Variety of Goldfish
Common goldfish
Carassius auratus
One of 12 varieties of Carassius auratus · See all varieties →
Also known as gold fish
FreshwaterFish
Varieties · Carassius auratus
See all 12 →
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 39–75°F
- 4–24°C
- pH
- 6.5–8.0
- Adult size
- 9.8 in
- 25 cm
- Minimum tank
- 50 gal
- 190 L
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Social
- Tankmates
- With caution
- Swim level
- Middle
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Breeding
- Medium
- Rarity
- Very common
- Family
- Cyprinidae
- Origin
- China
Overview
Goldfish are social and do better with company, so keep two or more, and budget far more space than people expect, starting around 90 liters and scaling up per fish. They are heavy eaters and big waste producers, so a strong filter and regular water changes are the real work here. Feed a quality goldfish pellet with vegetables and the occasional frozen food, and skip warm-water tropical tankmates since goldfish prefer it cooler. They are peaceful but will eat anything small enough to fit in their mouth.
In the wild
The common goldfish is a domesticated fish descended from wild carp in China, not a fish you collect from the wild today. Its carp roots show in what it needs, namely lots of room, cool water, and heavy filtration to handle the mess it makes. It tolerates a huge temperature range, from near freezing up to about 28 C, which is why it does well in unheated tanks and ponds.
Good to know
Carassius auratus is in the family Cyprinidae, the carp and minnow family. A single-tail common goldfish reaches around 20 cm in a tank and can grow larger in a pond, and well-kept fish often live well past ten years. It is an egg scatterer that spreads eggs over plants and gives no parental care.
Did you know
They have no stomach and digest food more or less continuously, which is why little and often beats one big meal and why overfeeding fouls the water so fast. Floating dry food can also make them gulp air, so pre-soaking pellets helps cut down on swim bladder trouble.
Common questions
Is a Common goldfish a different species from the Goldfish?
No. A Common goldfish 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 Common goldfish need?
A Common goldfish needs at least 50 gal (190 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
How big does a Common goldfish get?
An adult Common goldfish reaches about 9.8 in (25 cm).
Related species
11.8 in (30 cm)119 gal (450 L)39–75°F (4–24°C)Crucian carp
Carassius carassius
11.8 in (30 cm) · 119 gal (450 L)
9.8 in (25 cm)106 gal (400 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)Lemon-fin barb
Hypsibarbus wetmorei
9.8 in (25 cm) · 106 gal (400 L)
9.8 in (25 cm)106 gal (400 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)Red-tailed tinfoil barb
Barbonymus altus
9.8 in (25 cm) · 106 gal (400 L)
8.7 in (22 cm)66 gal (250 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)Thinlip sharkminnow barb
Labiobarbus leptocheilus
8.7 in (22 cm) · 66 gal (250 L)
11.8 in (30 cm)106 gal (400 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)Hard-lipped barb
Osteochilus vittatus
11.8 in (30 cm) · 106 gal (400 L)
7.9 in (20 cm)66 gal (250 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)Beardless barb
Cyclocheilichthys apogon
7.9 in (20 cm) · 66 gal (250 L)