A dorsal finless fancy goldfish with upturned eyes, bred in China and Japan from domesticated Carassius auratus native to slow East Asian freshwater.
Overview
The celestial eye is a fancy goldfish with no dorsal fin and eyes that point permanently upward. It is a slow fish for a calm tank, best left to experienced keepers.
Did you know
A celestial's eyes face the sky, so it feeds more easily from the surface overhead than from the floor, unlike most goldfish.
Caring for the celestial eye
Give a celestial eye at least 20 gal (75 L), with smooth decor and no sharp objects. It swims slowly, like other extreme fancies, and needs a calm tank with gentle filtration.
A celestial has no stomach, so food passes through it quickly, and a well fed fish puts out a lot of ammonia. Keep the water stable, at 64 to 73°F (18 to 23°C) and a pH of 6.5 to 8.0.
Feed slow-sinking pellets and soft foods, with vegetables and the odd frozen food for variety. A celestial sees mainly above itself and cannot spot food to the sides, so drop each meal directly above it.
Celestials are peaceful and social, and they want the company of their own kind. House them only with other slow, near-sighted fancies such as bubble eyes, never with fast or nippy fish. Fast tank mates easily outcompete them. They are moderately hard to breed.
Good to know
In a young celestial eye, the eyes rotate upward during the first months of life and then fix in that position. The trait was selected for looks, and it leaves the fish with a narrow field of view. The celestial eye is a strain of Carassius auratus in the family Cyprinidae, also known as the stargazer goldfish or choten gan.
In the wild
The celestial eye was bred in China and Japan from domesticated goldfish. The species is native to slow freshwater in East Asia.
From published sources
Tank mates
Each fish here is named as a tank mate for the celestial eye by at least two published care guides. Every partner here handles cool water. The tank needs about 20 gallons (75 liters) for the first fancy goldfish and 10 gallons (38 liters) for each extra one.
Is a celestial eye a different species from the goldfish?
No. A celestial eye is a variety of the goldfish, Carassius auratus. It is kept the same way apart from difficulty, adult size, tank size and temperature.
What size tank does a celestial eye need?
A celestial eye needs at least 20 gal (75 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What does a celestial eye eat?
A celestial eye eats slow-sinking pellets and soft foods, with vegetables and the odd frozen food. Drop its food directly above it, since it sees mainly upward.
How big does a celestial eye get?
An adult celestial eye reaches about 5.9 in (15 cm).
What fish can live with the celestial eye?
Published care guides name weather loach, bristlenose pleco, bulldog pleco and variable platy, among others. Every partner here handles cool water. The tank needs about 20 gallons (75 liters) for the first fancy goldfish and 10 gallons (38 liters) for each extra one.
11.8 in (30 cm)119 gal (450 L)39–75°F (4–24°C)
5.5 in (14 cm)45 gal (170 L)72–77°F (22–25°C)
5.4 in (13.6 cm)42 gal (160 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)
5.1 in (13 cm)45 gal (170 L)54–68°F (12–20°C)
5.1 in (13 cm)53 gal (200 L)68–77°F (20–25°C)
5.1 in (13 cm)42 gal (160 L)70–79°F (21–26°C)