Animal-World > Freshwater Fish > Goldfish > Ryukin Goldfish

Ryukin Goldfish

Family: Cyprinidae

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Carassius auratus auratus Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy David Brough

   The pretty Ryukin Goldfish shown here is a captivating novelty, with its very round body shape and calico patterning!

   The Ryukin Goldfish are considered a Japanese version of the Fantail Goldfish. They were developed in from the common Fantail Goldfish and like their Fantail counterpart, they are one of the more rounded or egg-shaped fancy gold fish. The Ryukin Goldfish differs from the Fantail in that they have an extremely high back, often described as a dorsal hump, that starts in the neck region giving them a more pointed appearance to the head, and they have a wider caudal fin than the Fantail. Like all the goldfish with this rounded body they can be susceptible to swim bladder problems.

   The beautiful Ryukin goldfish is available in red, red and white, tri-color, calico, white, and chocolate. The distinguishing feature common to both the Ryukin Goldfish and the Fantail Goldfish are their split or double caudal (tail) fin. A long-tailed version of this fish has also been developed and is called the Fringe-tail or Ribbon-tail Ryukin.

   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 Ryukin 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 Ryukin Goldfish is an egg-shaped variety of goldfish. The body is short and stubby. They have an extremely high back, often described as a dorsal hump, that starts in the neck region giving them a more pointed appearance to the head. They are available in red, red and white, tri-color, calico, white, and chocolate.
   The distinguishing feature common to both the Ryukin Goldfish and the Fantail Goldfish are their split or double caudal (tail) fin. A long-tailed version of the Ryukin has also been developed and is called the Fringe-tail or Ribbon-tail Ryukin.

Size - Weight:
   Both Fantail Goldfish and Ryukin Goldfish will generally reach about 6 inches (15 cm), though some hobbyist report their Ryukins reaching up to a whopping 10" (25 cm)!

Care and feeding:
   Since they are omnivorous, the Ryukin Goldfish will generally eat all kinds of fresh, frozen, and flake foods. To care for your Ryukin goldfish, keep a good balance by giving them a high quality flake food everyday. 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.
   Ryukin 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 Ryukin 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 Ryukin Goldfish, along with the Fantails, 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 as she is carrying eggs.

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

Buy Red and White Ryukin Goldfish From LiveAquaria.com

Buy Red Ryukin Goldfish From LiveAquaria.com

Buy Calico Ryukin Goldfish From LiveAquaria.com

Availability:
   The Ryukin Goldfish are readily available but cost more than other fancy goldfish. They come in red, red and white, calico, tri-color, white, and chocolate, with the red and white variety being the least expensive.  The long-tail varieties are more rare.

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Latest Comments
Hi! I bought 2 ryukins on 18-3-2009! one orange, Lordy and one a bit calico, Lordy. They live with 3 black moors, but Lordy got sick and is now upside down, Poor fish! The other sick black moor died too! Poor fish! Pls pray for them! Hector Lo 2009-03-22
Hiya! I've got 4 beautiful Ryukin Goldfish. My favortie has got to be my Orange and white one called (Marvin) and a tri-coloured one called (beauty). Two of my new ones, which I got on 11-12-08 :), are grey with extra colours called (Spot & Dot). And I have a Baby Choclate Oranda called (Kia). I love them all, hehe! They are really active goldfish. I love watching them :P Hopefully I might get more soon ;). Bye! <3 Gemma 2008-12-12
I've had my Ryukin for about three months now, and I love him to death! He's so fun to watch, and always busily looking for food. I had always heard that goldfish were difficult to keep, but as long as the tank is kept clean, I have found they are very low maintenance fish! The only thing I would recommend for a new goldfish owner would be to get a filter rated for up to twice the size of the tank that you have, and to change the carbon cartridge at least once every two weeks or so. Also, siphoning the gravel once a week is an excellent way to keep your fish happy. Peagreen 2008-03-08
I bought my 1 in. ryukin several days ago and already my 1 in. oranda has been trying to spawn with it. :P ....he's so cool Leigh 2008-02-03
I got three Calico Ryukins this Friday (1-11-08) and I am really starting to enjoy my 42 hex tank! They have really brought it to life! My children all named one so we have: Boo fish (2year olds), Shark bait (10year olds), and Fire or Bubbles (5 year olds). They are really fun to watch and I love that they will eat the food that drops to the bottom. I've always heard negative things about goldfish and was worried about getting them, but went ahead and took the plunge! Apparently goldfish can increase ammonia levels faster than other fish so keep an eye on your water, checking it often. :) Happy fishing everyone! Nicholle Rodriguez 2008-01-14
Some of the coolest comments:
I have one Ryukin Goldfish named Mikan. Mikan’s original size when I purchased him was about 1 inch. I’ve had Mikan for about a year now. However, about 6 months after purchasing him, he out grew his 5 gal. tank, I then replaced it with a 10. gal. tank. He is now outgrowing that as well. My husband and I are going to purchase a 55-75 gal. tank for our gold fish. (No, I don’t think ONE fish needs this much space, but we are planning on getting some friends for Mikan) Mikan is close to 5 inches. A very nice sized Ryukin goldfish. I do believe the largest Ryukin on record is 12 inches. (I hope mine does not get quite this large.) I love my fish, a matter of fact it’s my favorite pet. (don’t tell my 2 dogs, cat, frog, and lizard that though) All and all I would say that out of fish, my Ryukin goldfish has been the most interactive fish I have ever seen. He wiggles to great me and is not shy. Comes to the glass and spends a lot of time savaging loose rocks. I would not recommend a tank smaller than a 20 gal. for a full sized Ryukin. They do grow quickly and they need a lot of space. Also whenever I keep goldfish of any breed, I get a really high quality filter it helps out a lot. Terra 2009-04-19
Comments Dr Jungle REALLY Likes to Hear!
I just bought 2 Ryukin Goldfish--calicos. They are so pretty!! I have them in a 2.5g tank along with a yellow mystery snail and a "sucker" fish. They all seem very happy! I hope I have better luck with these than I did with my others. These are very colorful and very fat! I didn't know what they were until I saw this page. The fish in the picture looks just like my fish!! Wish me luck! Linda W. 2005-05-23

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Author: David Brough. CFS.