White Fantail Goldfish (Carassius auratus)

Choose a white fantail goldfish

The white fantail goldfish is a fancy goldfish, Carassius auratus, with a short, deep body and a divided double tail that spreads like a fan behind it. In this colour form the scales are a pearly, silvery white and the fins are translucent white, so the dark eyes stand out clearly. Fantails are straightforward fish to keep: Practical Fishkeeping describes fantails and ryukins as just as easy as telescopes, which it calls basically fantails with protruding eyes.

All goldfish belong to one species in the carp family, Cyprinidae. Practical Fishkeeping’s fantail breeding feature notes that goldfish were domesticated from a dark greyish-brown wild carp and first bred for colour in China more than 1,000 years ago, and a 2020 genome study confirms their descent from crucian carp in ancient China. FishBase gives the species’ native range as East Asia.

Tell a fantail from its relatives

These descriptions come from the UK fantail standard, which once had long-tailed and short-tailed versions since merged into today’s intermediate form, and from the Bristol Aquarists’ Society’s variety list. See all our goldfish and coldwater fish, or browse the fancy goldfish category for fish that share its care.

Understand the white colour form

The UK fantail standard lists red, orange, yellow, blue, brown and black as metallic self colours, with white appearing only within variegated patterns, alongside the multicoloured calico group. An all-white fantail is therefore a pet colour form rather than a show-standard fish, which makes no difference to its care. The Bristol Aquarists’ Society explains the three scale types that give goldfish their finish: metallic scales are shiny and reflective, nacreous scales have a softer mother-of-pearl look and matt scales have no shine at all.

Goldfish hatch in a dark wild-type colour and reach their adult colours as black pigment cells are lost, so shade and finish vary from one white fantail to the next. The fish in our photographs shows the colour form at its best; the individual you receive is a young fish and will not look identical.

Know what one purchase supplies

• One live white fantail, dispatched at 3–4 cm.
• Young finnage: a 3–4 cm fish has not yet grown its full tail, which develops as it grows.
• Adult size: about 20 cm at most, according to OATA.
• Representative images: the gallery shows the colour form, not the individual fish.

By the UK standard a fantail carries its tail high, and Practical Fishkeeping lists long, drooping tails among the commonest faults. Finnage length varies from fish to fish, and the Bristol society notes that fantails from specialist shops often have finnage too long for the show standard. Check our delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee information before you order.

Give the adult fantail room to swim

OATA’s fancy goldfish care sheet advises the largest aquarium practical, with at least 100 litres for one adult and 50 litres for each additional adult, or a plan to upgrade as the fish grows. Larger volumes keep temperature and water quality steadier. The RSPCA gives a guideline of 2 litres of water per 0.5 cm of goldfish length and at least 60 litres per goldfish; where the two differ, the OATA figure is the safer plan for a fish that will grow to around 20 cm.

A 3–4 cm fantail can live in that aquarium from the start, so there is no need to buy a small tank first and upgrade later. A bowl is never suitable: the RSPCA notes that small volumes cannot provide a stable environment.

Plan for each stage of growth

Use our tank volume calculator to turn your aquarium’s dimensions into litres, and the stocking calculator to check the whole population before you add more fish.

Protect the twin tail with smooth furnishings

A fantail’s divided tail and paired fins can be torn on rough surfaces. OATA warns against decor with sharp or rough edges that could damage long fins, and recommends gravel or sand. Live plants are ideal, but goldfish readily eat them, so choose tough plants or accept some grazing; where live plants are not used, plastic plants and ornaments such as plant pots or caves provide shelter.

OATA also notes that fancy goldfish prefer a gentle flow, so spread the filter output with a spray bar or turn it down rather than aiming it across the tank.

Check every item before it goes in

• Substrate: rounded gravel or sand, never sharp chippings.
• Plants: robust live plants, or soft artificial plants without stiff points.
• Ornaments: smooth, with wide openings; run a fingertip over every edge.
• Equipment: filter intakes and heater guards positioned so fins cannot be drawn in or snagged.
• Swimming space: an open area along the front where the fish can turn without brushing decor.

Fit overhead lighting to give a regular day and night, as OATA recommends; the RSPCA suggests eight to ten hours a day for most species. Keep the tank away from windows, radiators and draughts, because temperature swings stress goldfish.

Keep fancy goldfish water values

OATA’s ranges for fancy goldfish are below. OATA notes that goldfish adapt to wider ranges of temperature, pH and hardness over time, so a stable reading inside the range is better than repeated adjustments.

The RSPCA gives 10–21°C for goldfish, so the range both sources agree on is 15–21°C. A heater is only needed if the room gets very cold; if you fit one, the RSPCA suggests setting it at the lower end of the range to smooth out swings.

Prepare UK tap water before it goes in

Use a tap water conditioner on every water change to remove chlorine or chloramine; our water care range includes conditioners. Hardness varies from region to region across the UK, so test your tap water’s GH, KH and pH. The water matcher shows how your readings compare with this fish’s range, and our water chemistry guide explains each value.

Run a gentle filter and a weekly routine

OATA says a filter is always essential, whatever the aquarium’s size. Choose one rated for the adult population and soften its output with a spray bar or by turning it down. Mature it before the fish arrives: the RSPCA recommends fishless cycling, which takes at least two weeks, and our guide to the nitrogen cycle explains how filter bacteria turn ammonia into nitrite and then nitrate.

Work through the weekly sequence

1. Test ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, and record the results with the temperature.
2. Change at least 25% of the water, as OATA advises; Practical Fishkeeping suggests up to 50% a week for goldfish.
3. Treat the new water with conditioner and match its temperature.
4. Siphon waste from the gravel using a gravel cleaner that starts without mouth suction.
5. Check the filter for blockages and reduced flow.
6. Rinse media only in removed aquarium water, never under the tap.

Feed sinking food in measured portions

OATA recommends a specialised goldfish food, because goldfish need more carbohydrate than many other species, given once a day and only as much as is eaten within a few minutes. Some fancy goldfish gulp air at the surface and lose their balance after feeding; OATA suggests trying a different or slow-sinking food. Our Tropical Super Goldfish Mini Sticks are sinking sticks made for fancy goldfish, and Tropical Goldfish Pellet is a sinking pellet suited to fancy varieties.

OATA lists daphnia, bloodworm, brine shrimp, aquatic plants, blanched lettuce and thawed, shelled peas as supplements. Freeze-dried brine shrimp is an easy way to add one of them. Goldfish are insatiable and will beg constantly, so judge the portion by what is eaten, not by how hungry the fish looks.

Measure the meal

• Choose a food small enough for a 3–4 cm fish to take whole, and move up a size as it grows.
• Offer a small pinch, wait, and add a little more only if it is eaten straight away.
• Stop after a few minutes and remove leftovers, which decay into toxic waste.
• If the fish floats awkwardly or struggles to stay level after meals, switch to a sinking food.

Introduce it to a mature aquarium

Before delivery, confirm a mature filter and zero ammonia and nitrite. OATA’s floating-bag method then takes up to half an hour: lights off, float the sealed bag for 10 minutes to match temperatures, add small amounts of aquarium water to the bag over up to 20 minutes, then release the fish and leave the bag water behind. Our guide on how to acclimatise new fish explains each step.

Follow a first-week plan

OATA warns that adding fish too quickly causes new tank syndrome, when the filter bacteria cannot keep up and ammonia and nitrite rise. Add companions one at a time.

Check a white fish for early warning signs

OATA describes a healthy goldfish as having clear, bright eyes, undamaged fins, intact scales, no ulcers or bumps, normal swimming and steady breathing. On a white fish, reddened areas, streaks in the fins or damage to the tail edge show up clearly, so look the fish over at each daily feed.

Pair each sign with an action

If a problem continues after the water has been checked, contact us with the aquarium volume and your recent readings.

Mix it with fancy goldfish of a similar build

OATA says fancy goldfish can be kept alone or with other fancy goldfish, but not with common goldfish, which swim faster, outcompete them for food and sometimes nip their fins. The RSPCA likewise advises keeping single-tailed and twin-tailed goldfish apart, and OATA’s goldfish aquarium sheet warns specifically against keeping comets with fancy varieties.

Good companions in our range include the Red and White Ryukin, the Red Broadtail Fancy Goldfish, the Red Oranda Goldfish and the Blue Oranda; the white fantail makes a striking contrast with red and blue fish. Use the tank mates tool to check any other pairing.

Screen each companion

Decide on indoor or pond keeping

Sources disagree here. OATA advises that fancy goldfish are best kept indoors in aquaria only. The Bristol Aquarists’ Society’s fantail notes describe the fantail as hardy and happily living outdoors in ponds, with young fish raised indoors in tanks before moving outside. We recommend an indoor aquarium for a white fantail, and especially for a young 3–4 cm fish. Our guide to comet goldfish explains why fast pond goldfish and slow fancies need separate homes.

If you do keep fantails outdoors

• Grow the fish on indoors first, as the Bristol breeders describe.
• Keep it with fancy goldfish only, never with comets or shubunkins.
• Follow pond guidance for depth, filtration, predator netting and winter ice.
• For a small unheated indoor tank, compare the species in our guide to cold water fish for sale instead.

Breed fantails with a clear plan

The Bristol Aquarists’ Society describes the fantail as relatively easy to breed among the twin-tailed goldfish. Practical Fishkeeping’s fantail feature describes one breeder’s method: a 91 × 61 cm spawning tank planted with plenty of hornwort, water warmed to about 17°C from around the start of March, and one female placed with three males. After spawning the adults are removed; the eggs hatch in three to four days, and the fry are first fed newly hatched brine shrimp about 36 hours after hatching.

OATA’s general guidance differs in detail, so choose one method and follow it consistently.

Compare the two methods

Adults of both sexes eat eggs and fry. In spring and summer males develop white tubercles on the gill covers and pectoral fins, and females have deeper bodies. A Bristol Aquarists’ Society breeder keeps only about 20 of some 3,000 fry a year, so plan homes for every young fish you raise; OATA is clear that releasing aquarium fish into the wild is illegal.

Answer white fantail goldfish questions

What is a white fantail goldfish?

A fancy goldfish, Carassius auratus, with a short, deep body and a divided, forked double tail that spreads like a fan, in an all-white colour form. It is one of the easiest twin-tailed goldfish to keep.

How big does a fantail goldfish get?

OATA puts fancy goldfish at about 20 cm at most. The fish is dispatched at 3–4 cm, so it will grow to several times that length.

What size tank does a white fantail need?

OATA advises at least 100 litres for one adult fancy goldfish, plus 50 litres for each additional adult. The RSPCA gives at least 60 litres per goldfish; use the larger figure where you can.

Does a fantail need a heater?

Usually not. OATA gives 4–25°C, with 15–23°C as the optimum, and says a heater is only needed in a very cold room. The RSPCA gives 10–21°C for goldfish.

Which goldfish can live with a fantail?

Other fancy goldfish of a similar build, such as ryukins, telescopes, moors and orandas. Practical Fishkeeping notes that fantails and ryukins mix well with telescopes. Avoid comets, common goldfish and shubunkins.

Can fantail goldfish live in a pond?

Sources differ. OATA advises keeping fancy goldfish indoors in aquaria only, while Bristol Aquarists’ Society breeders describe fantails as hardy fish that live outdoors in ponds. We recommend an indoor aquarium, especially for a young fish.

What should I feed a fantail?

A goldfish food once a day, only as much as is eaten within a few minutes. OATA suggests a slow-sinking food for fancy goldfish that lose their balance after feeding, with daphnia, bloodworm, brine shrimp and peas as extras.

Is a white fantail a show colour?

Not on its own. The UK fantail standard lists red, orange, yellow, blue, brown and black as self colours, with white appearing only in variegated patterns, so an all-white fantail is a pet colour form.

How long do fantail goldfish live?

OATA gives 6–8 years in good conditions for fancy goldfish, with rare reports of more than 20, and a Bristol Aquarists’ Society breeder puts fantails at about 10 years.

Consult the care references

• OATA: How to look after fancy goldfish: water values, aquarium size, gentle flow, decor, feeding, acclimatisation, warning signs, lifespan and breeding for fancy goldfish.
• Bristol Aquarists’ Society: Fantail: the UK fantail standard and colour groups, hardiness, outdoor keeping, lifespan and breeding notes.
• Bristol Aquarists’ Society: Goldfish varieties: how the fantail compares with the ryukin, veiltail and wakin.
• Bristol Aquarists’ Society: Goldfish information: metallic, nacreous and matt scales, and how adult colours develop.
• Practical Fishkeeping: How to breed fantail goldfish: body and tail ideals, common faults, the history of goldfish breeding and a detailed spawning method.
• Practical Fishkeeping: How do I keep telescope eye goldfish?: fantails, ryukins and telescopes as compatible, easy fancy goldfish; sinking food; eye- and fin-safe decor.
• OATA: How to look after goldfish in tanks: keeping comets and other fast goldfish apart from fancy varieties.
• FishBase: Carassius auratus: family, native range, maximum recorded size and age.
• Chen et al. 2020, PNAS: domestication of goldfish from crucian carp in ancient China.
• RSPCA: Choosing an aquarium for pet fish: goldfish space guideline, 10–21°C, fishless cycling, lighting and position.
• RSPCA: Keeping pet fish together: keeping single-tailed and twin-tailed goldfish apart.