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Allotment Articles1.
Allotment Articles 2.
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Fancy Goldfish
When people set up a coldwater aquarium they usually think of goldfish, a few oxygenating plants and a clay ornament. Sometimes they will buy a Black Moor, or red Fantail but that’s as adventureous as they get in their choice of fishes which is a shame because some aquatic retailers now carry quite a wide range of exotic fancy goldfish. Fancy goldfish don’t like to get too cold as this can lead to fin problems and stomach upsets. They can go into the pond, but only for the for the summer as they need a minimum temperature of about 55F. Although they will of course stand a much higher temperature as long as the water is well oxygenated. The temperature of a tropical tank is really too high although sometimes people do put them in their tropical tanks.
There are more and more species of fancy goldfish arriving from China as the years go by, some of which people think are hideous mutations, or freaks but it is all a question of taste. The most popular is probably the Black Moor that has large protruding eyes and as its name suggests is black in colour, although you sometimes see Red Telescopes, which are identical to Black Moors except for their colour, labeled Red Moors.
Red Fantails, which when bigger resemble a little football with fins on, are also quite popular and come in a variety of colours including the calico variety like that of Shubunkins. Orandas are sometimes found in aquatic retailers, but usually it is the more common Red Cap that is white with a red patch over its head. Calico, Chocolate and Blue Orandas are also available but when they are small they are often mistaken for Fantails.
The difference really becomes noticeable as they get older because they develop a fleshy growth on their heads. Special foods are available to encourage this hormonal change in the fish. Closely related to the Orandas are the Lionheads and Ranchus. These come in the same colour variations but with the difference that they have no dorsal fin which when viewed from the side makes them look quite strange.
Perhaps the most weird and exotic of the fancy goldfish varieties are the Bubble Byes and Pom Poms. These are really delicate and need careful handling at all times and will definately not withstand low temperatures. The Bubble Eyes have large fluid filled sacks under its eyes that will burst if clumsily handled. The Pom Pom has little Pom Poms of flesh under its eyes and a good specimen is very scarce and can be quite expensive as are many of the fancy Gofdfish. The Celestial is another extremely weird fish as its protruding eyes point upwards making it a very clumsy feeder so it should not be kept with ordinary goldfish.
If you decide to seek out some of these exotic Goldfish for your aquarium, or your pond they are usually to be found in the aquarium section with the tropical fish at your local aquatic retailer.
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