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

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
My brother's fantail (Sharkie) died last month. Sharkie was about 2 inches long! I don't think a fantail is supposed to grow that big. Another one, (Sam) died this mornig. She was suffering from a disease. It made her bleed on the inside. It was gross and she was completely pink. We don't know what it was so I was searching and stumbled upon this site. We miss our babies! Emily 2009-09-30
I bought my first fantail 3 years ago along with a fish bowl. Now I have the bowl plus a 5 gallon tank, a 10 gallon tank, a 30 gallon tank, and 6 Fantails. I highly recommend these wonderful pets to anyone. They are beautiful, easy to care for, and they all have their own personality. Oscar, Felix, Pennie, Junior, Barbie, and Ken...... bobby 03/02/2009 Bobby 2009-03-02
I just got two goldfish and one's biting at one goldfish I've had for 4 months now and I don't want to take him back. Anonymous 2009-03-01
I had just bought 2 fantails and put them in the kitchen and when I came back home the male died from heat. So an advice, keep fish at a cool temperature. Anonymous 2009-02-19
My roommate and I recently bought two fantails. One of them is so huge we named him Goliath, the other is smaller and gorgeous and loves to dance so we named her Esmerelda. We originally had them in a fishbowl, but Esmerelda kept doing this thing where she wouldn't move or she would swim upside down. Quite frankly there were several times I thought she was dead. This behavior stopped immediately when we moved them into a larger filtrated tank. If your fantails are looking down, chances are you need to get them a bigger tank so they have more room to flip their fins! Oh, and remember, accessorize, cause that is the key to a long, happy life for your fantails! Magenta and Eileen 2009-01-20
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!
I love my Fantail, he/she is definitely one of my favorites, I have quite a collection of fish going right now, but my Fantail is my favorite to watch and he/she is just so gorgeous! This site was very helpful. I didn't know much about them. He/she will get very good goodies in the near future! Veronica 2009-02-14
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

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Author: David Brough. CFS.