I had to choose the smily-face emoji...because there is no option for a screwed-up-ready-to-puke face...
Yolo and Boho???
More like Blister and Abscess...
A new start for my main tank?
- Thread starter jjohnwm
- Start date
Doctor (pulling rubber glove onto hand): "Okay, Steve, no need to get excited...just relax..."
Patient (bent over examining table, shorts around ankles): "Uh, doc? My name is Robert..."
Doctor: "I know. I'm Steve!"
Probably the same guy who first bred short-bodies and bubble-eyes...
Patient (bent over examining table, shorts around ankles): "Uh, doc? My name is Robert..."
Doctor: "I know. I'm Steve!"
Probably the same guy who first bred short-bodies and bubble-eyes...
Those are like the most cursed fish in the hobby, out of all the horrifying mutants and mutts those are the worst.
The Goldies, unsurprisingly, came through the winter...dare I say it?...swimmingly. I'm finding myself trying hard to not become attached to them, but they are colourful, active, always on display, fearlessly tame, surprisingly intelligent and aware of what's going on around the tank, and just generally make for a calm and relaxing tank that is wonderful to sit in front of and enjoy.
And they are pigs! We often refer to biomass in our tanks, as though that is the sole deciding factor when comparing ammonia production; i.e. 1 pound of biomass equates to a specific amount of ammonia produced per unit of time. Many critters, such as Oscars, turtles, plecos, etc. are thought of as high-level poopers and ammonia dispensers, but I have always thought that this was simply a product of their usually large sizes and high weights. Now I'm not so sure. It seems to me that a given mass of goldfish produces more waste than an equal weight of many other fish.
I suppose this could be carefully documented and measured and analyzed...but not by me. My casual observations definitely show that a mechanical filter is more quickly clogged by Goldies than by almost anything else. But...how much of that is due to the simple fact that the Goldies are still active and ravenous at temperatures which slow down the metabolism of many other fish that I keep with them? In order to get any food into my Cichlasoma dimerus, I need to feed a lot just to give them a chance to pick up some of it before it's immediately hoovered up by gaping orange mouths. And Goldies put fish like Eartheaters to shame when it comes to stirring and sifting the substrate to keep wastes suspended and thus picked up by the filter...and thus clogging it...
I actually tested the water in my Goldie tank several times over the past weeks and months, and other tanks as well as a comparison! Put into some perspective...and risking denouncement as a witch or caveman or Liberal...I virtually never test my aquarium water; I am comfortable enough with my water change schedule, my filtration and general maintenance routines that I simply don't need to see the same results over and over and over. I don't look outside every night to see if it's dark, either...I just trust that it is, based upon a lifetime of seeing it to be so.
It is unsurprising to me that the water in my Goldie tank, right before a change, has nitrate levels very slightly elevated above what I am accustomed to seeing in my other (planted) tanks. In fact, this has spurred me into cobbling together some planters to grow emersed plants to help out with the nitrates; I've had zero luck getting any plant species that I can maintain in other tanks to survive the Goldies and their appetites.
So the jury is still out on these fish, as far as I am concerned. I like them, and they will probably have a future with me long-term...as a species. As individuals? I suspect that if all of them are allowed to live and grow, I will be overcrowded within a couple years. Placing them outside for the summer will exacerbate this problem. And, of course, with tank water temperatures having risen in recent weeks to the mid-60'sF, the dang things are already chasing each other around, with big fat females full of eggs attracting a lot of attention from their boyfriends. I have enough now, and will soon have too many. Last years spawns went to live in the freezer, well-pureed into gel-food cubes, and I haven't even finished using them up...and now more on horizon? I may be one of the few backyard bird enthusiasts using goldfish instead of seed!
By the way, I have begun using the group name "The Goldies" to refer to these critters. But, a very perspicacious granddaughter was watching a show on the History Channel...weird, right?...and called me last night, right after it ended. "Hi, Grampa. The Golden Horde."
"Huh?" Hard to sound smart when that's all you can come up with...
"The Golden Horde. That's what we will call the Goldies from now on. The Golden Horde...except for Fred."
Fred is the single Goldie with a deformed tail, a result of some injury early in life. He's always been a particular favourite of my underdog-loving granddaughters. The name "Fred" was an early suggestion of mine for another of the fish, but they liked it so much they recycled it for this one.
So that's that. Gotta go now; I need to feed The Golden Horde...and Fred.
I'm finding myself trying hard to not become attached to them, but they are colourful, active, always on display, fearlessly tame, surprisingly intelligent and aware of what's going on around the tank, and just generally make for a calm and relaxing tank that is wonderful to sit in front of and enjoy. And they are pigs! We often refer to biomass in our tanks, as though that is the sole deciding factor when comparing ammonia production; i.e. 1 pound of biomass equates to a specific amount of ammonia produced per unit of time. Many critters, such as Oscars, turtles, plecos, etc. are thought of as high-level poopers and ammonia dispensers, but I have always thought that this was simply a product of their usually large sizes and high weights. Now I'm not so sure. It seems to me that a given mass of goldfish produces more waste than an equal weight of many other fish.
I suppose this could be carefully documented and measured and analyzed...but not by me. My casual observations definitely show that a mechanical filter is more quickly clogged by Goldies than by almost anything else. But...how much of that is due to the simple fact that the Goldies are still active and ravenous at temperatures which slow down the metabolism of many other fish that I keep with them? In order to get any food into my Cichlasoma dimerus, I need to feed a lot just to give them a chance to pick up some of it before it's immediately hoovered up by gaping orange mouths. And Goldies put fish like Eartheaters to shame when it comes to stirring and sifting the substrate to keep wastes suspended and thus picked up by the filter...and thus clogging it...
I actually tested the water in my Goldie tank several times over the past weeks and months, and other tanks as well as a comparison! Put into some perspective...and risking denouncement as a witch or caveman or Liberal...I virtually never test my aquarium water; I am comfortable enough with my water change schedule, my filtration and general maintenance routines that I simply don't need to see the same results over and over and over. I don't look outside every night to see if it's dark, either...I just trust that it is, based upon a lifetime of seeing it to be so.
It is unsurprising to me that the water in my Goldie tank, right before a change, has nitrate levels very slightly elevated above what I am accustomed to seeing in my other (planted) tanks. In fact, this has spurred me into cobbling together some planters to grow emersed plants to help out with the nitrates; I've had zero luck getting any plant species that I can maintain in other tanks to survive the Goldies and their appetites.
So the jury is still out on these fish, as far as I am concerned. I like them, and they will probably have a future with me long-term...as a species. As individuals? I suspect that if all of them are allowed to live and grow, I will be overcrowded within a couple years. Placing them outside for the summer will exacerbate this problem. And, of course, with tank water temperatures having risen in recent weeks to the mid-60'sF, the dang things are already chasing each other around, with big fat females full of eggs attracting a lot of attention from their boyfriends. I have enough now, and will soon have too many. Last years spawns went to live in the freezer, well-pureed into gel-food cubes, and I haven't even finished using them up...and now more on horizon? I may be one of the few backyard bird enthusiasts using goldfish instead of seed!
By the way, I have begun using the group name "The Goldies" to refer to these critters. But, a very perspicacious granddaughter was watching a show on the History Channel...weird, right?...and called me last night, right after it ended. "Hi, Grampa. The Golden Horde."
"Huh?" Hard to sound smart when that's all you can come up with...
"The Golden Horde. That's what we will call the Goldies from now on. The Golden Horde...except for Fred."
Fred is the single Goldie with a deformed tail, a result of some injury early in life. He's always been a particular favourite of my underdog-loving granddaughters. The name "Fred" was an early suggestion of mine for another of the fish, but they liked it so much they recycled it for this one.
So that's that. Gotta go now; I need to feed The Golden Horde...and Fred.
Okay, so...these goldfish are kinda sorta drivng me a little bit crazy...
Water temp in my single inground pond is down around 10C currently, and tonight's weather forecast calls for air temp of -3C. This isn't a concern in itself, but the colder it gets out there, the more trouble it is to bring the goldies into the basement for the winter. With hunting season looming, I want this project done and out of the way now, so I've had a couple minnow traps in the pond for the past couple days. I've gotten a few dozen goldies in the 3/4- to 1-inch range that way, and many more remained. As I've come to expect, the bigger fish weren't falling for that nonsense, so today I pumped the pond down only a few inches of water and went in after 'em.
I got all six of the original gang that I first received a couple years back, as well as 5 of the 6 smaller ones who were spawned in this pond in the '23 season. The growth and colouration of these fish puts to shame the rest of them who remained down in the basement all summer. The ones hatched last year are easily in the 4-inch-plus- range, and the older ones dwarf their indoor siblings, despite the fact that the indoor fish have been fed regularly while the outdoor ones were left to their own devices almost exclusively. The total number of 2024 fry outdoors turned out to be just over 100...far less than last year's production...but that might have something to do with the 35-40 Brook Sticklebacks that I found in the pond with them. Those must have found their way into the pond during the spring melt/flooding period, when much of our lawn was underwater for at least a week. Sticklebacks are aggressive little buggers and also very efficient micropredators; I think they gobbled up many of the goldies as they hatched out.
Great! More power to 'em! I simply have too many goldfish. Remember, these aren't the inbred monstrosities that are so coveted by the elite membership of the goldfish-keeping fraternity; these are plain ol' feeders, worth next to nothing. I'll be blenderizing most or all of the new ones and mixing them up into my next batch of gel food. Except...
...I have a secret admiration for natural-colour greenish-bronze goldfish. My indoor tank has one that never morphed into the typical brilliant orange garb, and it's one of my personal favourites. Similarly, the five of the half-dozen small ones I caught included one fish that also stayed green, and that one is now just as big as its year-older cousin and living the good life down in the basement alongside it. But, when I emerged from the pond, stinking of algae and covered with a drying crust of "mulm"...i.e, liquified fish poop...I had a sneaking suspicion that the one unaccounted-for fish that remained in the pond was another green throwback.
Sure enough, I moseyed out there after my shower and supper, celebratory Guinness in hand, and there, hovering in place in the now-settled clear water at the rocky bottom...a single large green goldfish glared at me balefully, sheer hatred evident in its eyes.
Guess what I'll be doing tomorrow...
Water temp in my single inground pond is down around 10C currently, and tonight's weather forecast calls for air temp of -3C. This isn't a concern in itself, but the colder it gets out there, the more trouble it is to bring the goldies into the basement for the winter. With hunting season looming, I want this project done and out of the way now, so I've had a couple minnow traps in the pond for the past couple days. I've gotten a few dozen goldies in the 3/4- to 1-inch range that way, and many more remained. As I've come to expect, the bigger fish weren't falling for that nonsense, so today I pumped the pond down only a few inches of water and went in after 'em.
I got all six of the original gang that I first received a couple years back, as well as 5 of the 6 smaller ones who were spawned in this pond in the '23 season. The growth and colouration of these fish puts to shame the rest of them who remained down in the basement all summer. The ones hatched last year are easily in the 4-inch-plus- range, and the older ones dwarf their indoor siblings, despite the fact that the indoor fish have been fed regularly while the outdoor ones were left to their own devices almost exclusively. The total number of 2024 fry outdoors turned out to be just over 100...far less than last year's production...but that might have something to do with the 35-40 Brook Sticklebacks that I found in the pond with them. Those must have found their way into the pond during the spring melt/flooding period, when much of our lawn was underwater for at least a week. Sticklebacks are aggressive little buggers and also very efficient micropredators; I think they gobbled up many of the goldies as they hatched out.
Great! More power to 'em! I simply have too many goldfish. Remember, these aren't the inbred monstrosities that are so coveted by the elite membership of the goldfish-keeping fraternity; these are plain ol' feeders, worth next to nothing. I'll be blenderizing most or all of the new ones and mixing them up into my next batch of gel food. Except...
...I have a secret admiration for natural-colour greenish-bronze goldfish. My indoor tank has one that never morphed into the typical brilliant orange garb, and it's one of my personal favourites. Similarly, the five of the half-dozen small ones I caught included one fish that also stayed green, and that one is now just as big as its year-older cousin and living the good life down in the basement alongside it. But, when I emerged from the pond, stinking of algae and covered with a drying crust of "mulm"...i.e, liquified fish poop...I had a sneaking suspicion that the one unaccounted-for fish that remained in the pond was another green throwback.
Sure enough, I moseyed out there after my shower and supper, celebratory Guinness in hand, and there, hovering in place in the now-settled clear water at the rocky bottom...a single large green goldfish glared at me balefully, sheer hatred evident in its eyes.
Guess what I'll be doing tomorrow...
Spent the day working outdoors on the 1001 things that need to be done before winter hits in force, carefully checking out the pond every time I passed. I wanted that last goldfish, the green one with the sullen disposition and threatening demeanour. The pond had only a very few inches of water, which was nice and clear with the detritus settled out. How hard could it be to spot him?
Well...it could be plenty difficult! No plants, but lots of big rocks and broken concrete chunks littered the bottom, creating endless hiding spots. I must have peered in there a couple dozen times...nothing. Then suddenly...what the hell...?
There was another bright orange big-ass goldfish right out in plain view! I already had on boots, so I grabbed a couple of nets and in I went. Within seconds I had him in a bucket and scurried down into the basement with my prize; once again, the water looked like double-cream coffee. The green one remained elusive, and finding this one meant that my population estimate had been a wee bit off. Oh, well...
A couple hours passed, during which I checked the pond another dozen times...nothing. At lunch time, I decided to take a break and have a bite. I headed for the house, casually peeked into the newly-settled pond...and there was another big-ass orange goldfish! What the....?
Back in we go! This one was a bit trickier, but after about ten minutes I had another bucket containing another shiny orange prize. I hoisted the bucket up onto the wooden deck next to the pond...reached down to retrieve the landing net I had dropped when I removed this fish from it...picked it up...and there inside the net bag was my green goldfish.
They're all in the basement tank now...all 32 of 'em. Twenty-eight bright orange goldies, some with more-or-less extensive areas of white. Three plain greenish-bronze natural goldies. And one all-white one. They're all between about 4 inches and 7 inches. No fancies, just a bunch of plain wild-configuration fish with normal bodies and fins, and several that have extended fins and tails and might possibly be called Comets.
They're a horny bunch, producing way too many fry every year. They're pigs, eating anything and everything, including just about all my plants. They're just a bunch of big stupid fish bumbling around peacefully and colourfully. And I'm still contemplating the notion of actually buying a Shubunkin or two to add to the mix.
Well...it could be plenty difficult! No plants, but lots of big rocks and broken concrete chunks littered the bottom, creating endless hiding spots. I must have peered in there a couple dozen times...nothing. Then suddenly...what the hell...?
There was another bright orange big-ass goldfish right out in plain view! I already had on boots, so I grabbed a couple of nets and in I went. Within seconds I had him in a bucket and scurried down into the basement with my prize; once again, the water looked like double-cream coffee. The green one remained elusive, and finding this one meant that my population estimate had been a wee bit off. Oh, well...
A couple hours passed, during which I checked the pond another dozen times...nothing. At lunch time, I decided to take a break and have a bite. I headed for the house, casually peeked into the newly-settled pond...and there was another big-ass orange goldfish! What the....?
Back in we go! This one was a bit trickier, but after about ten minutes I had another bucket containing another shiny orange prize. I hoisted the bucket up onto the wooden deck next to the pond...reached down to retrieve the landing net I had dropped when I removed this fish from it...picked it up...and there inside the net bag was my green goldfish.
They're all in the basement tank now...all 32 of 'em. Twenty-eight bright orange goldies, some with more-or-less extensive areas of white. Three plain greenish-bronze natural goldies. And one all-white one. They're all between about 4 inches and 7 inches. No fancies, just a bunch of plain wild-configuration fish with normal bodies and fins, and several that have extended fins and tails and might possibly be called Comets.
They're a horny bunch, producing way too many fry every year. They're pigs, eating anything and everything, including just about all my plants. They're just a bunch of big stupid fish bumbling around peacefully and colourfully. And I'm still contemplating the notion of actually buying a Shubunkin or two to add to the mix.
Loving it! Was given a mix myself and essox’s six foot rebuilt tank houses them- I love em.
Forget Corry, or any other bottom dwelling catfish for sifting gravel, if you want the very top level of gravel sifting done by experts, get yourself some goldfish, best sifting crew ever bar one ………….. fancy goldfish………. The fat round type, they are even better at it…………. I think cos once they get going they cannot be bother to move far so work as an crew and each do a stunning job on their shared out portion of the tank whereas normal goldfish each individually try to cover the whole tank.
Forget Corry, or any other bottom dwelling catfish for sifting gravel, if you want the very top level of gravel sifting done by experts, get yourself some goldfish, best sifting crew ever bar one ………….. fancy goldfish………. The fat round type, they are even better at it…………. I think cos once they get going they cannot be bother to move far so work as an crew and each do a stunning job on their shared out portion of the tank whereas normal goldfish each individually try to cover the whole tank.
Not to far from the last house I grew up in there was a natural pond and my brother and I would catch wild goldfish. They had similar colors as yours. We caught them for my mother's aquarium. Tbh didn't know anything about parasites etc. I'm quite sure a leech was introduced.Spent the day working outdoors on the 1001 things that need to be done before winter hits in force, carefully checking out the pond every time I passed. I wanted that last goldfish, the green one with the sullen disposition and threatening demeanour. The pond had only a very few inches of water, which was nice and clear with the detritus settled out. How hard could it be to spot him?
Well...it could be plenty difficult! No plants, but lots of big rocks and broken concrete chunks littered the bottom, creating endless hiding spots. I must have peered in there a couple dozen times...nothing. Then suddenly...what the hell...?
There was another bright orange big-ass goldfish right out in plain view! I already had on boots, so I grabbed a couple of nets and in I went. Within seconds I had him in a bucket and scurried down into the basement with my prize; once again, the water looked like double-cream coffee. The green one remained elusive, and finding this one meant that my population estimate had been a wee bit off. Oh, well...
A couple hours passed, during which I checked the pond another dozen times...nothing. At lunch time, I decided to take a break and have a bite. I headed for the house, casually peeked into the newly-settled pond...and there was another big-ass orange goldfish! What the....?
Back in we go! This one was a bit trickier, but after about ten minutes I had another bucket containing another shiny orange prize. I hoisted the bucket up onto the wooden deck next to the pond...reached down to retrieve the landing net I had dropped when I removed this fish from it...picked it up...and there inside the net bag was my green goldfish.
They're all in the basement tank now...all 32 of 'em. Twenty-eight bright orange goldies, some with more-or-less extensive areas of white. Three plain greenish-bronze natural goldies. And one all-white one. They're all between about 4 inches and 7 inches. No fancies, just a bunch of plain wild-configuration fish with normal bodies and fins, and several that have extended fins and tails and might possibly be called Comets.
They're a horny bunch, producing way too many fry every year. They're pigs, eating anything and everything, including just about all my plants. They're just a bunch of big stupid fish bumbling around peacefully and colourfully. And I'm still contemplating the notion of actually buying a Shubunkin or two to add to the mix.
Also caught bullfrog's from the same pond.
As a kid, I used to catch crucian carp (the Japanese sort, apparently) and kept them as pets.
They were one of my favourites; rather passive, peaceable, easy to feed, and hardy. Small common carp, despite potentially growing to unmanageable sizes, were even more coveted.
I, amusingly enough, only found out about goldfish a few years after keeping the crucians; I never could fully get behind the idea of the bright orange and white patterning.
Even after moving to the US, I still only tried to keep the "ordinary", bronze looking feeder goldfish because those were the closest to the crucian carp of my childhood.
I do think the fish are rather nice captives and undeserving of poor reputations; it's mostly the fault of humans that make them so 'undesirable' nowadays.
They were one of my favourites; rather passive, peaceable, easy to feed, and hardy. Small common carp, despite potentially growing to unmanageable sizes, were even more coveted.
I, amusingly enough, only found out about goldfish a few years after keeping the crucians; I never could fully get behind the idea of the bright orange and white patterning.
Even after moving to the US, I still only tried to keep the "ordinary", bronze looking feeder goldfish because those were the closest to the crucian carp of my childhood.
I do think the fish are rather nice captives and undeserving of poor reputations; it's mostly the fault of humans that make them so 'undesirable' nowadays.
There are two common species of Carassius in Europe:
[1] Crucian Carp / Gold carassius / Round carassius / Common carassius = Carassius carassius
Carassius: Latinization of karass, karausche, European crucian carp Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Cypriniformes (Carps) > Cyprinidae (Minnows or carps) > Cyprininae Max length 64 cm TL male/unsexed; common length : 15 cm TL male/unsexed; max. published weight: 3 kg; max. reported age: 10 years.
FWR 55-64 (80?) cm; 4-5 (6?) kg; 30 years. Freshwat.; brackish; demersal; potamodromous; depth 5 - ? m Temperate 2 - 22°C
69°N-35°N
10°W - 169°E Eurasia: North, Baltic, White, Barents, Black & Caspian Sea basins; Aegean Sea basin only in Maritza drainage; eastward to Kolyma drainage (Siberia); westward to Rhine & eastern drainages of England. Absent from North Sea basin in Sweden & Norway. In Baltic basin north to about 66°N. Widely introduced to Italy, England & France but possibly often confused with Carassius gibelio. At least one country reports adverse ecological impact after introduction. Adults occur in shallow ponds, lakes rich in vegetation & slow moving rivers. They burrow in mud in the drought or during winter. Usually restricted to densely vegetated backwaters & oxbows of lowland rivers. Can survive organic pollutants, cold, high temps & very low O2 conc. during summer & under ice cover. Feeds all day but mainly at night on plankton, benthic invertebrates, plant materials & detritus. Usually does not occur in waters with rich ichthyofauna & abundant predatory species, but very abundant in the absence of other fish species. Spawns in dense submerged vegetation. There is a gradual but continuing extirpation in many water bodies, esp. in Danube drainage & central Europe, possibly to due competition with introduced Carassius gibelio. Fisheries: highly com; a/c: com; game; aquar.: com. Least Concern
[2] Silver Crucian Carp / Giebel / Prussian Carp / Silver carassius = Carassius gibelio
Carassius: Latinization of karass, karausche, European crucian carp Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Cypriniformes (Carps) > Cyprinidae (Minnows or carps) > Cyprininae Max 35 cm SL male/unsexed; com. 20 cm TL; max. publ. w. 3 kg; max. rep. age: 10 years.
FWR 58 cm; 5 kg; 30 years. Freshwat.; brackish; benthopelagic; pH 7.1 - 7.5; dH 12 - ?; potamodromous Temperate 10 - 20°C;
62°N - 35°N,
10°W - 155°E Eurasia: usually considered native from central Europe to Siberia or introduced to Europe from eastern Asia. Clear & definite data on original distribution in Europe are not available due to introduction, confusion with Carassius auratus & complex reproduction. At present, widely distributed & commonly stocked together with Cyprinus carpio which is transported t/o Europe. Inhabits a wide variety of still water bodies & lowland rivers, usually associated with submerged vegetation or regular flooding. Can strongly tolerate low O2 concentrations & pollution. Lake dwelling individuals move into river mouths to avoid low O2 water in winter. Feeding larvae & juv. occur in high-complexity habitats as reed belts. Feeds on plankton, benthic invertebrates, plant material & detritus. Spawns in shallow, warm shores on submerged vegetation. Able to reproduce from unfertilized eggs (gynogenesis). Eastern European or wild form of the goldfish. Fisheries: minor com. Not Eval.
[3] Goldfish = Carassius auratus auratus / Carassius auratus
Carassius: Latinization of , karass, karausche, European crucian carp Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Cypriniformes (Carps) > Cyprinidae (Minnows or carps) > Cyprininae Max 32 cm SL m./u.; com. 10 cm TL; 41 years. 40 cm, 2.3 kg (Pract. Fishkeep. 2010).
FWR 50-62 cm; 3-4 (5?) kg; 50+ years. Freshwater benthopelagic; pH 6.0 - 8.0; dH 5 - 19; potamodromous; depth ? - 20 m Subtropical ? - 41°C
53°N-22°N Asia: central Asia & China, & Japan. Introduced t/o the world. Asian form of the goldfish. Several countries report adverse ecological impact after introduction. Inhabit rivers, lakes, ponds & ditches with stagnant or slow-flowing water. Occur in eutrophic waters, well vegetated ponds & canals. Live better in cold water. Feed mainly on plankton, benthic invertebrates, plant material & detritus. Goldfish lay eggs on submerged vegetation. Females spawn multiple times during the spawning period. Oviparous, with pelagic larvae. Max. recorded salinity is 17 ppt, but unable to withstand prolonged exposure >15 ppt. Used as an experimental species. Edible but rarely eaten. Aquar. keeping: in groups of 5 or more; min. tank size 1 m. Not Eval.
Perhaps Japan has their own species of common Carassius. Crucian carp are Carasius carassius from northern Europe, also a favorite and most spread and fished for fish in my home country. I fished all my younger years for them and carp too.
Perhaps I am wrong but i think goldfish is just a selectively bred for 5000 years Carassius carassius that became C. auratus, or maybe some very closely species out of Eastern Asia, likely the gibelio?
Koi BTW are a selectively bred far-eastern carp species Cyprinus rubrofuscus or Amur river carp, not the common carp Cyprinus carpio.
[1] Crucian Carp / Gold carassius / Round carassius / Common carassius = Carassius carassius
Carassius: Latinization of karass, karausche, European crucian carp Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Cypriniformes (Carps) > Cyprinidae (Minnows or carps) > Cyprininae Max length 64 cm TL male/unsexed; common length : 15 cm TL male/unsexed; max. published weight: 3 kg; max. reported age: 10 years.
FWR 55-64 (80?) cm; 4-5 (6?) kg; 30 years. Freshwat.; brackish; demersal; potamodromous; depth 5 - ? m Temperate 2 - 22°C
69°N-35°N
10°W - 169°E Eurasia: North, Baltic, White, Barents, Black & Caspian Sea basins; Aegean Sea basin only in Maritza drainage; eastward to Kolyma drainage (Siberia); westward to Rhine & eastern drainages of England. Absent from North Sea basin in Sweden & Norway. In Baltic basin north to about 66°N. Widely introduced to Italy, England & France but possibly often confused with Carassius gibelio. At least one country reports adverse ecological impact after introduction. Adults occur in shallow ponds, lakes rich in vegetation & slow moving rivers. They burrow in mud in the drought or during winter. Usually restricted to densely vegetated backwaters & oxbows of lowland rivers. Can survive organic pollutants, cold, high temps & very low O2 conc. during summer & under ice cover. Feeds all day but mainly at night on plankton, benthic invertebrates, plant materials & detritus. Usually does not occur in waters with rich ichthyofauna & abundant predatory species, but very abundant in the absence of other fish species. Spawns in dense submerged vegetation. There is a gradual but continuing extirpation in many water bodies, esp. in Danube drainage & central Europe, possibly to due competition with introduced Carassius gibelio. Fisheries: highly com; a/c: com; game; aquar.: com. Least Concern
[2] Silver Crucian Carp / Giebel / Prussian Carp / Silver carassius = Carassius gibelio
Carassius: Latinization of karass, karausche, European crucian carp Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Cypriniformes (Carps) > Cyprinidae (Minnows or carps) > Cyprininae Max 35 cm SL male/unsexed; com. 20 cm TL; max. publ. w. 3 kg; max. rep. age: 10 years.
FWR 58 cm; 5 kg; 30 years. Freshwat.; brackish; benthopelagic; pH 7.1 - 7.5; dH 12 - ?; potamodromous Temperate 10 - 20°C;
62°N - 35°N,
10°W - 155°E Eurasia: usually considered native from central Europe to Siberia or introduced to Europe from eastern Asia. Clear & definite data on original distribution in Europe are not available due to introduction, confusion with Carassius auratus & complex reproduction. At present, widely distributed & commonly stocked together with Cyprinus carpio which is transported t/o Europe. Inhabits a wide variety of still water bodies & lowland rivers, usually associated with submerged vegetation or regular flooding. Can strongly tolerate low O2 concentrations & pollution. Lake dwelling individuals move into river mouths to avoid low O2 water in winter. Feeding larvae & juv. occur in high-complexity habitats as reed belts. Feeds on plankton, benthic invertebrates, plant material & detritus. Spawns in shallow, warm shores on submerged vegetation. Able to reproduce from unfertilized eggs (gynogenesis). Eastern European or wild form of the goldfish. Fisheries: minor com. Not Eval.
[3] Goldfish = Carassius auratus auratus / Carassius auratus
Carassius: Latinization of , karass, karausche, European crucian carp Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Cypriniformes (Carps) > Cyprinidae (Minnows or carps) > Cyprininae Max 32 cm SL m./u.; com. 10 cm TL; 41 years. 40 cm, 2.3 kg (Pract. Fishkeep. 2010).
FWR 50-62 cm; 3-4 (5?) kg; 50+ years. Freshwater benthopelagic; pH 6.0 - 8.0; dH 5 - 19; potamodromous; depth ? - 20 m Subtropical ? - 41°C
53°N-22°N Asia: central Asia & China, & Japan. Introduced t/o the world. Asian form of the goldfish. Several countries report adverse ecological impact after introduction. Inhabit rivers, lakes, ponds & ditches with stagnant or slow-flowing water. Occur in eutrophic waters, well vegetated ponds & canals. Live better in cold water. Feed mainly on plankton, benthic invertebrates, plant material & detritus. Goldfish lay eggs on submerged vegetation. Females spawn multiple times during the spawning period. Oviparous, with pelagic larvae. Max. recorded salinity is 17 ppt, but unable to withstand prolonged exposure >15 ppt. Used as an experimental species. Edible but rarely eaten. Aquar. keeping: in groups of 5 or more; min. tank size 1 m. Not Eval.
Perhaps Japan has their own species of common Carassius. Crucian carp are Carasius carassius from northern Europe, also a favorite and most spread and fished for fish in my home country. I fished all my younger years for them and carp too.
Perhaps I am wrong but i think goldfish is just a selectively bred for 5000 years Carassius carassius that became C. auratus, or maybe some very closely species out of Eastern Asia, likely the gibelio?
Koi BTW are a selectively bred far-eastern carp species Cyprinus rubrofuscus or Amur river carp, not the common carp Cyprinus carpio.
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