Red and White Fantail Goldfish (Carassius auratus)

Meet the Red and White Fantail Goldfish

The Red and White Fantail Goldfish combines one of the classic fancy goldfish shapes with one of the most popular colour schemes: bold patches of red-orange on a clean white base, often with a red cap on the head and red splashes in the long, flowing double tail. It is a fancy goldfish, the same species as the common goldfish, Carassius auratus, shaped by generations of selective breeding. OATA describes fancy goldfish as more delicate than common goldfish and best kept in indoor aquariums, but among the fancy varieties the fantail is one of the most forgiving and a good first choice.

FishBase gives the wild goldfish's native range as East Asia, in China and Japan, and notes that cultured goldfish come in scarlet, red-pink, silver, brown, white, black and mixtures of these. Red and white is one of those combinations, and no two fish carry the same pattern.

Recognise a good fantail

• Body: short and egg-shaped, without the shoulder hump of a ryukin.
• Dorsal fin: single, tall and held upright.
• Tail and anal fin: both doubled, each divided into two matching halves.
• Scales: metallic, which shine, or nacreous, which look pearly.
• Eyes: normal on this fish; Wikipedia notes that some fantails carry telescope eyes, which only develop at about six months old.

These points come from Wikipedia's account of the fantail, which draws on Chris Andrews' Interpet guide and Johnson and Hess's book on fancy goldfish, and notes that good-quality fantails come from rigorous selection of the young fish. Compare it with other varieties in our goldfish and coldwater fish shop, the fancy goldfish category and the wider coldwater fish range, and see our coldwater fish buying guide for an overview.

Pick a size and know what arrives

Every purchase is one live fish in the size you choose, measured as body length at dispatch. The pattern on your fish will be its own, so the photographs show the variety rather than the individual. Sex is not selected: goldfish only show their sex in the spring and summer breeding season.

Read our delivery information and Live Arrival Guarantee before you order, and have the aquarium filtered and matured in advance.

Give each adult its own 50 litres

OATA states that fancy goldfish are unlikely to grow larger than 20 cm, and recommends an aquarium of at least 100 litres for one adult goldfish, plus 50 litres for every additional adult. Small fish grow, so either buy the aquarium for the adults now or plan to upgrade.

Work out the right aquarium in three steps

1. Count your adults: decide how many fancy goldfish the aquarium will finally hold.
2. Apply the rule: 100 litres for the first, 50 for each one after (see the table).
3. Check the real volume: our tank volume calculator converts your measurements, and our stocking calculator checks the finished group.

FishBase's general advice for goldfish is a group of five or more in an aquarium at least 100 cm long. OATA, writing specifically about fancy goldfish, says they can live alone or with others. A small group of fancy goldfish is the usual choice, and a long aquarium gives slow swimmers room to turn.

Keep it indoors, cool and steady

A fantail belongs in an indoor aquarium. OATA advises keeping fancy goldfish indoors only, and Wikipedia notes that fantails, though hardy, can be sensitive to long spells of cold water. A heater is not needed unless the room is very cold, OATA says, but sudden temperature swings stress goldfish and can lead to disease, so avoid draughty spots, radiators, conservatories and sunny windowsills.

Read the water values in two groups

The first four rows describe the water a fancy goldfish lives in; the last three are waste readings that should always be zero or close to your tap water. OATA notes that goldfish can adapt to a wider range over time, so aim for steady values rather than chasing exact figures. Wikipedia quotes about 23°C as ideal for fantails, the warm end of OATA's 15–23°C optimum. Enter your tap water readings in our water matcher and read our water chemistry guide to understand each number.

Design a soft, open layout

Long fins and a rounded body make a fantail a gentle, deliberate swimmer. OATA advises a gentle current for the fancy breeds, with the filter outflow spread out by a spray bar if possible, and a floor of aquarium gravel or sand. Goldfish readily eat soft live plants, so choose tough plants or good artificial ones, and leave a wide open area in the middle of the aquarium.

Choose décor by checking four things

• Edges: run a finger over every ornament; OATA warns that sharp or very rough décor injures long fins.
• Gaps: avoid narrow holes a round-bodied fish could wedge itself into.
• Floor: smooth, rounded gravel or sand that the fish can sift safely.
• Space: keep décor to the back and sides so the middle stays open.

OATA also recommends overhead lighting for a regular day and night, and a quiet spot away from loud noise and vibration.

Run a weekly maintenance routine

Goldfish are heavy eaters and produce plenty of waste, and OATA's goldfish sheet calls them very dirty fish that quickly raise ammonia and nitrite. Choose a filter rated above your aquarium's volume but with a gentle outflow, and read our article on understanding aquarium filtration to choose and maintain it.

Work through the same five steps

1. Test the water once a week, as OATA recommends.
2. Change about a quarter of the water, siphoning the gravel as you go.
3. Condition the new water to remove chlorine and chloramine, and match its temperature.
4. Check the filter for blockages and reduced flow.
5. Rinse filter media in the old aquarium water, never under the tap, to protect the beneficial bacteria.

Feed for colour, balance and clean water

OATA recommends a good-quality goldfish flake, granule or pellet, because goldfish need more carbohydrate than many fish, supplemented with live or frozen foods and vegetables such as daphnia, bloodworm, brine shrimp, blanched lettuce and shelled peas. Its pond fish sheet adds that colour-enhancing foods can bring out a goldfish's colour, which suits a red-and-white fish well.

Plan the menu

Feed once a day, only what the fish eat within a few minutes, as OATA advises; goldfish always behave as if they are starving, and leftovers quickly foul the water. OATA also notes that some fancy goldfish gulp air when feeding at the surface and lose their balance for a while afterwards, and that a slow-sinking food usually prevents it. If a fish stays tilted or upside down, test the water and use our swimming-sideways guide.

Settle new fish in gently

Only add fish once the filter is mature and ammonia and nitrite read zero; our article on the nitrogen cycle explained shows how to get there. Increase numbers gradually, OATA advises, because the filter bacteria need time to catch up with each extra fish; adding too many at once leads to "new tank syndrome".

Acclimatise each fish with OATA's floating-bag method: lights off, float the sealed bag for 10 minutes, add small amounts of aquarium water over up to 20 minutes, then release the fish with as little bag water as possible. Our guide on how to acclimatise new fish shows each step.

Follow a first-week plan

Know the signs of a healthy fantail

OATA lists what a healthy goldfish looks like: clear, bright eyes, undamaged fins, intact scales, no ulcers or lumps, normal swimming and steady breathing. Its warning signs include clamped fins, flicking against gravel or décor, shimmying on the spot, hanging at the surface or lying on the bottom, colour much paler or darker than usual, and loss of appetite.

Match each warning sign to an action

Build a calm group of fancy goldfish

OATA advises keeping fancy goldfish apart from common goldfish, which swim faster, out-compete them for food and are sometimes reported nipping their fins. The best tank mates are other fancy goldfish that swim at the same unhurried pace.

Screen each companion

Fancy goldfish in our range that share its needs include the White Fantail Goldfish, Chocolate Fantail Goldfish, Red and White Ryukin Goldfish, Red Oranda Goldfish, Blue Oranda Goldfish, Red Broadtail Fancy Goldfish, Black Moor Goldfish and the Mixed Long-Fin Goldfish. Check any mix with our tank mates tool.

Spawn fantails in a home aquarium

OATA notes that fancy goldfish breed successfully in large home aquariums. In spring and summer, males show white breeding tubercles on the gill covers and the front fins, and females look fuller. Spawning is more likely with two males for each female and a slow rise in temperature to about 20°C, and it often follows a partial water change.

Prepare four things before spawning

1. A spawning mop or bushy plants for the sticky eggs.
2. A separate aquarium for the eggs, because OATA warns fancy goldfish readily eat their eggs and fry.
3. A plan for about three days to hatching, with fry swimming a few days later.
4. Specialist fry food and space to grow the young on.

Look after it for life

OATA reports that fancy goldfish often live six to eight years, and occasionally 20 or more, so a fantail is a long-term pet. FishBase lists the goldfish as a potential pest when released, with harmful effects reported where it has been introduced. Never release goldfish into the wild; if you cannot keep a fish, rehome it through a retailer, a club or another keeper.

Answer Red and White Fantail Goldfish buying questions

What is a Red and White Fantail Goldfish?

It is a fantail, a fancy form of the goldfish Carassius auratus, with an egg-shaped body, a tall dorsal fin and a double tail divided into two matching halves, coloured in patches of red-orange and white. Every fish has its own pattern.

Is a fantail the same as a ryukin?

They are close relatives and the same species. Wikipedia, drawing on Chris Andrews' guide to fancy goldfish, describes the fantail as similar to the ryukin but without its shoulder hump and with less developed fins.

How big does a red and white fantail grow?

OATA says fancy goldfish are unlikely to grow larger than 20 cm, so plan the aquarium for fish of about that size.

How many fantails can I keep in my aquarium?

Use OATA's rule: 100 litres for the first adult goldfish and 50 litres for each one after that. A 200-litre aquarium suits three adults, a 250-litre aquarium four.

Can a fantail go in my garden pond?

It is better not to. OATA advises keeping fancy goldfish in indoor aquariums only, and fantails can be sensitive to long spells of cold water. Single-tailed goldfish are the right choice for a pond.

What should I feed it?

A good goldfish flake, granule or slow-sinking pellet once a day, only what is eaten in a few minutes, with daphnia, bloodworm, brine shrimp, shelled peas or blanched lettuce as extras. A colour food can help bring out the red.

Why is my fantail floating after it eats?

OATA explains that some fancy goldfish swallow air when feeding at the surface and briefly lose buoyancy. Switching to a slow-sinking food usually solves it; if the fish stays tilted, test the water and check our swimming-sideways guide.

How many fish come with one purchase?

One live goldfish in the size you choose: 3–4 cm, 5–6 cm or 8–10 cm. It is not sexed, and its pattern will differ from the photographs.

Consult the care references

• OATA: How to look after fancy goldfish — UK guidance on fancy goldfish water values, aquarium size, feeding, companions, health checks and breeding.
• Wikipedia: Fantail (goldfish) — fantail body and fin shape, scale types and its sensitivity to long spells of cold water.
• FishBase: Carassius auratus — native range, maximum size, group size, aquarium length, colour forms and its pest status when released.
• OATA: How to look after goldfish in an aquarium — UK guidance on goldfish in aquariums, including sizes in tanks and moving single-tails to a pond.
• OATA: How to look after pond fish (colour foods) — UK guidance on pond fish water values, pond depth, seasonal feeding, winter care and breeding.
• Tropical Fish Co delivery policy — current dispatch days and Live Arrival Guarantee terms.