Things You'll Need
- 36-gallon fish tank Fantail fish Powerful filter Aquarium heater Basic Test kits Tropical fish food
Instructions
Identify the Fantail Goldfish
Take into account its bright, variable coloration. This varies widely in different shades of reds, oranges, white and black, depending on the scale formation and pigmentation of each specimen.
Identify the fantail goldfish by its characteristic flowing, twin tailfin. It has double anal and caudal fins, with a dorsal fin that is held high. The male fantail develop white tubercules on their gill covers and the leading rays of their pectoral fins.
It has a compact, rounded, body shape and grows to about 6 inches (16cm).
Ideal Tank Conditions
Obtain a 20-gallon (or larger) fish tank for your fantail goldfish. Increase this size by 10 gallons for each additional fish that you will have in the tank.
Clean your tank and fill it with room temperature water. Allow the tank water sit for twenty-four hours before you put in your new fish.
Invest in a powerful filter, because goldfish tend to release a lot of waste. Do a water change of 1/3 of the tank water each week to maintain the water quality.
Install your heater in the fantail's aquarium. Set the heater to maintain water temperatures between 40 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit (4 to 25 degrees Celsius).
Use the test kit to maintain water conditions at slightly acidic a pH range of 5 to 19 and dGH range of 6.0 to 8.0.
Spread your gravel substrate in the tank. Make sure that the gravel is pea-sized or larger, otherwise the goldfish may swallow some accidentally.
Add aquarium decorations as desired. If you want to have live plants, select hardy varieties, because goldfish tend to nibble on them. Hornwort, vals and anubias are a few hardy plants to consider.
Feed your fantail goldfish once a day. Provide only enough food as the fish can eat within five minutes. Provide high quality goldfish flakes or pellets, as well as frozen or freeze-dried brineshrimp, bloodworms or tubiflex worms. They are omnivorous and will also eat leafy vegetables such as collard greens and lettuce, as well as cucumber and peas.
Provide your fantails with some tank companions, which should ideally be fellow slow-swimmers like blackmoor goldfish, pearlscale goldfish, ryukins and other fantail goldfish.