First, you’re probably wondering the difference between a fancy goldfish and a regular goldfish, or what the heck makes it a fancy goldfish per se. There are two main distinguishing factors between a fancy and a regular. First is the tail type, the single tail versus the double tail. A fancy goldfish is known as a double tail whereas a regular goldfish is a single tail.
And it’s just the way it sounds, it is actually a double tail where it splits, and the single tail is just like it sounds there’s just a single tail. Some of the common types of like regular goldfish with single tails, are shubunkin and comet, and fancy goldfish there’s a handful of different types, you got fan tail, bubble eye, Ryukin, Oranda, there are tons of them.
And second, the biggest difference is, a fancy goldfish is a man-made fish. So now that you guys know the main difference between fancy goldfish and regular goldfish, I want to talk to you about taking care of them and setting up your aquarium to the best of your ability.
Fancy goldfish tank size
Step number one to aquarium setup is finding your goldfish tank size, what size tank Should I get? the bigger the better when it comes to fancy goldfish. Goldfish are super messy in general, and you’re going to regret getting too small of a tank, you may have to plan on upgrading. I highly advise you to just get the biggest tank possible.
A lot of people say that there’s a 20-gallon aquarium size minimum when it comes to goldfish. But I would say a 40-gallon breeder at a bare minimum when keeping fancy goldfish.
Fancy goldfish tank set up
Second, on the list would be tank setup. The Goldfish tank setup is actually really easy. As far as gravel or sand, you don’t need either of them you can use a bare bottom tank. A lot of people actually do that because it’s cleaner. I don’t like the look personally but some people would also argue that gravel can sometimes be swallowed by goldfish. I’ve personally never had issues but if you’re worried about that you can always use sand.
Can I add plants to a fancy goldfish tank
As far as plants, goldfish are going to destroy plants. They’re constantly sifting through everything, goldfish get bored and they like to screw with pretty much everything within the tank. They’re going to move around decorations, they’re going to be constantly sifting through the substrate. You’re going to find that plants probably aren’t the best option you could maybe do floating plants but a lot of people say that they actually eat those because goldfish do love eating plants.
Do Fancy goldfish need a heater in the tank?
As far as needing a heater, most of the time in this hobby, you need a heater because most fish are tropical fish and you need to keep them between 78 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. But goldfish are cold-water fish, so you’re gonna save a lot of money on electricity This is awesome. This is a huge bonus for me because I have to pay for so many tanks to be heated. That’s why I love keeping goldfish because I don’t have to heat the water.
You’re going to be perfectly fine keeping your aquarium at room temperature in your house as long as it doesn’t get below 40 or 50 degrees are going to be completely fine. On cold water is actually better for fish as well because it’s not as high in nitrates and it stays better longer, so that’s also a positive.
Which filter do Fancy goldfish need?
As far as figuring out a filter for your aquarium, I would get the biggest filter possible because like I said before goldfish are some of the messiest fish in the hobby, and they’re going to be constantly sifting through your gravel or sand and tossing things up. It’s also going to depend on how messy of a feeder you are, or how much you feed, what type of brands. But, I highly advise the aquaclear 110 filter if you have a decent-sized tank.
Fancy goldfish tank mates
As far as tank mates and what other fish you can keep with your fancy goldfish, I would stick to keeping them with other fancy goldfish. That’s the best because what happens is, fancy goldfish usually have poor eyesight they’re slow swimmers, and if you keep them with other faster swimming goldfish what’s going to happen is they’re going to out-compete them for food.
You might deal with aggression, and I’ve personally tried it and you’re going to have your best odds with keeping them with other fancy goldfish, just please trust me on this.
Alright, that pretty much wraps it up, I’ll tell you the biggest factor when dealing with fancy goldfish care is water parameters. You need to keep your water good for your fish. I highly advise you get a Python water changer. It hooks up to your sink and it’ll suck the water out and you hit a little switch and then it’ll fill the tank. You don’t have to deal with filling the tank with buckets.
Please also note, water changes are huge with goldfish, so don’t forget to make water changes a few times a month.
Hi, my name is Sean, and I’m the primary writer on the site. I’m blogging mostly about freshwater and saltwater aquariums, fish, invertebrates, and plants. I’m experienced in the fishkeeping hobby for many years. Over the years I have kept many tanks, and have recently begun getting more serious in wanting to become a professional aquarist. All my knowledge comes from experience and reading forums and a lot of informative sites. In pursuit of becoming a professional, I also want to inspire as many people as I can to pick up this hobby and keep the public interest growing.
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