The goldfish is one of the most treasured creatures on the planet. Originally the Japanese marveled at their grace and poise and kept them as pets in their outdoor ponds. The Japanese loved and still do love their gardens and take special pride in having a neat and marvelous garden filled with Bonsai trees and other plants native to Japan. The outdoor pond however was and still is considered to be one of the most important features of the Japanese garden and a Japanese pond is not a pond unless there are goldfish in it of course.

Breeds of Goldfish

There are many different types of goldfish, however the most popular ones are considered to be the Common goldfish, the Fantail and the Comet. The common goldfish can grow up to 12 inches in length and are known to live until the age of 20 and sometimes even more. Their usual appearance is most gold all over with a short average sized tail. Many contain different colors such as white brown and sometimes even green.

The Fantail is one of the most exquisite breeds of goldfish. They are usually a lot shorter than most goldfish and contain a large fan-like tail, which is where they get their name, the 'fantail' of course. It's best if you keep these breed of goldfish away from other breeds of fish as they tend to get picked on and their tails are usually the first target of these attacks and if this happens to your fantail goldfish, you will notice bite marks that have been taken out of their tails. Also this breed of goldfish is also prone to fin rot and special precautions must be taken to ensure your tank or pond is kept clean and free of disease at all times.

The Comet goldfish is one of the most energetic breeds of goldfish. They generally look very similar to the common goldfish except for one obvious difference, they are much skinnier. This is why they are more energetic and they are also able to swim a lot faster than most goldfish. They have been known to be biters and generally should be kept away from other less aggressive breeds such as the fantail.

Goldfish are like any other animal; they must be treated with care and fed only once a day as feeding them more than necessary will result in them dying from overeating. Also they are prone to many deadly diseases and therefore their habitat must be kept clean at all times.