All About the Goldfish: History, Breeds, and Common Diseases

Goldfish are classic pets, and pretty much everyone has had a goldfish at some point in his or her life. Goldfish can be won at carnivals, and they are featured in many cartoons, but most people do not really know much about the goldfish. This article will describe the history, breeds, and common diseases of goldfish.

The goldfish originated from the carp, and these fish have been bred in China and Japan for a very long time. The Chinese have been “breeding goldfish for centuries,” and the Japanese have been breeding goldfish for “over 400 years” (Leokum, 1986, p.77). The Chinese and Japanese bred the goldfish ong before many other people knew what a goldfish was. The goldfish have been around for a very long time, but they were not known in Europe until about “200 years ago” (Leokum, 1986, p.77). The first European goldfish was a gift, and it became popular soon after that. “Madame Pompadour of France” was the “leader of fashion,” and when she received a goldfish it became the trendy thing to have (Leokum, 1986, p.77).

There are four breeds of goldfish, and they are known as the “common goldfish, the fantail, the comet, and the nymph” (Leokum, 1986, p.77). The common goldfish is slender and has short fins and the fantail has a short, fat body and double tails and fins. The comet is “slender, with a long single, deeply forked and free flowing tail,” and the nymph is similar to the comet except it has a “short, round body” (Leokum, 1986, p.77). These breeds are all popular types of goldfish, and many people do not realize that there is even a difference.

A sign of sickness in goldfish is the lowering of their back fin; if the fin is low you should check the goldfish for illness. There are several sicknesses that may be causing this dilemma in your goldfish, but the most common is a fungal disease caused by “plant parasites” (Leokum, 1986, p.77). This disease causes a white scum to cover the body of the goldfish; it will start on the fins and work its way up. This disease can be fatal, but there are methods of treating it. Give your gold fish a salt water bath to cure this fungus problem. Make sure to use “1 tablespoon of salt to a gallon of water the same temperature” as the aquarium water (Leokum, 1986, p.77). Bathe your fish for about 30 minutes. Soak the fish tank and accessories in a “very weak solution of potassium permanganate” for about four hours. Clean the tank good and replace the fish after a few days.

Goldfish have a long history, and they are very interesting creatures. Take care of your fish, and it will live a long and healthy life! Reference: Leokum, A. (1986). The Big book of tell me why. New York, NY: Grosset and Dunlap.