Goldfish!

[freckles and boo]

Love the plants in your pond!

Thanks. There are (were) also some taller, rush-like things in the back but they took a beating during the summer. I think the waterlilies are the only really hardy plants I had in there. The fish will get a new friend or two in the spring.

 

[Nomi]

Thanks. There are (were) also some taller, rush-like things in the back but they took a beating during the summer. I think the waterlilies are the only really hardy plants I had in there. The fish will get a new friend or two in the spring.

Very nice. I must ask, does your fish eat the waterlilies?

 

[freckles and boo]

Very nice. I must ask, does your fish eat the waterlilies?

The fish nibbles a bit. But when the water was warmer I was feeding it fish pellets so it wasn't hungry enough to do any damage.

 

[Nomi]

Here are some more Ryukins (Like the fish I posted before). They all come from the gallery at goldfishconnection, and sadly, none of them are mine (they do not ship to Canada).

(completely symetrical, with a nice teardrop on the hump. Very nice).

Awesome coloring on this one. Not quite tri-color, not quite calico.

Very nice calico (I prefer my calicos with lots of black and color and just a bit of white).

A Red/Black, though black (except in calicos and purebreed moors) usually fades.

A chocolate/red/black tricolor, very cool (and a very nice fish).

 

[clarabelle]

what color do you call the one in your siggy??

 

[Nomi]

what color do you call the one in your siggy??

Both in my sig are bicolor (red/white, a pearlscale and a telescope). Orange is called red, though yellow is called gold or just yellow.

The telescope used to be a tri-color, but as she got older and bigger the black faded. Here is an old picture of her (when they have their checkups in smaller containers I take a picture):

 

[Nomi]

Here are some lovely orandas, from goldfishconnection again. Orandas have a body like a ryukin or a fantail (both are acceptable) and have a head overing called a 'wen'.

A redcap oranda.

Just look at that face! Adorable!

A good reference for the size of most of the fish I post. give or take and inch or two.

 

[Nomi]

Ranchus! Ah yes, the mighty ranchu, often called the King of all goldfish. Some exceptional ranchu are the most expensive goldfish, some specimens fetching thousands of dollars. Ranchu have a clear and smooth bach, nicely curved at an angle to small tail fins, and have a wen covering their face. There are two large categories of ranchu, being the top view ranchu (bred to be viewed from the top, as in a pond) and a side view ranchu. And they are my second favorite type of goldfish.

And, to top everything off, they are completely adorable!

 

[clarabelle]

They are cute
I never knew goldfish had such sweet faces.
If you were going to the fish store and wanted something a step more interesting than the "common goldfish" but still inexpensive -what would you recommend?

 

[Nomi]

They are cute
I never knew goldfish had such sweet faces.
If you were going to the fish store and wanted something a step more interesting than the "common goldfish" but still inexpensive -what would you recommend?

In most pet stores the fish are only going to cost a few dollars to maybe 20 (it's rare to find high end goldfish in a store).

Fantails are probably tour best bet, as they have the typical double tail of most fancy goldfish and can be quite stunning, and are often very inexpensive. They, like all fancy goldfish, need a minimum of 10 gallons as opposed to the 20 gallons of a common. They can also be quite beautiful, with long and flowing fins.

You can also find cheap orandas, lionheads and ryukins.

 

[kacaju]

OK I just have to ask...how do you go about finding out where these fish shows are? AND...more important..do pet store goldfish come from goldfish mills like pet store puppies come from puppy mills??

 

[Nomi]

OK I just have to ask...how do you go about finding out where these fish shows are? AND...more important..do pet store goldfish come from goldfish mills like pet store puppies come from puppy mills??

To find goldfish shows I suggest a good search (goldfish show + your area) or going to check out the American Goldfish Society website: http://www.americangoldfish.org/

The goldfish in pet stores are often the culls from goldfish breeders (ones they don't want to keep/breed/raise/sell themselves), from everyday people whose goldfish happened to breed, or from people who breed the goldfish for the pet stores. In my knowledge, there are no 'goldfish mills', but for better quality and healthy (due to the universal filtration/new fish always coming in, fish from pet stores almost always come with a disease attached, which is why a period of quarantine when brought home is important) it is better to buy from a good breeder or from a good goldfish dealer.

 

[ProudMomTo3Boys]

I never knew there were so many different goldfish. I really only thought that the ones you win at the carnival were the only ones. Ya know, the kind that are only supposed to last 2 weeks. Well my son won one at the carnival in June of 2007. The darn thing is still alive. Now he did win it at the Church carnival so I guess he is blessed.

 

[Nomi]

I never knew there were so many different goldfish. I really only thought that the ones you win at the carnival were the only ones. Ya know, the kind that are only supposed to last 2 weeks. Well my son won one at the carnival in June of 2007. The darn thing is still alive. Now he did win it at the Church carnival so I guess he is blessed.

Ha, they only last two weeks because often people have no idea how to take care of goldfish (and the fish are never in the best condition), and simply put them into a bowl or a small tank. (The type in carnivals need at least 20 gallons per fish). They do make good pets though, getting over 15 inches long and living for 10-20 years in the right conditions.

 

[Nomi]

A very nice black moor with amazing fins.

Sorry there are so many, but thats just because they are my favorite.

 

[Nomi]

Eeep, my computer is being weird.

Here are the rest:

 

[clarabelle]

very pretty and sort of soothing
It makes a nice change from the political threads

 

[Nomi]

very pretty and sort of soothing
It makes a nice change from the political threads

Yes, pretty fish do help calm people down and make them happy. They are a huge stress reliever.

 

[EpcotSweetHrts0512]

I want to get a goldfish, but we don't have room for a large fish tank in our home. So are goldfish ok by themselves or are they supposed to be with other fish, like in a school? Trying to research for the future!

 

[Nomi]

I want to get a goldfish, but we don't have room for a large fish tank in our home. So are goldfish ok by themselves or are they supposed to be with other fish, like in a school? Trying to research for the future!

This seems to depend on the individual fish. But most do very well by themselves. One fancy goldfish will do very well in a well filtered 10 gallon (commons, comets and other pond fish need 20 gallons and are, well, pond fish). If 10 gallons is still too big, you could always get a betta and a 3-5 gallon tank.

Here is a good site for anything you want to know about goldfish, the forum is quite helpful too: http://kokosgoldfish.com/ . There are a handful of other goldfish forums/care sites on the internet as well.

Remember to cycle the tank first (takes about a month) before you get your fish.