Fancy Goldfish - A Beginner's Guide
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goldfish are highly in demand by passionate hobbyists who want exotic,
exciting, unique gold fish to adorn their homes and yard.
Whether it be a corral reef in your sitting room or an ornamental pond
in your backyard, any goldfish keeper can enjoy the pleasures of
growing fancy goldfish.
Goldfish care is important too, as many of these special breeds of
fancy gold fish have preferences and requirements which are mandatory
for their survival.
Before getting into goldfish care, let's take a quick look at the
kinds of fancy goldfish - Oranda goldfish, the Japanese Pompon,
Shubunkin goldfish, the Comet tail, fantail gold fish, veiltails, the
Lionhead goldfish and Black Moors.
Fancy Goldfish #1 - Oranda gold fish
The Oranda also has warty growth covering its head, most pronounced on
the forehead. The hood becomes visible at approximately 6 or 7 months
of age.
Colors of the Oranda goldfish vary and include combinations of red,
orange, white, yellow, gray, blue and black.
Fancy Goldfish #2 - Japanese Pompon
The Japanese Pompon has a body similar to the Oranda gold fish and has
fleshy appendages or pompons hanging from its nostrils. The growths
from its nostrils move noticeably when the goldfish swims.
Fancy Goldfish #3 - Shubunkin Goldfish
Shubunkin is a handsome matt gold fish that was first bred in Japan in
1900 and later introduced to Britain.
The background color is usually bright blue, with patches of intense
black, red, gold and brown. The translation of Shubunkin is 'red
brocade'.
In the U.K., two varieties of Shubunkin goldfish have been developed -
the 'London' and 'Bristol', both of which have similar coloration but
different finnage.
Fancy Goldfish #4 - Comet Tail Goldfish
Comet tail goldfish was developed in the United States at the end of
the 19th century. The comet tail gold fish is red, or red and white,
in color and the scales are metallic.
Fancy Goldfish #5 - Fantail Goldfish
A plump, oval bodied goldfish, the fantail is one of the more fancy
goldfish varieties which will live in both the aquarium and outdoor
pools.
Fantail goldfish are found in both matt and metallic versions, the
latter often having the coloration of the Shubunkin goldfish.
Fancy Goldfish #6 - Veiltail Goldfish
Veiltail fancy gold fish first appeared in the U.S. as a variation of
the Japanese fantail goldfish.
The Veiltail goldfish is one of the less hardy gold fish and should
not be kept in an outdoor pond or in cold water (below 10 C).
Veiltails require more protein and so should be given a considerable
amount of live food.
Fancy Goldfish #7 - Lionhead Goldfish
The Lionhead gold fish has a strange wart-like growth covering its
head. This becomes visible around 4 months after birth. To support a
good 'hood', fancy goldfish with broad heads are preferred.
Lionhead goldfish are available in matt and colored forms. The
Lionhead is very delicate and often unnecessarily kept at high
temperatures deliberately.
Fancy Goldfish #8 - Black Moor Goldfish
The Blackmoor gold fish appears only with telescope eyes. In fact,
black color seems lnked genetically to telescope eyes. No all-black
goldfish with normal eyes have been found.
The Black Moor is similar in finnage to the veiltail goldfish and
fantail goldfish. These fish are very delicate and cannot be kept in
outdoor ponds.
Apart from these 8 kinds of fancy goldfish, there are other exotic
varieties like the telescope-eyed goldfish, the celestial gold fish
and the bubble eyed variants.
Each form of fancy goldfish has unique requirements and
characteristics, requiring a good understanding of their needs so that
you can take good care of your goldfish.