Good 'Beginner' Fish

[Phil B. 215]

Pardon if this has been covered before, but since i'm new and don't have fish yet, I was wondering if there are any breed of Fancy's that are particularly good for beginners, or any I should avoid. I'm definitely planning to get a Moor, possibly an Oranda, Lionhead or Veiltail if I can find one. Bubble eye is definitely out though as I'd be constantly worried he'd damage himself.

Edited June 4, 2015 by Phil B.

[DieselPlower 2,123]

The less it looks like a plain old goldfish, the more prone it is to problems. Try a fantail. Mine is my best looking fish.

[Kate89 1,315]

The less it looks like a plain old goldfish, the more prone it is to problems. Try a fantail. Mine is my best looking fish.

I agree, fantails are good hardy goldies That's not to say don't get an oranda - they can be just as hardy. If you're going to buy an adult oranda I would recommend choosing one with a more modest wen, huge wens can look cool but can cause the fish problems.

[shakaho 6,312]

I read a comment from a breeder who was bragged that he had veiltails that still swam at 3 years of age.  After a while those heavy tails lead the fish to just sit.  Telescopes lose eyes more often than other varieties, and have poor vision even with both eyes.  If you want a wenned fish, think in advance what you will do if the wen covers the eyes -- trim the wen or make accommodations to blindness.  The shorter and fatter the body, the more likely the fish will develop swim bladder disorder.  I don't mean to discourage you from getting a fish that you find appealing.  With good care, any variety of goldfish has the potential of 5 years or more of healthy life, with poor care you can kill a common goldfish within a month. 

 

I have kept about 40 of my homebred "fantails" to maturity (The quotes are because that is what they look like.  They are "pond mutts" that I found as fry.)   I have lost two of these, one to toxic municipal water and the other to sudden death with no known  cause.  About half of what I have now are four years old and have never had an ailment.  These fish are every bit as vigorous as my commons and comets.  

[Hidr 4,961]

I love fantails.  I have three and they are each stunning.

[jmetzger72 6,976]

I agree with the others.  Fantails are probably the easiest to keep.  However, if you want something more exotic, an oranda, ranchu, ryukin or lionhead would be fine.  Black Moors are prone to cataracts and eye injuries and veiltails tend to have issues with their fins.

[CourtneyandThunder 131]

I have three fantails and love them. They are always on the go!!!

[Arctic Mama 3,627]

The rule of thumb is the less it looks like a common goldfish, the bigger issues it will have - compressed swim bladders, swimming issues, ocular limitations (think Celestials, Bubble Eyes, and Telescopes to a lesser degree).

I love Ranchus and Pearscales, myself, and they're not all created equal. The longer the body the less problems - so among these breeds, if their bodies are shaped more like submarines than golf balls they're going to be less prone to congenital issues and less susceptible to disease. They're not the easiest species to keep, but some are certainly going to be safer bets than others, even among the 'challenging' breeds.

If you're fancying fancies, and Fantail's aren't your preference, I'd humbly recommend Orandas and longer bodied Ranchus next. But as everyone else said, Fantails are going to be the simplest of the fancy varieties.

Edited June 4, 2015 by Arctic Mama

[Niki 203]

just to nudge you more, some of the calico fantails are beauties....I have one myself, he is not perfect (single anal fin, longer body, might be forming a hump...so he might be a mix) but once you own them, you start to really love your own goldfish for its personality and individually...... 

 

Im no goldfish expert but I think in general goldfish are pretty hardy and with proper water maintenance you can avoid a lot of problems.....I have an oranda and a lionhead.....I change about 90% of the water every week so far no problems....

[fantailfan1 26,742]

Fantails!!!!

[Phil B. 215]

Seeing as I'm a born worrier, I'm still confused. LOL. Sounds like all the fancy types have a potential for problems.

[Acro 675]

Sounds like all the fancy types have a potential for problems.

That is correct, as they are simply deformities that are continuously bred for their deformities. 

 

I suggest you check out Rain Garden's Goldfish http://www.raingarden.us/goldfish.htm  as they have a variety of goldfish types that look exotic but are rather easy to care for (I love the yellows!).  The types that should have less potential for problems are: Hibuna, Comet, Shubunkin, Wakin, Watonia, Fantail, and "Other Goldfish". 

 

The other types of goldfish listed can be more problematic.  If I could do it all over again, after 8 years of goldfish keeping, I'd stick to the fish listed above.  I loved the more extreme fish I've kept, but in the end, they were more complicated and probably could have had better lives with out their googly eyes, head growths, and deep/fat bodies.

[Blitz 388]

There's always some sort of risk with any type of fish. The best thing you can do is know the potential risks of the different varieties and then pick a healthy fish that you love.

 

Longer bodied fantails will be less likely to have problems than fish with more compact bodies or other bodily variations like wens or telescope eyes.

[Phil B. 215]

I'd prefer to avoid the larger types like comets. Having a fish tht grows to ten inches just doesn't seen right to keep in just 75 gallons. That's another selling point. I'd prefer if they stayed relatively small, 6 inches or thereabouts. Just so even when they're full grown they'll have plenty of space to move around.

[Hidr 4,961]

Sorry no such goldfish.  They all get big at some point.

[DieselPlower 2,123]

My 2 big guys. White is fantail. Orange is Oranda

Edited June 4, 2015 by DieselPlower

[GoldenSpoiledRotten 6,786]

I'd prefer to avoid the larger types like comets. Having a fish tht grows to ten inches just doesn't seen right to keep in just 75 gallons. That's another selling point. I'd prefer if they stayed relatively small, 6 inches or thereabouts. Just so even when they're full grown they'll have plenty of space to move around.

All goldfish have the potential to get large, and there are none that will stay "relatively small." 

I personally would stick with the singletailed varieties if you worry about not having enough space in your 75 gallon tank. Single tailed fish grow mainly lengthwise, and are more nimble than fancies, who grow in both directions (long and wide) which makes them a little more clutzy. 

 

Keep in mind, though, that either way you are only going to want up to 4 fish in that 75 gallon tank as they grow, maybe fewer.

Edited June 4, 2015 by ChelseaM

[shakaho 6,312]

All varieties of goldfish grow, on the average, to about the same size.  You have long slender, flexible fish that can maneuver through small spaces and are really hard to catch, and short, thick fish with bodies that don't bend who are slow swimmers,  need a wide turning radius and get stuck in tight places.  

 

A 10 inch comet is typically 5-6 inches standard length (not including tail).  It would have approximately the same volume/mass as a typical fancy goldfish with a body ~3 inches long.  Fish biologists describe goldfish as "sedentary."  While youngsters may scoot around the tank, adult fish are pretty lazy.  

[Kayla102968 336]

I've got some cute shubunkin babies of all sorts of colors...even some adorable 'runts'...lol.   Just sayin'  .

[DieselPlower 2,123]

All varieties of goldfish grow, on the average, to about the same size.  You have long slender, flexible fish that can maneuver through small spaces and are really hard to catch, and short, thick fish with bodies that don't bend who are slow swimmers,  need a wide turning radius and get stuck in tight places.  

 

A 10 inch comet is typically 5-6 inches standard length (not including tail).  It would have approximately the same volume/mass as a typical fancy goldfish with a body ~3 inches long.  Fish biologists describe goldfish as "sedentary."  While youngsters may scoot around the tank, adult fish are pretty lazy.

I will agree, my bigger fish do not swim around much, unless I just threw in food.

[Phil B. 215]

My bad guys. I guess I'm confusing Comets with Koi.  But really, I do prefer the fancy, long tailed varieties. Since I really want a Moor, it kinda rules out the fast swimming varieties anyway.

 

As for numbers, i'm not planning to keep more than three. I don't want to deal with the water quality problems that come with overstocking.

 

So basically it sounds like they all involve some level or risk. Mainly I'm looking for what fish I should avoid, that are either super delicate or require a heated tank.

Edited June 4, 2015 by Phil B.

[Hidr 4,961]

Once again to met your requirements you want fantails.  My Shimmer has a really long tail.  I think Bows well too.  Find a healthy baby that already seems to be growing a long tail and grow him to be a large healthy fish.

[Phil B. 215]

Definitely a fantail. Saw a very cute and lively one at the store yesterday when I was picking up supplies. If the tank was ready he would have come home with me.

[GoldenSpoiledRotten 6,786]

Goldfish generally do not require heated tanks, no matter the variety. Some do better with them, but I know that a large number of people on koko's do not heat their goldfish tanks and their fancies do fine.

 

Again, there isn't really a set fish that you should avoid. It's just got to do with what problems you do or do not want to deal with. I think that it was explained extremely well here: 

 

 

I read a comment from a breeder who was bragged that he had veiltails that still swam at 3 years of age.  After a while those heavy tails lead the fish to just sit.  Telescopes lose eyes more often than other varieties, and have poor vision even with both eyes.  If you want a wenned fish, think in advance what you will do if the wen covers the eyes -- trim the wen or make accommodations to blindness.  The shorter and fatter the body, the more likely the fish will develop swim bladder disorder.  I don't mean to discourage you from getting a fish that you find appealing.  With good care, any variety of goldfish has the potential of 5 years or more of healthy life, with poor care you can kill a common goldfish within a month. 

 

I have kept about 40 of my homebred "fantails" to maturity (The quotes are because that is what they look like.  They are "pond mutts" that I found as fry.)   I have lost two of these, one to toxic municipal water and the other to sudden death with no known  cause.  About half of what I have now are four years old and have never had an ailment.  These fish are every bit as vigorous as my commons and comets.  

 

[Phil B. 215]

Thanks to everyone for being so patient with me as I learn the ropes. A lot of dumb questions I know.

 

I guess I misunderstood the heating issue. I was reading and article on Oranda's and it mentioned that they preferred a warmer tank than the average goldie.