2 Goldfish Just Joined The Family

[Jenste]

We have two new members of our family - - a calico fantail and an orange and white oranda. (i think the calico is a simple fantail....please feel free to correct me!!)
I apologize about the poor quality - - the only working camera I have at the moment is on my cellphone

even though this pic is blurry - - I love how the tail looks!

also, is there a way for me to sex them? or is it I would have to have a male and female of the same species and wait for breeding tubes to display?

 

[kelly528]

Aww what cuties! The oranda has espescially nice markings!

The best way to sex them IMO is to look "below the belt". This way has never failed me even with young goldfish. Look where their anus is... does the anus have a protruberance looking soemthing like an "outie" belly-button? If so, the fish is female. If the fish has an "innie", its a male.

 

[Jenste]

well from my novice experience with goldfish (not since I was a child and then it was the horrible "bowl"...
it seems the oranda is a female, and the fantail a male.
could then end up mating? I am not hoping for it but I want to be prepared for the possibility of eggs

 

[kelly528]

Only if an extra cold water change puts them in the mood. And even then they will usually eat the eggs unless you remove one party from the tank.

 

[Jenste]

so different types of goldfish can mate? what kind of offspring would result from an oranda and a fantail would they be healthy?

 

[kelly528]

so different types of goldfish can mate? what kind of offspring would result from an oranda and a fantail would they be healthy?

Yep they're all the same species so they can produce perfectly healthy babies. Even commons and fancies can mate technically although it isn't advisable because of the "rough lovin" involved. Some popular hybrids include the Lionchu (lionhead x ranchu), Demekin (telescope x ryukin), and, less popularly, the Red Cap Telescope (Telescope x Oranda). Its very common for breeders to coss-breed for a particular trait, ie pom-pom x oranda to produce a generation of orandas with pom-poms down the line.

 

[Jenste]

thank you very much! ok well...hoping they don't breed, but if they do I will be ready! I have a few spare tanks lying around that I could put to work!

 

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

ooooooo I have a shubunkin who looks exactly like your top one, except mine has the colouration down the fins and tail too. He'll be 9 this year