
Fancy goldfish
Carassius auratus
It wobbles along on a round body and never stops stirring the bottom.
The Fancy goldfish (Carassius auratus) is a subtropical freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae. It swims in midwater close to the bottom, between 0 and 20 m deep. Adults grow to about 18 cm; the largest on record measured 48 cm (total length). In the aquarium it needs a tank at least 90 cm long and water at 18–22 °C.
- Size
- 18 cm
- Smallest tank
- 90 cm
- Temperature
- 18–22 °C
- Care
- Moderate
In the aquarium
Temperature18–22 °C
pH7.0–8.2
Hardness8–20 °dGH
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Activity
- Moderate
- Water layer
- Mid water
- Group
- Happiest in a group of 2 or more
- Plants
- Eats plants
These values are compiled from real species data, and the LumaReef simulation is built to keep them true to life.
Which tank it fits
- Nano60 cm · 65 litresToo small
- Standard90 cm · 180 litres5 of them
- Wide120 cm · 300 litres8 of them
- Living room180 cm · 650 litres18 of them
- Showcase250 cm · 1,200 litres34 of them
- Gallery300 cm · 1,440 litres41 of them
Who it lives with
Gets along8 species
Caution13 species
Not together78 species
Water temperatures do not overlap
- Discus
- Freshwater angelfish
- Sailfin molly
- Boesemani rainbowfish
- Scissortail rasbora
- Congo tetra
- Molly
- Dwarf gourami
- Bronze corydoras
- Betta (Siamese fighting fish)
- Diamond tetra
- Silver hatchetfish
- Dwarf chain loach
- Emperor tetra
- Cherry barb
- Cardinal tetra
- Lemon tetra
- Penguin tetra
- Harlequin rasbora
- Black neon tetra
- Serpae tetra
- Glowlight tetra
- Guppy
- Neon tetra
- Green neon tetra
- Lambchop rasbora
- Endler's livebearer
- Ember tetra
- Chili rasbora
- Severum
- Jack Dempsey
- Rainbow shark
- Silver dollar
- Red rainbowfish
- Siamese algae eater
- Moonlight gourami
- Kissing gourami
- Firemouth cichlid
- Peacock cichlid
- Red tail shark
- Three spot gourami
- Convict cichlid
- Pearl gourami
- Julidochromis
- African butterflyfish
- Turquoise rainbowfish
- Keyhole cichlid
- Yellow lab cichlid
- Red zebra cichlid
- Kribensis
- Kuhli loach
- Bolivian ram
- Cockatoo cichlid
- Demasoni cichlid
- Celebes rainbowfish
- Checkerboard cichlid
- Neon dwarf rainbowfish
- Sterbai corydoras
- Clown loach
- Frontosa
- Julii corydoras
- Rummynose tetra
- Threadfin rainbowfish
- Forktail blue-eye
- Chocolate gourami
- German blue ram
- Honey gourami
- Sparkling gourami
- Multies shell dweller
- Oscar
- Bala shark
- Clown killifish
- Dwarf puffer
- Pygmy corydoras
- Black ghost knifefish
- Common pleco
These two do not get along
Aggressive with peaceful
In the wild
- Water type
- Freshwater
- Climate zone
- Subtropical
- Habitat
- Midwater, close to the bottom
- Largest on record
- 48 cmtotal length
- Aquarium trade
- Very common
Depth
surface
0 m20 m
Conservation status
Classification
- OrderCypriniformes
- FamilyCyprinidae
- GenusCarassius
- SpeciesCarassius auratus
In other languages
- English
- Goldfish
- German
- Goldfisch
- Spanish
- Carpa asiática dorada
- French
- Poisson rouge
- Italian
- Pesce rosso
- Dutch
- Goudvis
- Turkish
- Japon Havuz Balığı
- Russian
- Золотая рыбка
- Japanese
- キンギョ
- Chinese
- 鯽魚 (金魚)
Quick answers
- Fancy goldfish size: how big does it get?
- Adults reach about 18 cm. The largest on record measured 48 cm (total length). Record sizes among the 137 Cyprinidae species on LumaReef: 1.3 cm (Strawberry Rasbora) to 200 cm (Yellowcheek).
- Fancy goldfish tank size: what is the minimum?
- A tank at least 90 cm long. In LumaReef that is the Standard tank or larger.
- Fancy goldfish water parameters: what does it need?
- Temperature 18–22 °C, pH 7.0–8.2, hardness 8–20 °dGH. Cooler than most Cyprinidae on LumaReef (20–26 °C).
- Fancy goldfish tank mates: what can it live with?
- It gets along with 8 of the 99 freshwater species in the catalogue, such as Gold barb, Zebra danio, and Odessa barb.
- Fancy goldfish: alone or in a group?
- Keep at least 2 together.
- Fancy goldfish and plants: is it plant safe?
- No, it may eat or uproot plants.
- Fancy goldfish depth: how deep does it live?
- In the wild, 0 to 20 m down. Deeper than most Cyprinidae on LumaReef (3–10 m).
Similar species
Sources
Fancy goldfish: compiled from these references.









