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Goldfish & koi, breed by breed.

"A goldfish" is actually dozens of breeds with opposite needs - a Comet wants a pond and outswims everything; a Bubble Eye needs a padded species tank. And koi are a collecting universe of their own, judged variety by variety. Here are 21 profiles with tank or pond needs spelled out. New to goldfish entirely? Start with the goldfish basics guide.

Pond goldfish (single-tails & Wakin) Fast, hardy, pond-first - the athletic side of the family.

Fancy goldfish Egg-bodied aquarium showpieces - from easy Fantails to specialist Bubble Eyes. Open the full Fancy goldfish page

Fantail Goldfish

The Fantail is an egg-shaped fancy goldfish with a doubled, fan-spread tail…

Ryukin Goldfish

In the Ryukin, a tall dorsal hump rising steeply behind the head gives the fish…

Oranda Goldfish

The Oranda is a fancy goldfish with a fleshy crown (the 'wen') that grows over…

Ranchu Goldfish

The Ranchu, known in Japan as the 'king of goldfish', has a back without a…

Lionhead Goldfish

The Lionhead is the original dorsal-less goldfish breed from China, whose head…

Black Moor Goldfish

The Black Moor is a matte-black telescope-eyed goldfish whose protruding eyes…

Telescope Goldfish

The Telescope goldfish carries its eyes on turrets - protruding orbs that give…

Pearlscale Goldfish

The Pearlscale is a nearly spherical goldfish armoured in raised, calcium-domed…

Bubble Eye Goldfish

The Bubble Eye is a dorsal-less, slow goldfish carrying two fluid-filled sacs…

Celestial Eye Goldfish

The Celestial gazes permanently at the sky - telescope eyes rotated fully…

Koi varieties The living jewels of the pond - Gosanke royalty to longfin Butterflies. Open the full Koi varieties page

Kohaku Koi

Kohaku is a koi variety with pure white skin carrying red (hi) patterns, often…

Taisho Sanke Koi

Taisho Sanke - 'Sanke' to friends - is Kohaku wearing ink: the same white base…

Showa Koi

Showa, one of the koi varieties known as the Big Three, is fundamentally a…

Ogon Koi

The Ogon is koi minimalism - one solid metallic colour, usually platinum white…

Asagi Koi

Asagi is the koi variety closest to the original ornamental carp, wearing a…

Shusui Koi

Shusui is a scaleless (doitsu) form of the Asagi, keeping only a single row of…

Tancho Koi

The Tancho is a pure white koi whose only red is a single round crest centred…

Butterfly Koi

Butterfly koi trail fins like silk scarves - long-finned koi bred from…

The one rule that decides everything

Match the fish to the water you actually have: single-tails and koi need PONDS (or enormous tanks) and outgrow every promise the pet store made; fancies live happily in well-filtered aquariums - the odder the body, the calmer the tank must be. No goldfish belongs in a bowl. Ever.

Gear for fancy goldfish

Large aquarium Goldfish grow and foul water fast - room and volume matter. Check price Canister filter Big filtration for a heavy bioload. Check price Gravel vacuum Water changes and cleaning in one job. Check price Water test kit Ammonia, nitrite and nitrate tell you more than the water's look. Check price

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