can afflict your Fantail Goldfish community.
Regular and thorough tank cleaning is essential to keeping these issues at bay and eliminating the need for a cure by promoting prevention.
Fantail Goldfish Breeding
If you are looking for a novice level of fish breeding, the Fantail Goldfish is right up there with being one of the simpler species to work with.
As egg layers, they can spawn thousands of eggs at any one time.
Ideally, you would want to have a separate breeding tank with similar parameters, albeit with an elevated temperature.
Choose a male and female, including a spawning mop or other fine-leaved plants that will encourage egg-laying, and watch the magic happen.
Eggs will be laid all over the surfaces provided for the male to fertilize, and once you feel the process is complete, remove the breeding pair to the main tank, or they will consume their brood.
Eggs can be expected to hatch in around 5 – 6 days, and once they are free-swimming and no longer sustaining themselves on their egg sacs as a food source, you can provide them with infusoria, baby brine shrimp, or other prepared fry foods.
Conclusion
Fantail Goldfish are a beautiful rendition of the typical Goldfish we all see as kids. Being a type of selectively bred Fancy Goldfish, they do have some needs that are important to stick to, but they are relatively hardy and easy to care for.
They are popular for a good reason. They stand out in a tank landscape, grow to a formidable size, and are suited to both tank and pond lifestyles.
Peaceful in nature, they make great tank mates for similarly sized Goldfish who are also unaggressive in nature, and they like to get along with others at all costs. Bruisers, they are not!
Attractive, happy to shoal, and be social, they are active fish who will provide endless observational entertainment with their non-stop adventure-seeking.
We recommend the Fantail with great fanfare for a beyond basic Goldfish that’s just a little bit fancy.
