Fancy Goldfish Aquascape - Fancy Goldfish Guide 2023

For most fishkeepers, goldfish are what got you into the hobby in the first place. Goldfish are incredibly popular but are often wrongly considered the best choice for beginner fish keepers. Fancy goldfish and common goldfish grow very large and are very messy, they need a large aquarium and strong filtration. After keeping goldfish most beginners move on to keeping small tropical fish and expand their aquascaping knowledge from there. For some fishkeepers, there comes a point where you start to be interested by the idea of a fish focused aquascape. This has led many aquascapers back to their goldfish roots. Recently, there has been a boom in the popularity of fancy goldfish aquascapes being setup by content creators online. It is a pleasure to see fancy goldish in high quality rimless aquariums with a selection of hardy live plants.

Pro tip: Mountain cloud minnows are a far better option for beginners as they stay small and do not create much waste.

Fish Focused:

Focusing on the fish themselves is what first got me into the fishkeeping hobby, then my interest steered toward the overall look of the tank and aquascaping. While you may still appreciate planted tanks and aquascapes there is still a big draw to keep one or two larger fish like fancy goldfish. Goldfish become pets; most people feel more connected to larger fish when compared to say a school of cardinal tetras for example. It’s common to give goldfish a name, they grow large and can live a long time! For me going back to goldfish after 10 years in the hobby is exactly the reset I needed. Focusing on the fish felt like a new experience and when you combine that with a minimalist scape you end up with a fish you love and an aquarium which looks impactful. Unfortunately, going back to goldfish roots is not something all fish keepers are excited about and that is okay. I know a few aquascapers who will never go back to keeping goldfish as they see a tropical aquascape as the pinnacle of the hobby. I believe the artistic expression created through the act of setting up and maintaining a high tech planted tank is second to none. Yet, I still always feel drawn to a completely simple setup with fancy goldfish. This may be due to owning multiple tanks as I can itch both scratches quite easily, whereas if confined to only owning one tank it may be a different story.

The Setup:

Get a large enough tank, 30 gallons is a good starting point, keep in mind they are big messy fish so you will also require very good filtration. For the tank itself, fancy goldfish look great in rimless aquariums. Lighting will not be overly important so most led units will work fine but if you have an aquascaping plant LED laying around then even better! For the substrate, most goldfish keepers go with a medium grain sand, something that is not sharp and not so fine that it clouds the tank if disturbed. Some argue a bare bottom setup is best, and while this will be the easiest to keep clean the tank can look unnatural. The nature behaviour of goldfish is to sift through the substrate looking for food. In terms of the aquascape itself, generally a minimalist look goes a long way with large smooth stones. Although it is true that goldfish do eat most plants, some tough species like Anubias can survive being kept with goldfish.  With regular maintenance a minimalist aquascaped fancy goldfish tank can look incredible. The oranges, reds and whites of fancy goldfish really contrast well against the rest of the tank. There are many varieties of fancy goldfish available, Ryukins and Orandas being my personal favourite. Keep in mind certain varieties have slightly different care requirements, for example black moor goldfish have large telescopic eyes so care must be taken to ensure there is nothing sharp in the tank which could damage their eyes. It is best to feed fancy goldfish a high quality sinking pellet, the occasional deshelled pea will also go down well and aid digestion. Monitored you water quality and stay up top of maintenances and you will have a happy and healthy goldfish for years to come!

AQUAnatur

AQUAnatur was created by an established UK aquarium installation and maintenance company near London which has been running for over 25 years! Our team are very experienced and happy to help offer advice with any aquarium questions. We are always available via phone or email Monday-Friday, feel free to contact us, we would love to help! AQUAnatur supply a range of aquariums and aquascaping products. If you have a question, please leave a comment or contact us via phone or email.

By Alasdair McPhail