Fantail Goldfish Care Guide
The fantail is a twin-tailed, egg-bodied fancy goldfish of relatively hardy constitution, best kept with other fancy goldfish.
Overview
The fantail is a fancy goldfish with an egg-shaped body, a high dorsal fin and a paired (double) caudal and anal fin well divided into two matching halves. It lacks a shoulder hump and serves as the base form for many fancy goldfish varieties.
Taxonomy
- Family: Cyprinidae
- Genus: Carassius
- Scientific name: Carassius auratus (Fantail variety)
Origin
The fantail is a selectively bred ornamental form of the goldfish Carassius auratus, developed in China and Japan. Specimens may carry metallic or nacreous scales, and some develop telescope eyes with age.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 150 L
- Temperature: 10-22 °C (50-72 °F)
- pH: 6.5-8.0
- GH: 5-18 °dGH
- Adult size: 15-20 cm
- Lifespan: 10-15 years
Diet
The fantail is an omnivore. It accepts prepared goldfish flakes and sinking pellets, frozen and live foods, and blanched vegetables. Sinking foods suit its body shape, and feeding roughly twice daily in measured portions supports digestion and water quality.
Compatibility
The fantail is peaceful and a relatively slow swimmer. It is best kept with other fancy goldfish of similar swimming ability; fast single-tailed goldfish such as comets outcompete it for food. It prefers cool water and is not reliably plant-safe. Although generally hardy, it can be sensitive to prolonged exposure to low water temperatures.