Fancy Goldfish

Scientific Name Carassius auratus  Natural Habitat Fancies are not found in the wild. They are the result of selective breeding of the Common Goldfish which in turn was bred from the Crucian Carp around 1,000 years ago  Size Around 6 inches in aquariums although they are reports of Fancies growing to 18 inches in length  Temperment Peaceful with each other, will eat small subtropical fish  Aquarium 60 litres at least but the more the better  Comments Where would we be today without the odd Goldfish or two? The Fancies relative, the common goldfish, were the first fish to be kept around 1,000 years ago in China. Unlike today they were a sign of wealth and royalty, especially yellow strains such as the popular yellow canary Goldfish. So much so that it was illegal in China for anyone other then the Emperor to own the Yellow Goldfish.  Fancy Goldfish are far removed from these fish kept in ancient China however. Years of selective breeding have given the hobby many different shaped and colored Fancies. There are many strains of Fancies available such as the popular Oranda (above,) the Ranchu, Lionhead and Fantail. Most strains of Fancy Goldfish are considered to be rather resilient and the perfect fish for beginners. This is however not the whole case as Fancies grow very large and produce a lot of waste and so require weekly partial water changes and a good filtration system. If this can be provided then they are a wonderful fish to own but it should also be added that some species are not as resilient as others such as the Pearlscale Goldfish. It should also be mentioned that although many Fancies are resilient, they will not stand the cold temperatures of the garden pond as Common Goldfish can. This is due to generations of these fish being bred indoors.  Swimbladder disorder is also common in Fancies but this is easily corrected. Because Fancies have been bred to have a round body, this extra body mass puts a strain on the Fancie’s swimbladder and can result in any air becoming trapped in the fishes swimbladder