Breeding Betta Fish

Comet
A mainstay of any goldfish setup, the comet is a delightful and characterful addition. Slender, athletic body, flowing fins and tail and powerful, directful swimmers, the comet is a social variety and is very hardy. You can maintain a comet in a tank, among other goldfish or in a pond, with very good success. In a pond, Comets are reputed to reach over 40cms in length, so long as food and space are available.

Black Moor
Of the telescope eyed fish, the Black Moor is arguably the most common, and hardy. An interesting looking species, it finds favour with those who want a different looking addition, with out the maintenance required with some of the more delicate goldfish species. Black Moor's are quite antisocoal, and will, given enough room, stick with their counterparts. Moors are hardy and will survive in a pond, however they are best suited to a indoor aquarium for the greatest success. With the poor sight that the bulbus eyes provide, the Moor will sometimes be susceptible to competition for food, and will overeat is food is plentiful, often to death.

Fantail
Don't let their flowing and fins tails put you off-most people have a great time raising fantails. They are surprisingly hardy given their porcelain looks, and are quite social. The egg shaped body is stocky and has a pronounced hump on the shoulders/back. A slower swimmer however, the fantail will suffer from being grouped with common goldfish or comets, as their pretty fins don't allow them to reach food nearly quick enough, most of the time. Apart from this, no decent gold fish setup is said to be complete without a couple of fantails, as their stunning looks ensure goldfish lovers all the world over include them with growing regularity.

Shubunkin
A funny name, and equally funny paintjob, the shubunkin is a colourful addition. Mixed speckled colours and broken patterns make them great eye candy, from the smallest tank to the largest. The scales on the Shub have a lovely pearly appearance and this variety origantes from Japan, where it is also referred to as the 'Calico'. Aside from the common, the shubunkin and its brother the comet, are two of the hardiest fish to raise. They will thrive so long as they are kept wet and do very well in ponds, reaching up to 40cm with enough space and food. We highly recommend a shubunkin or three for any tank and for any level of goldfish keeper, from beginner to advanced.

Bubbleye
It doesn't get a lot more interesting than this! The bubbleye gets its name from the odd looking transparent eye sacks that hang on its face. A delicate species, they are generally not recommended as a first fish. They can suffer from water bourne disease frequently, and require water that is very clean, very areated and is kept at consistent temperature. Bubbles will often suffer from food competition and will not fare well with the likes of comets, shubs and common goldfish. If you wish to keep bubbles, try them with fantails and moors, and you will be on the right track. Bear in mind, the bubble, although fragile looking, can be an aggressive species and is best kept with fish of its own size to avoid them attacking anything smaller than themselves.

Oranda
The Oranda is a very desirable goldfish variety due to the berry-like bubble growths that form on the crown of its head. Its stocky body, deep and plump, with gorgeous flowing fins, make it a very attractive species. Combine this with the many different colour combinations that are possible, and the Oranda becomes something many keepers will wish for! Be cautious of fluctuating or low water temps and competition from other goldfish species when deciding whether or not to keep and Oranda.

Veiltail
Another fancy species, the Veiltail is a popular addition to a tank of fancy species. The deep, plump body culminates in a glorious long and flowing tail, giving its name. Colour combinations are large, and can either have normal or pearly scales. They will reach 20+ centimeters in ideal conditions. Beware that due to the flowing tails and fins, the Veiltail is a poor swimmer and can suffer from food competition with other faster species. It is also not suited to cold water, under 55deg F.