Goldfish - Carassius auratus auratus

Food and feeding
The food for this fish needs to be low in protein but high in carbo-hydrates, this is why it is often best to use specialist goldfish flakes or pellets to feed this fish. It is a voracious eater so the feeds should be kept down to what the fish can eat in two minutes. This should be done twice daily. Shelled peas, some blanched leaf vegetables and bloodworms should also be included in the diet.

Origin
Originally from Asia, this fish is related to the original native brown carps, selective breeding has created the modern gold strains.

Sexing
These can be difficult fish to sex. In spawning mode the males will often display white spots on their gill plates.

Breeding
It is often easier to breed these fish in ponds rather than aquariums but both are possible. The female will lay her sticky eggs on plants and they should hatch in 48-72 hours. The fry are very small when newly hatched but will grow in size rapidly. Their coloration will remain brown like their ancestors, but after 12 months the adult coloration should show through.

Lifespan
Under normal circumstances their lifespan is anywhere between 10-15 years but there are cases reported of these fish living up to 45 years.

Short description
There are many variations to this fish and it has a reputation of being easy to keep. Unfortunately this has often led to its demise as they are sometimes kept in unsuitable tanks. As with any fish, they require optimum water conditions.