Species Profile

Fantail Goldfish

Carassius auratus var. fantail

GoldfishpeacefulLong-finned

Adult size

8″

Minimum tank

30 gal

Temperature

65–75°F

6.5–8

Schooling

Solitary OK

Water level

mid

Grows from juvenile

Typically sold at ~1.5″ and reaches 8″ over ~2 years. Plan tank size for the adult, not the fish at purchase.

Diet

Sinking pellets, blanched veggies, frozen

Notes

The classic starter fancy with a twin tail fin; hardiest of the fancies. More forgiving of beginner mistakes than oranda, ranchu, or pearlscale. Pair with other fancies in 30gal+; never with single-tailed comets or commons.

Build a tank →Photo credits

Photo: ProjectManhattan / Wikimedia Commons · Source · CC-BY-SA-3.0