Animal-World > Freshwater Fish > Goldfish > Veiltail Goldfish

Veiltail Goldfish

Family: Cyprinidae

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Carassius auratus auratus Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy Bob

   The graceful Veiltail Goldfish is one of the most beautiful goldfish, with wispy long flowing fins it looks like an Angel!

   The Veiltail Goldfish is one of the most gorgeous of the goldfish varieties, but it is also one of the more rare. It is delicate and rather difficult to breed and even more difficult to breed true. Rather than having the long slender body of the Common Goldfish or the Shubunkins, the Veiltail Goldfish is one of the more rounded or egg-shaped fancy gold fish. They were developed in Philadelphia in the late 1800's, derived from the Japanese Wakin, an elongated double-tailed goldfish. These became known as the Philadelphia Veiltail Goldfish in the early 1900's. Another name they are called in Asia is the Feather-dressed Long Finned Man-yu.

   These fish are similar to the Fantail Goldfish but have a rounder body and extremely long delicate looking fins. Their double caudal (tail) fin and anal fins are well separated. Like the Fantail their dorsal fin is held erect, but on the Veiltail Goldfish it is quite long and can grow to over 2 1/4 inches (6 cm), making it more subject to injury and infection. With their much rounder shape they have an extremely distorted swim bladder which is subject to chill. The distorted swim bladder along with their extremely long fins make them a rather delicate goldfish. They can have any of three scale types and so can be acquired in a solid red or orange, variegated colors, or calico.

   To have a Veiltail Goldfish is to have an aquarium graced with one of the most beautiful and impressive fish, but it is important to understand what this fish needs to keep it well. This goldfish has the ability to live at colder temperatures, but it is a rather delicate fish and is not recommended for beginners. Its swimming ability is cumbersome because of its rounded body, and its distorted swim bladder is subject to chill. The delicate fins are also subject to injury and subsequent fungal and bacterial infections. Many of the elongated goldfish varieties like the the Common Goldfish, Comet Goldfish, the Shubunkin, are not really good companions for the Celestial Eye Goldfish because they are fast swimmers and too competitive during feeding time. Better tank mates would be the less hardy Celestial Eye Goldfish, Water-Bubble Eye Goldfish, Telescope Goldfish, and Lionhead Goldfish. It won't win any races, but if kept with other slow-moving varieties the Veiltail Goldfish should get plenty to eat and do well.

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 Veiltail Goldfish was developed in Philadelphia in the late 1800's, derived from the Japanese Wakin, an elongated double-tailed goldfish. 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 Veiltail Goldfish is an egg-shaped variety of goldfish. The body is short and stubby, and the head is wide. Though it is similar to the Fantail Goldfish, its body is rounder making for an extremely distorted swim bladder. The main features of this fish are its long delicate looking fins. Their double caudal (tail) fin and anal fins are well separated. Like the Fantail their dorsal fin is held erect, but on the Veiltail Goldfish it is quite long and can grow to over 2 1/4 inches. They can have any of three scale types and so can be acquired in a solid red or orange, variegated colors, or calico.

Size - Weight:
   The Veiltail Goldfish will generally reach about 6 - 7 inches (15 - 18 cm), though about 3 - 4 inches (7.5 - 10 cm) of that length is the tail.

Care and feeding:
   Since they are omnivorous, the Veiltail 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. When it comes to feeding they are slow swimmers, they will not thrive well with fast competitive tank mates.
   The Veiltail Goldfish are not considered a good beginner fish. Though they have the ability to live at colder temperatures, its distorted swim bladder is subject to chill. The delicate fins are also subject to injury and subsequent fungal and bacterial infections. 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 Veiltail Goldfish can tolerate temperatures a few degrees above freezing, as long as the cooling drops only a few degrees a day. Keep in mind that their swim bladder is sensitive to being chilled and 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 Veiltail Goldfish, along with many other egg-shaped goldfish like the the Bubble Eye Goldfish, Telescope Goldfish, Celestial Goldfish, and Lionhead Goldfish are all slow swimmers. 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 if she is carrying eggs.

Breeding/Reproduction:
   Veiltail Goldfish are egg layers that spawn in the right conditions. However they are difficult to breed, and especially difficult to breed true to type. They need to be kept in cold water during the winter, and then gradually increase the temperature in about March to 50° F (10° C) to bring them into breeding condition. At this point clean their environment and give them good quality goldfish flake food along with frozen brine shrimp and bloodworms. Some breeders suggest you treat them for parasites. Then further increase the temperature gradually to 65° F (18° C). For best fertilization, have a ratio of one female to two males. See Breeding Freshwater Fish - Goldfish for more information on breeding Goldfish.

Availability:
   The Veiltail Goldfish are fairly rare and they are usually a bit more costly than most fancy types of goldfish.

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Latest Comments
I think I saw one mixed in with an assortment of fancy tailed goldfish so it was really cheap. It would have been stunning if it hadn't had some crumpled fin, as though it had once had some fin damage or disease. It was a pet shop on Broadway in Salem, NH. It reminded me of goldeen from my friends' nephew's poke'mon game. -Alicia alicia 2009-03-08
I think I saw one of these at the pet shop the other day(SeaWorld Pet Center in Salem, NH on Broadway across from D'Angelos) it didn't have the greatest fins, they were somewhat crumpled which was why I passed it up. Although if it had possessed straight fins my god would it have been gorgeous! It reminded me of the goldfish in pokemon that a friend's nephew showed me. It was in a tank for pretty darn cheap too with assorted other fancy tails. alicia 2009-03-06

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Author: Clarice Brough, CFS.