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Common Goldfish

Family: Cyprinidae

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Carassius auratus auratusPhoto © Animal-World: Courtesy David Brough

Goldfish are fun! Just look at all the different colors of these beautiful fish!

     The Common Goldfish are colorful, inexpensive, and readily available. For about 90 percent of all aquarists, their first fish were Common Goldfish won at the local faire or obtained from the pet store in town. They can be quite personable and are delightful to watch.

     One of the hardiest of the gold fish varieties, the Common Goldfish are recommended for beginners. They are an easy fish to keep as they are not picky and will readily eat what is offered. They are active and can swim fairly fast. They are also very social and thrive well in a community.

Common Goldfish Comet Goldfish

     The Common Goldfish is very similar to, and sometimes confused with, the Comet Goldfish. The Comet Goldfish is a further development of the Common Goldfish. Both these fish have an almost identical body shape but the fins on the Comet are much longer, especially the caudal (tail) fin, and it is more deeply forked. Also, in the standard orange color the Comet is generally a more reddish orange while the Common Goldfish is more orangish. The adult size of the Comet Goldfish is smaller too. On both these fish the caudal (tail) fin is held fully erect.

     Another goldfish that is almost identical to the Common Goldfish is the 'London' type of Shubunkin Goldfish. Both these fish have virtually the same body and fin shapes, but the London type Shubunkin Goldfish has a totally different body color. While a good specimen of the Common Goldfish will have a bright orange metallic color, this London type Shubunkin goldfish can be speckled or have a variegated color pattern.

     Along with the other elongated goldfish, such as the Comet Goldfish and the Shubunkin Goldfish, Common Goldfish make good pond fish. They are hardy and can tolerate cold water temperatures. They are active and fast and can get along well with Koi, but they will readily spawn so can quickly overpopulate your pond.

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. 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 Common Goldfish is one of the more than 125 captive bred varieties that have been developed.

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 Common Goldfish is an elongated, flat-bodied variety of goldfish. The most distinguished specimen is a bright orange metallic color. The head is wide but short and it has a smoothly tapering body shape from its back and belly to the base of its caudal fin (tail fin). The caudal fin is forked. Its fins generally stand fully erect and the edge of the dorsal fin is slightly concave.

Size - Weight:      The environment the Common Goldfish is kept in is a determining factor on whether your pet grows to its full potential size or is somewhat smaller. In an average 10 gallon tank, if well cared for and not crowded, they can grow up to about 4 inches (10 cm), while in a larger uncrowded tank they can grow larger generally reaching about 7 or 8 inches (17.78 - 20.32 cm). If kept in a spacious pond they can reach over 12 inches (30+ cm), with some hobbyist reporting their Common Goldfish reaching up to a whopping 18" (45+ cm)!

Care and feeding:      Since they are omnivorous, the Common 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 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.
     Common Goldfish are some of the hardier species of goldfish. They 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 Common Goldfish is 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. 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 as she is carrying eggs.

Buy Comet Goldfish From LiveAquaria.com

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

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

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I must say I have learned a lot with "Lucky" my goldfish. He was my starter fish. Well him and two others. But two died. They got sucked up into the filter. Yap...learned my lesson on that one. And truth be told that is how Lucky got his name. He was the only one left. So he was.... lucky. We started him out in a 20 gallon tank. He has had filters, heat and bubbles from day one. Now he is in a 120 gallon tank all by himself. He is about 8 to 9 inches long. Lucky is almost 13 years old now and on January 10th 2010 we noticed he was not his normal self. It is now January 26th 2010 and we have done and are still doing EVERYTHING we can possible think of to help make him better. His symptoms are: laying at the bottom of the tank, pop-eye, trying to swim but he ends up on his side. He was bloated, his scales where protruding and had not went poop in sometime. So we have went from Constipation, to Swim Bladder Disorder, to Dropsy, to Septicemia. And NOW I am at a loss. We have done so much, water changes of 20% or more, at one point we did a complete water change removing all the old rock with new. (He really loves new water)It has been a roller coaster ride with him doing good and then he goes back down-hill again. We added Aquarium Salt to his tank as suggested by a pet store to help pull out the fluid that was causing the bloating. That worked cause now he is skinning. Scales are much better he looks normal again rather than a pine cone. He is starting to now show black spots on his scales. I forget what it was called, but they stated that it is a sign of the fish's body healing itself. He still is very weak. Not swimming around and not beinging able to stay up straight. We have been hand-feeding him for about a week now. It was to the point to where he was laying on his side and we where having to pick him up by hand and lean him againest something, because he couldn't get up by himself. And today was the first day that he has actually trying to chase my hand. (it's cute) it acts as if he is starving. Tonight he has been able to sit up by him self for short periods of time and is becoming more active. He has also got on his side and got his own self up quite a few times tonight without our help. But he is still no Normal Lucky. He swims slowly, and only a inch or so at a time, then he stops and takes a break. He is always at the bottom of the tank. He hasn't tried to swim up in a week. Also I seen about 2 days ago a clear like string about an inch or so long with almost hair like things on it floating in the tank. The tank was just cleaned 100%. And then tonight he was resting against his ship and I went down to feed him and there was this long string like thing that almost looked like feces, but it was red and brown. We have treated him and his tank with Maracyn-Two and also a Gel-Tek Medication Food with Tetracycline. That treatment was completed almost 36 hours ago. At that time it called for a 20 % water change, but with the tank water beinging a yellow color and Lucky doing VERY bad, I decided to do a 70% water change. It has been a little over 24 hours since his water change out. He is showing an inprovement tonight, but I hate to get my hopes up because his health is always changing. Tonights testing showed the Nitate levels at 20ppm. and the Ammonia leavel now is 0.25 ppm. We are trying to get them back down to 0.0 ppm. We have been checking for PH levels as well. Ph Looks good. But does ANYONE have any sugguestions??? Is there something I am missing? Lucky is our pride and joy! With his very own personality! This fish has been through a lot over the years, putting up with us as newbie fish parents. I have to do all that I can to help him. So please if you know of anything, Please help. Elizabeth 2010-01-26
...Ergh. The Goldfish live twice as long as dogs, and can grow over 12". Bragging that your goldfish lived for a year is like bragging that your dog lived for 6 months! You CANNOT keep a goldfish in a bowl, they might survive for a month or two if your lucky, but they WILL DIE! They grow over a foot long; how would they even fit?! Single tailed goldfish need at LEAST a 50 gallon tank with at least a 100 gph filter, but in the end they are POND FISH, not BOWL FISH. Some people say they'll grow to the size of their bowl, yeah maybe. But only on the outside. Their internal organs won't stop growing though and they'll be literally crushed to death on the inside. Lovely, huh? The U.S. is one of the only civilised countries that haven't banned bowls yet. Honestly, some people just shouldn't have animals. LunaWolf 2009-12-31
I've had comets before (but didn't know what kind of fish they were because I was around 9 or 10 then) and have just received 3 new (2in) comets to keep my larger one (about 3 in-a-halfin)company. I have a half circlc shaped tank given to me by a cousin, it's about 11 1/2in long, by 6in (remember, it's a half circle). Plus, there are plants (both plastic and real, just incase one of my sisters forgets to feed them, for we feed them thrice a day). Is that enough room because it looks a bit crowded? And I think we need a filter, because we have something that just blows bubbles, which I think is just stupid, but my mom says that that's how it filters water, it doesn't make sense! Maybe that's why my other 3 fishes from when I was littler died in 2 months! I want these to last at least 2 years! erica 2009-11-01
Well my 6 year old son just won a common goldfish. I put him in like a betta bowl or tall goldfish bowl and I feed him several times a day in small increments. He's doing good but I want to put him in a filtered tank so I don't have to change his water all the time. How much should I change the water until I get him a tank? nearer 2009-10-26
Hey I'm Ally. I just won a common goldfish at the fair (the boy scouts had a booth where you could win goldfish if you won a coin toss game and I WON!) Anyway, I love him (or her, I'm not really sure)! His name is Scallop Elmo (my friend won one too and named her Shrimp Dorothy, so I'm not so crazy). I've been feeding him betta fish food because that's all I have and the goldfish foods costs too much. My friend just loaned me a tank that's a little more than a quart. He's an inch long, and I'm saving up to get a bigger tank so he can grow bigger. He is a proud one week old! Go scallop! Ally 2009-08-07
Some of the coolest comments:
I have a 6 in. betta eating beast of a goldfish named bigfin in my large tank. He is a comet and his tail is so long the back is just a dead weight on him. He loves attention and is no regular fish. He can follow my finger and learns. He learned from my bettas (which have passed away, sadly) and my gouramis what to do if you are tired. He learned from my knife fish that naps are good. They can be 1 hour long. He learned from me that 2+2=4. The only other fish that learned anything is my golden gourami which waves at you when you put your hand against the tank gently. he is about 5 years old. Dustin 2010-01-29
Goldfish must be the most neglected pet ever. I work in a petshop and am constantly bombarded...! One woman came in asking for a goldfish bowl, I told her why we don't stock them and how bad they are for fish. She paused for a minute then said, the garden centre sells them and would she need a small one cos she only wanted 2 small goldfish! I had to bite my tongue, then tryed explaining that goldfish can reach up to 14" and live to around 20 years with the proper care and attention! None of which sunk in, and I know that she probably went to the garden centre where they'll sell anything to make money. I admit I've had my share of beginners mistakes, but my goldfish I've had since I was 5, only passed away 2 weeks ago at a grand age of 15! Also my 1st shubunkin was 10 when he sadly passed on! and I feel they could have been kept better. They were in a 3ft jewel aquarium with only live plants and 1 feed a day, but they could have done with a 4 or 5 foot tank. I took on a new comet goldfish from a man who was moving home and couldn't take poor "sharky" with him. He is almost 1ft in length and is 14 years old, he has a deformed spine and his pectorial fins are tiny, curved up and quite useless! This may have been from a bacterial infection or possibly because his tank was ridiculously undersized! Anyway thats quite enough ranting for one day, the bottom line is don't buy bowls or tiny plastic boxes for goldfish. They need a really good filtered tank, 2ft to start with as long as you're prepared to save up for a larger tank for when your fish grows. Provide live plants for decor an food (they also improve water quality) and always use tapsafe as water companies sometimes add new chemicals to the water. Hope this rant is listened too and acted upon! (big fish need a big tank) cassiopeia 2009-12-28
Comments Dr Jungle REALLY Likes to Hear!
I adopted a small goldfish from an ill relative this summer, did my fair share of newbie errors in the beginning, but now he's thriving with two buddies (veiltails) in a well-sized aquarium. There are a few comments here that implies goldfish cruelty by lack of knowledge, but all in all, it seems like more and more keepers are aware of how to treat their pets and wants for them to be happy. I guess I wanted to point out that we all have to start someplace, even though the best would probably be to gather as much knowledge as possible before adopting a scaled friend... Thanks for providing all this helpful information on goldfish care! anon 2009-09-17
Thank you very much for the informative pages on common and comet goldfish. I bought half-dozen "feeder comets" this past summer to put in a child's wading pool (with pots of emergent aquatic plants) to prevent mosquito larvae. When the cool of autumn arrived, I caught two to put in a 10-gallon aquarium in the house since my poor Plecostoma (Peter) had just passed away :-[. Both are the same color and size, but based on their tails I thought perhaps one might be male ("Bob") and one female ("Fanny"). Even though both were purchased as comets, I now think Bob is a common goldfish and Fanny is a true comet. Nevertheless, since they are both the same species and subspecies, I presume that they'll have no trouble breeding IF (50-50 odds) they DO turn out to be male and female. It would be helpful if there were a closeup photo of the head of a breeding male to illustrate the little whitish thing-a-ma-bobs that would be present. Otherwise, the information provided was very helpful. Thanks again! Tim, age 47 but still a kid 2008-12-07
I am about to get one or two common Goldfish. Your info is so helpful! Thanks! christina 2008-03-09

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