Goldfish are possibly the most popular fish to keep in garden ponds. Here we look at a few different types of the most popular variations. 

Goldfish (Carassius Auratus)

Goldfish are a small domesticated version of a carp native to East Asia. They were one of the first domesticated fish, and are now the most commonly kept water-garden fish species. Like carp, they will accept any pond food.

A pond which contains goldfish should have a depth of at least 60cm.

Yellow & Red Goldfish

Goldfish have been kept as a food fish in China for 1000s of years. It was in the Jin Dynasty (265-420 AD) that colour mutations were first recorded, and in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) it became popular to raise coloured goldfish in ornamental ponds. In 1611 goldfish were introduced to Portugal, and from there to the rest of Europe. They eventually reached America in 1850.

Comet Goldfish

Comet, or Comet-tailed Goldfish, were bred and developed from common goldfish in the USA in the 1880s. They are slightly smaller and slimmer than Common goldfish, and have a long, deep, single forked tail fin which can grow up to 30cm in length.

Shubunkin

Shubunkin are a variety of common goldfish which have been bred with a scale pattern called calico. They are of Japanese origin and were developed in the 19th century. Their calico colouration is formed from a mix of metallic and transparent scales which are pearly in appearance.

Species Information

Maximum Length: 48cm

Common Length: 10cm

Max Published Age: 41 years

Ideal pH Range: 6.0 – 8.0

Preferred Temperature Range: 5°C - 41°C

Fancy Goldfish

There are a number of fancy goldfish which have been selectively bred, mainly in China and Japan. Fancy goldfish are much less hardy than the common goldfish variations, and are mainly kept as aquarium fish. If fancy goldfish are kept in the pond extra precautions must be taken to deter predators, and they may need to be housed in an aquarium during the winter months.Some examples of fancy goldfish are; Black Moors, Bubble Eyes, Oranda, Pearlscales and Ranchu.