Monday 27 August 2007

Fancy Goldfish - A Beginner's Guide

Lately, keeping goldfish as a hobby has become very popular. And fancy 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.





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