Fantail Goldfish Care Guide - Aquarium Tips, Diet & Breeding

Fantail Goldfish are elegant fancy goldfish recognised by their rounded bodies, paired tail fins and broad, flowing double tail. They occur in many colours and patterns, including orange, red-and-white, calico, yellow, bronze and white, with scales that may be metallic, matte or nacreous. Their compact shape and upright dorsal fin give them a distinctive, graceful appearance.

Compared with single-tailed goldfish, Fantails are generally slower and less powerful swimmers. They are usually peaceful, curious fish that learn to associate people with feeding and spend much of their time exploring the open water and searching the substrate for food.

The Fantail is one of the older fancy goldfish forms and has been selectively bred for its short, deep body and split tail. Its exaggerated body shape can make swimming and feeding more demanding than for common or comet goldfish, so it is best suited to companions with a similarly calm pace.

In nature, the wild relatives of goldfish inhabit still or slow-moving freshwater environments such as ponds, marshes, lakes and gently flowing streams. Domestic Fantails are entirely freshwater fish, although their colours, body shape and finnage have been shaped by generations of ornamental breeding.

Fantail Goldfish are a domesticated variety of the Prussian carp, Carassius auratus, whose wild ancestors originated in East Asia, particularly China. The variety was developed through selective breeding and is not found as a naturally occurring wild population.

A suitable aquarium should hold at least 100 litres for one adult Fantail, with roughly 50 additional litres for each further fish. A long tank with a footprint of around 120 by 40 cm is a useful minimum guideline for a small group, although a larger aquarium is preferable as the fish mature. Use efficient filtration with gentle circulation, leave generous open swimming space and provide smooth gravel or sand, avoiding sharp ornaments that can damage their delicate fins. Hardy live plants or silk plants, rounded stones and other smooth decor can provide interest without obstructing movement.

Up to 20 cm (8 inches) in total body length, although many aquarium specimens remain closer to 15–18 cm (6–7 inches). Females are often slightly larger and deeper-bodied than males.

Fantail Goldfish are omnivorous and should receive a varied diet based on a good-quality sinking fancy-goldfish pellet or gel food. Supplement this with blanched peas, spinach, courgette and other suitable vegetables, along with occasional frozen or live foods such as bloodworm, daphnia and brine shrimp. Small, measured meals are preferable to large feedings, and a varied diet helps support healthy growth, digestion and colour.

Suitable companions include other Fantail Goldfish and similarly calm fancy varieties such as Orandas, Ryukins and Lionheads, provided all fish are comparable in size and swimming ability. White Cloud Mountain Minnows and other small, fast fish are generally unsuitable because they prefer warmer conditions or may outcompete Fantails for food. Avoid tropical species, fin-nippers, aggressive fish and common or comet goldfish, which are faster swimmers and can leave Fantails stressed or underfed.

Fantail Goldfish are egg scatterers that can breed readily when mature males and females experience seasonal changes in temperature and daylight. The male follows the female closely, encouraging her to release eggs among fine-leaved plants, spawning mops or other surfaces while he fertilises them. Adults should be removed after spawning because they may eat the eggs. The eggs usually hatch in several days, and the fry require very small foods before progressing to powdered or finely crushed preparations.

Mature females are typically fuller through the abdomen, particularly when carrying eggs, while males are usually slimmer. In breeding condition, males may develop small white tubercles on the gill covers and leading edges of the pectoral fins, and they often show more persistent chasing behaviour.