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Scientific Name |
Carassius auratus |
| Type |
Cyprinids |
Family |
Cyprinidae |
Subfamily |
Cyprininae |
Other Names |
Gold Fish |
Minimum Tank Size |
Small Goldfish - 10 gallons
Large Goldfish 40 gallons |
Tank Level |
Med-dweller, but does visit all levels |
Care |
Easy |
Behavior |
Peaceful schooling fish. Messy, produces a lot of waste. Should have some type of extra aeration, as the have high oxygen requirements. Makes a great bottom scavenger. May up-root plants. |
| Compatibility |
Gets along well with other non-aggressive fish. Does best with other goldfish, but can live with other peaceful fish species. Goldfish put off a lot of ammonia. While goldfish can handle a higher level of ammonia, this level can kill other types of fish and must be taken out of the water. If you are going to keep goldfish with other fish species, be sure to monitor your ammonia levels. Goldfish do not like ammonia and prefer a clean filtered tank. Great social, community fish, however, since they prefer colder temperatures, they do best with other goldfish who can also live in these cooler temps. |
Life span |
20 years |
Size |
Adult can reach up to - 23 inches (59 cm) |
Aquarium |
Likes to eat live plants, so fake plants are ideal if you do not want your plants eaten. Gentle circulation. While they can live in a small bowl. they do best with a larger aquarium with a filer system. They do not need a heater in an indoor aquarium. |
Water chemistry |
Freshwater |
pH |
6.0-8.0 |
Hardness |
dH: 5 - 19 (soft to hard) |
Temperature |
Considered a cold water fish. Ideally they like 50° - 70° F (10° - 21° C). A goldfish can live in waters just above freezing. There are many goldfish that live in outside ponds, and so long as the water does not freeze, it can survive the winter. They do not particularly like tropical temperatures, and will not be as healthy, but they can survive. |
Feeding |
Omnivore (Animals who eat both meat and vegetables) Flake foods (green flakes) Does best on a special goldfish diet, which can be purchased at your local pet store. They do not tolerate tropical fish food very well, as they do not have a stomach. Their food is absorbed as it travels through their intestines. Goldfish food has a higher alkaline content than tropical fish food. Feed flake foods, everyday and give brine shrimp (either live or frozen), tubifex worms, blood worms, and daphnia only as a treat. Freeze-dried foods are recommended over live foods to avoid introducing bacteria and parasites into the tank. |
Sexing |
During the breeding season males develop white pimple like bumps called breeding tubercles on their gill covers and on the leading edge of the pectoral fins. These are used for stimulating the female to release her eggs. Pregnant females develop a deeper body when they are full of eggs (roe), and they also have a larger vent, which is located right before the anal fin. |
Breeding |
Egg Layer |
Origin |
China, parts of Siberia |
Extras |
The most common cause of death in a goldfish is over feeding. Their colors depend on the environment they are raised. For example, pond and river goldfish are usually duller in color than the goldfish raised in a bright fish tank. |
