Animal-World > Freshwater Fish > Goldfish > Black Moor Goldfish

Black Moor Goldfish

Family: Cyprinidae

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Carassius auratus auratusPhoto © Animal-World: Courtesy David Brough

     The Black Moor Goldfish is basically a black version of the Telescope Goldfish, though the eyes usually don't protrude as far as they do on the Telescope!

     Rather than having the long slender body of the Common Goldfish or the Shubunkins, The Black Moor Goldfish is one of the more rounded or egg-shaped fancy gold fish. The rounded body shape of this beautiful goldfish is enhanced by large bulbous eyes protruding out on the sides of its head, metallic scales that give it a deep velvety black color, and long flowing finnage. Their hardiness and ability to live in cold temperatures makes them ideal pets.They are very popular gold fish and are found in collectors tanks throughout the world.

     The Black Moor is basically a black version of the Telescope Goldfish though its eyes don't protrude quite as far. These eyes have given rise to some descriptive names for this fish, such as the Dragon Eye Goldfish and Black Peony Goldfish. Juveniles are a dark bronze and without the protruding eyes, but as they mature they become black and their eyes begin to telescope. Most Black Moors stay black but their color can change with age, ranging from gray to black, or they can revert to a metallic orange when kept in warmer water. Though they once were available with a beautiful veil-tail, the specimens available today will have either a broad tail, ribbon tail, or butterfly tail.

     Black Moor Goldfish along with two other egg-shaped goldfish, the Fantail Goldfish and the Ryukin Goldfish, are recommended for the beginner, but unlike the Fantail and the Ryukin, the Black Moor must not be kept with highly competitive tank mates. These three varieties of goldfish along with the Common Goldfish, Comet Goldfish, the Shubunkin, are all considered good beginner goldfish. This is because they are hardy and can tolerate temperatures a few degrees above freezing, as long as the cooling drops only a few degrees a day.

     For most of these goldfish, their hardiness and ability to live at colder temperatures makes them ideal for outdoor ponds as well. The Black Moor is the only possible exception to this, not because it lacks hardiness but because of its telescopic eyes. Its eyes cause it to have poor vision so it is not a good competitor for food, and they are subject to injury and infection. None of these hardy fish are really good companions for the Black Moor because they are all too competitive during feeding time. Better tank mates would be the similarly handicapped but less hardy Telescope Goldfish, Celestial Goldfish, and Water Bubble-Eye Goldfish.

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

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. 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. Today domesticated goldfish are distributed world-wide.
     The Black Moor Goldfish is a black version of the Telescope Goldfish which was believed to be developed in China in the early 1700's. It was known as the Dragon Eyes or the Dragon Fish. In the later part of the 1700's it was produced in Japan where it is known as the Demekin. The Black Moor is also referred to as the Dragon Eye Goldfish as well as the Black Peony Goldfish and the Black Demekin. It 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 Black Moor Goldfish is an egg-shaped variety of goldfish. The body is short and stubby and the head has large bulbous eyes protruding out on the sides. It has metallic scales that give it a deep velvety black color and it has long flowing finnage. Most Black Moors stay black but their color can change with age, ranging from gray to black, or they can revert to a metallic orange when kept in warmer water. Juveniles are a dark bronze and without the protruding eyes, but as they mature they become black and their eyes begin to telescope. Though they once were available with a beautiful veil-tail, the varieties available today will have either a broad tail, ribbon tail, or butterfly tail.

Size - Weight:      Black Moor Goldfish will generally reach about 4 inches (10 cm), though some hobbyist report their Black Moors reaching up to a whopping 10" (25 cm)!

Care and feeding:      Since they are omnivorous, the Black Moor 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 Black Moor 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. Due to the protruding eyes they have poor vision and a harder time seeing their food, so need extra time to feed. When it comes to feeding, they will not thrive well with fast competitive tank mates.
     Black Moor Goldfish are some of the hardier species of goldfish. They are very undemanding of water quality and temperature. They can do well in a fishbowl, an aquarium, or even a pond if the environment is safe and their tank mates are not competitive. Many people will 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. Be careful when netting these fish, as their eyes are easily damaged.
     Use a gravel substrate. You can add some decor but keep in mind that its eyes are a handicap, and these fish have very poor vision. Make sure that all ornamentation is smooth with no protruding points or sharp edges. Plants would be the best choice but this fish is a digger, so live plants may be uprooted. Artificial plants make a good substitute and silk plants are safer than plastic ones. Other decor, such as smooth rocks or driftwood, should be used sparingly if at all. 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 Black Moor 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 Black Moor Goldfish, along with the Telescope Goldfish and the Celestial Goldfish, are all visually handicapped. They cannot readily compete for food with other types of goldfish so should may not fare well if housed with them, but they will do well housed together. It is really not necessary to add other scavengers or other bottom feeders to the aquarium when you have goldfish.

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 as she is carrying eggs.

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

Buy Black Moor Goldfish From LiveAquaria.com

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

Availability:      The Black Moor Goldfish is readily available and is fairly inexpensive.

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Latest Comments
Laylovv,.. they need water changes too! I have mine in a nice tank with a heater and a filter for him and he is doing great! Also, I have my black moors (2) in with a Gourami, Fantail goldfish and a regular goldfish. Just because they have bad eye sight doesn't mean you have to have them just with black moors or just alone. All fish are different and don't always hold true to the "standards" just like dogs. My black moors are doing great, they chase the others around, dart in between all the decorations and plants. They like to sit back and watch the others pick up the rocks and spit them back out. I love this site...! J. 2010-02-01
HI, I just recently got a moor but how big will it get, I don't really have a big tank. My friends say they double their size in a month! rose 2010-01-25
My black and gold moors were all black with little bits of gold on them but over the months the have now gone all gold and no black left. Is this normal? Holly 2010-01-16
I have a 4 year old Black Moor Goldfish and in the past 3 months, he has started sinking to the bottom belly up. He has a good appetite, what could be the problem with him? Jeni H. 2010-01-11
"If you are too busy to change 20% of the water each week then get a betta" I resent that. I have a betta and you have to completely change their water every week. Please don't post something if you are ignorant. You can still make your point without posting incorrect information. Carly 2010-01-10
Some of the coolest comments:
I have a black moor in with 11 other fancy goldfish in a 680 litre 150 gallon tank, they need huge amounts of room as with all other goldfish and massive filtration too. People who put these beautiful fish in bowls need their heads examined. All goldfish need very large tanks to grow to their full potential or they become stunted. My black moor is now around 6-7inches and they can easily reach a foot long if given proper care. They should also live for 20+ years if given the right conditions. To say a common goldfish can live in 3 gallons is so wrong, they can reach 20 inches long and need more room than fancies. Please people, start researching your pets properly. kelly walker 2009-12-12
I have had a Black Moor for 3 yrs. Now it's huge! I feed him fish flakes and fish pellets daily. Also I have found that in order to keep them 100 percent nonsick and to not have the orange, is to remove the top cap of the tank. Make sure the water is 60 to 70 degrees farenheit. Finally, make sure the tank is getting sunlight (from a closed window) and wait a couple months. I found this when my tank's cap was broken. daniel 2009-11-14
Comments Dr Jungle REALLY Likes to Hear!
We have two Black Moor goldfish and three regular goldfish and they all get along really well. My son loves to feed the fish and he alerts me when he thinks something is not right. The other day he told me he had seen some white stuff on one of the Black Moors, so I took a look. On the tail of the smaller of the two there was white stuff, like cotton. I had never seen anything like that, so I researched it and came upon this site. Thanks to this site, I was able to treat my goldfish and save their lives! RANDY, ALLY AND KRAVEN 2010-01-21
I thought my black moor goldfish, Gamma, was sick. But thanks to this site I realized he is a healthy, happy, fish. Thank you! Emmy 2009-01-24
HI, my husband and I have 2 Black Moors and we totally love them. We don't have any children yet and these two our like our "kids". Blueberry (nickname is Bloob) is the oldest and is about 3 inches including his beautful long tail, and Downy is about 2 inches and a bit chubbier. They have so much personality and get along so well together (they're the only ones in our 10 gallon tank and we plan to keep it that way!). They always swim over to the front of the tank when I am near and they let me touch them...they come right over to me and brush up against me. We have been very careful to keep smooth black sand and only a few silk plants in their aquarium and they have been doing great for a year now! Thank you so much for you website it has given us so much info! blackmoorsmomma 2008-12-16

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