Goldfish

We Stock a Great Range of Goldfish for Outdoor Ponds, Including Comets, Shubunkins, Fantails, Calicos, Black Moors and Golden Comets. Goldfish are easy to Care for and are Suitable for Most Ponds. They come in a Range of Colours and Types, Come in and Choose some Today!

Scientific Name: Carassius auratus
Comet / Shubunkin Maximum Size: 20-35cm
Fantail / Calico Maximum Size: 15cm
Comet / Shubunkin Lifespan: 15-20 years
Fantail / Calico Lifespan: 5-10 years
Origin: Native to East Asia
Diet: Omnivores
Breeding: Egg Laying
pH Range: 6.5-8.5

Comets are known as the ‘Original Goldfish’ or ‘Traditional Goldfish’, all other species being a mutation of the comet. They are identified by their long, sleek body and singular forked tail fin. Shubunkins are multi-coloured Comets. Fantails are identified by their short stumpy bodies and double tails. Calicos are multi-coloured Fantails.

Goldfish are a great fish for beginners as they are an extremely easy, low maintenance, fresh-water fish. One thing to take into consideration is having enough room for the fish to thrive and grow. We recommend at minimum a sixty-litre aquarium or 200 litre pond – the bigger the better, especially if you are wanting to keep multiple fish. Goldfish should never be kept in a fishbowl! You can buy goldfish from as small as 5cm, but this does not mean they will stay that size. Goldfish will have a stunted growth, meaning they won’t grow to their full size, if kept in too small a pond or aquarium without any room to grow. It can also cause other issues down the track. Overcrowding can lead to bad water quality, meaning high levels of ammonia and nitrite that can then lead to diseases and even death. So, you will need to be aware of the maximum size they can grow to. They will need space to grow!

Feeding: Goldfish will eat a variety of fish food, we recommend food with at least 30% Protein, such as Saikoh or PondMax Premium Diets. Goldfish can also be fed live or frozen foods such as Bloodworms or Brine Shrimp. They will also happily eat vegetables such as peas and chopped spinach as an occasional treat.

We would describe Goldfish as opportunistic eaters, this meaning they will take any chance they can to get food. They are smarter than what some people give them credit for as these cheeky guys will learn who feeds them and will jump at the chance to get more food by doing what most people describe as ‘beg for food’. During the summer months Goldfish can be fed up to once a day. You can even feed them every second day or less, depending on the pond environment, this will allow them to eat more of what is naturally in the pond. This will help to keep the pond cleaner as they will eat algae and any pesky insects like mosquito larvae. Feeding can also be limited to 1-2 times per week during the cooler months as they are less able to digest food and are less active during winter.

Reproduction: Goldfish will generally start spawning in Spring when the temperature starts to warm up. During the spawning you will notice the males chasing the females. The male Goldfish will ram into the females to encourage them to deposit the eggs. If you find the male Goldfish are being too rough and bullying the females it may be a good idea to remove the females and place them in a separate pond. The eggs are adhesive and will cling to any aquatic plants, rocks or debris in the pond. When spotted by the males they will fertilize the eggs. Eggs can hatch within 48-72 hours. The Goldfish will eat their own eggs and fry so you can either place a lot of aquatic plants in the pond for them to hide in or use breeding mats. The breeding mats make it easy to remove eggs so that they can be placed in another pond.

Gender Differences: It can be quite hard to tell the difference in sex of Goldfish. The easiest way to tell is during breeding season:

1. During the breeding season the males will chase the females around, so obviously the ones being chased are the females.
2. During the breeding season females have wider bodies. In general, females tend to be wider and larger than males, but it isn’t a super accurate way to tell.
3. During the breeding season males have spikey bumps that appear on their gills and pectoral fins.

Introducing Fish: Make sure you have put a Water Conditioner/Chlorine Neutraliser into your new pond before introducing fish. We suggest to not overstock a new pond with fish too soon, the water needs time to balance and age. If you have just filled the pond, you will need to wait at least a week or two before introducing fish!! Keep an eye on new fish for the first few hours after they have been released into the pond to make sure they are settling in well.