The comet goldfish is one of the oldest and best known variants of the common goldfish.
For anyone who hasn’t seen a well cared for goldfish, it may come as a surprise that they can grow to enormous sizes. Anyone who has ever has the chance to see my goldfish tank always assumes they are some type of koi, and are shocked when I tell them that they’re regular goldfish. (One of which was a rescue from a carnival.)
Because of their aquarium busting size, they should only be kept in the largest tanks, although they can be kept in smaller tanks while they’re still very young.
It’s important to remember that goldfish are cold-water fish, and will do best if kept in a cool room. They should never be kept in a heated tank or in an overly hot room. If their tanks temperature gets too high, it may result in permanent nerve damage to the goldfish.
Since comet goldfish require coldwater, they should never be kept with tropical fish, as the tank will either be too warm for the goldfish, or too cold for the tropical fish. Some good tank mates are gold barbs, loaches and some people have had success with zebra danios. But the danios will nip at the goldfish if they aren’t kept in a school of at least six, and some are nippers regardless, so add danios with caution.
Getting comet goldfish to accept food is not difficult – they will eat nearly anything that will fit in their mouth. With that being said, feeding them properly is what can be more difficult.
In the wild goldfish are omnivores, and they feed on plant matter, algae, insects and small crustaceans. But their diet is primarily composed of plant matter and algae, and it’s important to replicate this in the home aquarium.
- Species – Carassius Auratus
- Common Name – Comet (red & white)
- Origin – East Asia
- Diet – Herbivour
- PH Range – Alkaline 6.5 – 7.5
- Water Type – Hard
- Temperature – 10-24
- Breed Type – Egg Scatter
- Current Size – approximately 5cm (Grows to approximately 30cm)
- Sex – Un-sexed