Species Profile

Ranchu Goldfish

Carassius auratus var. ranchu

Also known as: Buffalo-Head Goldfish, King of Goldfish

Goldfishpeaceful

Adult size

7″

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 7″ over ~2 years. Plan tank size for the adult, not the fish at purchase.

Diet

Sinking pellets, blanched veggies, frozen

Notes

Eggcup-bodied fancy with no dorsal fin, often called the king of goldfish in Japan. Very slow swimmer; flake floats and stresses them. Feed sinking pellets only. Pair only with similarly-slow fancies.

Build a tank →Photo credits

Photo: Lerdsuwa / Wikimedia Commons · Source · CC-BY-SA-4.0