Animal-World > Freshwater Fish > Goldfish > Fantail Goldfish

Fantail Goldfish

Family: Cyprinidae

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Carassius auratus auratus Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy David Brough

   Bred for show, the main distinguishing feature of the Fantail Goldfish is its split or double caudal (tail) fin!

   Rather than having the long slender body of the Common Goldfish or the Shubunkins, the Fantail Goldfish is one of the more rounded or egg-shaped fancy gold fish. These fish are bred for showing and its main feature, the split tail fin is medium in length and slightly forked. To be a good show specimen, the tail fin needs to be completely split with the two lobes being much closer together on top than on the bottom, making it look triangular when viewed from the back. Good show specimens also have a double anal fin with complete separation. Those whose tail fins are not completely split won't win any prizes, but still make great pets.

   Fantail Goldfish are available in several scale types or color. The hardiest and most competitive show type is metallic, a solid reddish orange. Other scale types include nacreous which is speckled, and matt which is a whitish color. The Ryukin Goldfish is a Japanese version of the Fantail, with a highly curved back and a wider caudal fin than the Fantail Goldfish.

   Both Fantail Goldfish and Ryukin Goldfish are recommended for the beginner. Other good beginner fancy goldfish are Common Goldfish, Comet Goldfish, the Shubunkin, and the Black Moor. These fish can tolerate temperatures a few degrees above freezing, as long as the cooling drops only a few degrees a day. Their hardiness and ability to live at colder temperatures makes them ideal for outdoor ponds. The Black Moor is the only possible exception to this, not because it lacks hardiness but because of its telescopic eyes. These eyes cause it to have poor vision so it is not a good competitor for food, and they are subect to injury and infection.

For more Information on keeping this fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium

Dream Aquarium Build your own aquarium The Coolest and Funnest Screensaver in the World.

Distribution:
   The Goldfish, a wild carp originally known by such names as the Crucian Carp, Gibel Carp, or Golden Carp, was described by Linnaeus in 1758. They originated in Asia; Central Asia and China. Today domesticated goldfish are distributed world-wide. These fish inhabit the slow moving and stagnant waters of rivers, lakes, ponds, and ditches feeding on plants, detritus, small crustaceans, and insects.
   In the early 1600's these fish were exported first to Japan and then to Europe and were developed into the wonderful colors and forms of gold fish we see today. The Fantail Goldfish is one of the more than 125 captive bred fancy gold fish varieties.

Status:
   This species is not listed on the IUCN Red List, and presumably there are no wild populations of this captive bred variety.

Description:
   The Fantail Goldfish is an egg-shaped variety of goldfish. The body is short and stubby and the head is very wide. These fish are bred for showing and its main feature is its split caudal fin (tail fin) that is moderate in length and slightly forked. On good specimens the tail fin is completely split with the two lobes being much closer together on top than on the bottom, making it look triangular when viewed from the back. Good show specimens will have a double anal fin with complete separation as well. The tail fin on poor show specimens is not completely split along the top. The Fantails are available in three scale types: metallic, a solid reddish orange, nacreous which is speckled, and matt which is a whitish color.
   A Japanese version of the Fantail, the Ryukin Goldfish has a highly curved back and a wider caudal fin than the Fantail Goldfish.

Size - Weight:
   Both Fantail Goldfish and Ryukin Goldfish will generally reach about 6 inches (15 cm), though some hobbyist report their Fantails reaching up to a whopping 10" (25 cm)!

Care and feeding:
   Since they are omnivorous, the Fantail Goldfish will generally eat all kinds of fresh, frozen, and flake foods. To keep a good balance give them a high quality flake food everyday. To care for your Fantail Goldfish, feed brine shrimp (either live or frozen), blood worms, Daphnia, or tubifex worms as a treat. It is usually better to feed freeze-dried foods as opposed to live foods to avoid parasites and bacterial infections that could be present in live foods.
   Fantail Goldfish are some of the hardier species of goldfish with the metallic scale type (solid reddish orange) being the most durable of the group. Fantail's are very undemanding of water quality and temperature. Many people try to keep goldfish in small one or two gallon bowls with no heater or filtration. But for the best success in keeping goldfish, provide them the same filtration, especially biological filtration, that other aquarium residents enjoy.
   The shape and size of the aquarium is important and depends upon the number of fish you are going to keep. Goldfish need a lot of oxygen and produce a lot of waste.

• A large surface area of water will help minimize goldfish suffering from an oxygen shortage. Surface area is determined by the shape of the tank. For the same volume of water, an elongated tank offers more surface area (and oxygen) than a tall tank. In a fish bowl, filling the bowl to the middle offers more surface area (and oxygen) than filling the bowl to the top. Always provide the maximum amount of surface area.
• Providing a large amount of water per fish will help dilute the amount of waste and reduce the number of water changes needed.
• A general rule of thumb for young fish only is: 1 inch of fish (2.54 cm) per 1 gallon of water. This rule applies only to young fish and is not adequate as they grow. Larger gold fish consume much more oxygen than young fish so maintaining this formula for growing fish will stunt them, and can contribute to disease and even death.
• Keep the tank size and shape in mind when you are buying your fish. To allow for growth, either buy fewer fish than the maximum number of fish (based on the above formula) or be prepared to get a larger tank.

   Because goldfish produce a lot of waste, good filtration is very helpful in maintaining the water quality of the aquarium. Regular weekly water changes of 1/4 to 1/3 is strongly recommended to keep these fish healthy.
   Use a gravel substrate and add some decorations that provide shelter for your pet goldfish. Driftwood and smooth rocks make good, safe decorations; and plants are especially appreciated, either live or plastic. A cover for the tank is desirable as it reduces evaporation and though they are not prone to jumping, on occasion some gold fish will jump out. Most aquariums come with a cover that includes lighting. It is not essential for goldfish, but will help if you have live plants.
   Goldfish are subject to the same diseases as tropical fish. A couple of the more common problems are Ich, Swim Bladder disease, and external parasites including flukes, lice and anchor worms. To learn about these and other diseases and how to treat them see: Aquarim Fish Diseases & Treatments.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
   These fish will swim in all areas of the aquarium.

Acceptable Water Conditions:
   The Fantail Goldfish are one of the most hardy varieties of goldfish and can tolerate temperatures a few degrees above freezing, as long as the cooling drops only a few degrees a day. A quick temperature drop can kill them, so if you live in a very cold climate a heater is advisable.
   Temp: Goldfish are a cold water fish and will do best at temperatures between 65 - 72° F (18°- 22° C)
   Hardness: 5 - 19° dGH
   Ph: 6.0 to 8.0

Social Behaviors:
   Goldfish are very social animals and thrive in a community. Not only are they a great community fish but they are great scavengers as well. The Fantail Goldfish, along with the Ryukins, are some of the only egg-shaped goldfish that can readily compete for food with the elongated goldfish such as the Common or Shubunkin Goldfish, so can be housed with them. It is really not necessary to add other scavengers or other bottom feeders to the aquarium when you have goldfish.
   Most fancy goldfish will thrive in both freshwater and tropical aquariums as long as there are no aggressive or territorial fish in the tank. Some good tank mates for fancy goldfish are the Chinese Blue Bitterling and the Northern Redbelly Dace.

Sexual Differences:
   Although is it impossible to sex Goldfish when they are young and not in breeding season, the male is usually smaller and more slender that the female. In the breeding season the male has white prickles, called breeding tubercles, on its gill covers and head. Seen from above the female will have a fatter appearance if she is carrying eggs.

Buy Fantail Goldfish From LiveAquaria.com

Breeding/Reproduction:
   Fantail Goldfish are egg layers that spawn readily in the right conditions. See Breeding Freshwater Fish - Goldfish for more information on breeding Goldfish.

Availability:
   The Fantail Goldfish is readily available and is inexpensive.

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Latest Comments
In 8 days from now it will be a year since I bought my goldfish. When I bought them I started out with 2 fantails a calico named george (who I now think is a girl) and an all off-white one. At first the white one would chase and seemed to batter george and within a couple of days the white one passed away. I'm not too sure what happened so I waited a couple of weeks and bought george another playmate and just as soon as before, I woke up and the second one was belly up. It was then I decided george was my one and only! Although I would have loved to have 2 fish it seemed 1 was enough for now. George has grown so much and has become a family member. He is absolutely beautiful and so friendly. He knows who I am and goes all crazy when he sees me, it feels great when he/she does that. George's tail is very long, I think show quality, but I'm not too sure how to get into that. I would say they make wonderful pets with proper care and nutrition. George is a wonderful little fish and I hope I have him for at least a little while longer. I would highly recommend them and think they do make people very happy! kat 2008-09-02
I got 2 new fantail goldfish and they are AWESOME! One was red, orange and white and the other one was plain orange. The orange one's name was Goldy and the colourful ones name was crystal. It was about 3 months into me getting my 2 goldfish, and I went to my Grandmas house. I went over night. I came back and Goldy died! I was very very very upset. Two months later my cousin came over and we went on my trampoline, we came back in and crystal WAS STUCK TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PUMP! I don't know how it happened. The good news is my cousin bought me 2 new fish and they are happy and healthy. Darien 2008-08-21
Goldfish like to be with other goldfish and you shouldn't keep only one goldfish alone. Thomas Giordano 2008-08-05
I have recently bought two fantail goldfish. I've had them for about 5 weeks now but 2 and a half weeks ago one sadly passed away. The other has been staring into his/her reflection ever since. I am wondering if someone could help me solve the reason why he/she is doing this. I Thought maybe it was because it was lonely. SO I wonder if I should I buy another fantail goldfish now, or wait until the other has finally come back to normal. Jase 2008-07-29
I have two fantails called dick and dom, but dom just stays on the gravel of the aquarium. I wonder if this is normal behavior, it's as if he's sulking! Rhiannon 2008-07-28
Some of the coolest comments:
When I first got my Fantail Goldfish, I read to them. The goldfish were still in the bag. Strangly, my fish were looking at me like they were listening!! :) Mike 2004-04-23
Comments Dr Jungle REALLY Likes to Hear!
Hey I just got them for 99cents. They were on sale and they rock. I did not know much about them but this site gave me information. tashfiq 2005-12-21
Beng a beginner with aqariums,I purchased a Ryukin,and a Fantail. I had no idea how fast these fish would grow!!! I had originally placed each sepeately in 2 gallon tanks.Within weeks both were growing too fast and are now together in a 10 gallon aquarium. I love them both and wish to breed them eventually. Thanks for all the helpful info this site offered. Jill Jill 2004-05-23
I just started my fish Aquarium it consist of tropical and freshwater fish. It has become a hobby or should I say a habit. I just bought a beautiful yellow Fantail Goldish. I have never seen one Quite like it. I also have a Large Shubunkin and a small Shubunkin, A Pink Kissing Gourami, two African Dwarf frogs,I did have some Ghost Shrimp but I think My large Shubunkin ate them they are in a 55gallon aquarium. They have become my children. by the way I love this site it is the only one I come to, to find out all my aquarium needs me being a beginner at this. Thanks Sincerly Jennifer Jennifer 2004-03-04

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Author: David Brough. CFS.

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