The Oranda Goldfish (Carassius auratus auratus) is a beautiful blue-gray colour variant of the classic oranda group of fancy goldfish. Like other orandas, it displays a double tail and the distinctive, fleshy “wen” hood on its entire head. In addition to its orange gold colour, it sometimes also has patches of shining gold on its body, although this gold coloration often disappears or recedes as the fish reaches maturity.
A generally peaceful and hardy species, the Oranda Goldfish is an excellent, undemanding candidate for coldwater, goldfish-centric aquariums. Though it is very hardy, it requires a spacious tank with very clean water, powerful filtration, and frequent water changes. Debris can collect in the fleshy wen hood of orandas, sometimes causing disease, so it is especially important to maintain extra clean water for such goldfish varieties. This fish is not particularly fussy about pH or hardness as long as its aquarium is well-maintained and stable. Like all goldfish, orandas are not schooling fish per se, but they are very social and appreciate the company of other goldfish.
The Oranda Goldfish constantly searches for food at all levels of the aquarium. It will uproot and pick at plants, so it is not a good candidate for the heavily planted aquarium. Any plants kept with it must be relatively rigid and able to withstand the oranda’s constant grazing. The Blue Oranda Goldfish will also pick at anything else that it might consider potential food, so it should not be kept with most invertebrates. In fact, there are very few non-goldfish species that make good tank mates for goldfish due to the feeding habits and exceptionally high waste production of all goldfish.
Feeding is very simple for the omnivorous Oranda Goldfish. However, protein content should only make up about one-third of its diet. It should be fed a varied diet of high-quality dry foods that are specifically designed for goldfish, and it will also appreciate some fresh vegetable matter. Care must be taken not to overfeed goldfish since they will eat any and all food that is present, even to the point of internal injury.
What We Like About This Fish:
- Peaceful and hardy addition to goldfish tanks and some ponds, though they cannot tolerate the extreme cold conditions that some other goldfish varieties can inhabit
- Beautiful blue-gray variant of the classic oranda
- Very active
- Unique appearance as well as plenty of personality.
CARE GUIDELINES:
- Diet: Omnivorous, should be fed relatively low-protein foods designed specifically for goldfish
- Social behavior: Social with other goldfish