Comet Goldfish?

[LovelyChaos 869]

Are the comet goldfish at petco, you know the ones that are packed into a feeder tank and sold for 15 cents, the same comets that get really long tails and get pretty big? They are from the same Carassius genus in the Cyprinidae family as Carassius Auratus? I ask because I am confused as to why they are sold as feeders...... Goldfish are wonderful )': I also need to know so I can determine what I need to do when they get too fast for my Telescopes and Orandas.

Edited August 14, 2012 by LovelyChaos

[Akari_32 18]

Comet are comets

[number20121 2,663]

Yes, feeder comets and commons are just simply very young comets and commons. They are not bred for perfection though and many of them have flaws such as bent spines, deformed fins, mouths etc, but overall they are the exact same type fish.

They are sold as feeders because they are very cheap to produce, but many people advice against using these as feeders because they are not a high quality food source for carnivorous fish, and often carry diseases.

[shakaho 6,312]

If you look in the feeder tanks at Petsmart, you will see that some of the fish have short tails with rounded lobes (commons) and some have long tails with pointed lobes (comets). The comets' tails will get longer in proportion to their bodies as they mature. Some people say that the tiny fish with exceptionally long tails are stunted and will always be small fish. That may be true in some cases, but I picked out the tiniest fish with very long fins, and she has grown into an average sized fish with a tail longer than her body already at two years old. Get the fish when they first arrive. The 13 cent fish at my Petsmart arrive very healthy and vigorous. The overcrowding in the tank leads to a rapid deterioration in their health. I have bought a dozen or so of these fish and all have grown up to be beautiful. I have seen many fish at Petsmart with deformed mouths and fins, but none of them were in the feeder tanks.

I now see you were asking about the fish at Petco. The Petcos here all call both commons and comets "comets," so only the ones with long tails will grow up with long tails. I would not buy a fish from the feeder tanks at Petco. I have seen them dump newly-arrived fish into the tanks. They are already in terrible condition, and they go downhill fast. The stores may be different in your area. Actually, Petsmart is the only store I have seen with consistently healthy "feeders," and that includes expensive fish stores. Now is a good time to check Craigslist for goldfish. The spring babies are now getting big and many are free.

The only way a comet will become "too fast" for your orandas and telescopes is if it is hogging all the food or bullying the other fish. This is something you can easily see. It's not a matter of time. Some fish are mellow, some are bossy, and a very few are hostile.

Do you have the tank space for more fish?

[LovelyChaos 869]

If you look in the feeder tanks at Petsmart, you will see that some of the fish have short tails with rounded lobes (commons) and some have long tails with pointed lobes (comets). The comets' tails will get longer in proportion to their bodies as they mature. Some people say that the tiny fish with exceptionally long tails are stunted and will always be small fish. That may be true in some cases, but I picked out the tiniest fish with very long fins, and she has grown into an average sized fish with a tail longer than her body already at two years old. Get the fish when they first arrive. The 13 cent fish at my Petsmart arrive very healthy and vigorous. The overcrowding in the tank leads to a rapid deterioration in their health. I have bought a dozen or so of these fish and all have grown up to be beautiful. I have seen many fish at Petsmart with deformed mouths and fins, but none of them were in the feeder tanks.

I now see you were asking about the fish at Petco. The Petcos here all call both commons and comets "comets," so only the ones with long tails will grow up with long tails. I would not buy a fish from the feeder tanks at Petco. I have seen them dump newly-arrived fish into the tanks. They are already in terrible condition, and they go downhill fast. The stores may be different in your area. Actually, Petsmart is the only store I have seen with consistently healthy "feeders," and that includes expensive fish stores. Now is a good time to check Craigslist for goldfish. The spring babies are now getting big and many are free.

The only way a comet will become "too fast" for your orandas and telescopes is if it is hogging all the food or bullying the other fish. This is something you can easily see. It's not a matter of time. Some fish are mellow, some are bossy, and a very few are hostile.

Do you have the tank space for more fish?

I have a 55 gallon with 2 2-3 inch telescopes and a 1-2 inch oranda. The comets are at 1-2 inches. I have the space now but if they do happen to get too big I may not be able to keep them, which is why I asked (: I do hope the comets I have can live a healthy life. They seem to be full of energy and are already getting bigger. I didn't get them to feed to other fish, just to jumpstart my cycle which I learned is bad so no more of that DX The closest petsmart to me is about an hour drive away so I am stuck with petco or my local fish store -_-

[Sharkbait3 310]

pics of the fish please.............. ............................

[LovelyChaos 869]

http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/soy_mocha_latte/Animals/?action=view&current=DSCN1335.jpg

http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/soy_mocha_latte/Animals/?action=view&current=DSCN1331.jpg

http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/soy_mocha_latte/Animals/?action=view&current=DSCN1333.jpg

http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/soy_mocha_latte/Animals/?action=view&current=DSCN1334.jpg

That is Rowling, Vonnegut (the comets in question) and Lord Jabu Jabu the tiny Oranda.

Edited August 14, 2012 by LovelyChaos

[LovelyChaos 869]

I just learned how to embed

[LovelyChaos 869]

Commons or comets? Either way I do enjoy them (:

[shakaho 6,312]

"Commons or comets?"

It's too close to call at this stage. I've had several like that. The tail length is right for a common, but the tail shape is more like a comet. I've firmly identified some of them as commons only to find a few months later that their tail length had doubled.

[LovelyChaos 869]

"Commons or comets?"

It's too close to call at this stage. I've had several like that. The tail length is right for a common, but the tail shape is more like a comet. I've firmly identified some of them as commons only to find a few months later that their tail length had doubled.

That's what I thought too. I guess we will play the waiting game (:

[Rouen 0]

I work at one of the big chain pet stores so I get to see the feeders that come in. The majority of them are commons, and most of them die before being sold. I've told our aquatics specialist several times that the tank is infected with costia and ich but because they are feeders nobody cares. I rescued a defomed common a couple weeks ago, really didn't expect him to make it, he survived a round of meds, ate like a champ, got a nice healthy glow and vibrant colors. Then I found him dead tonight. I've also got one who's been with me for 5 months and is pushing 5 inches.

RIP little Baloo