Goldfish, being the jewel of the ocean, are the most attractive and inhabitant species around the globe. Belonging to a family of enormous breeds, each goldfish shows different behavior, possesses different qualities, lives in a different environment, and befriends different mates.
Goldfish keepers and hobbyist ocean explorers must know how a different goldfish looks and acts. Without proper knowledge, you can end up treating your goldfish in a wrong way that might hamper their growth and in some cases end up dying.
This comprehensive article on different types of goldfish contains all the necessary information you need to know the goldfish.
So, let us dive.
Common Goldfish
The common goldfish is found in different colors, such as red, red/white, and white/black, as well as different combinations. The most common variation is orange, which is very attractive to us.
| Size (inches) | 4.7 to 16 |
| Temperature Range (°F) | 68° to 74°F |
| pH Range | 6.5 to 7.5 |
| Nitrate | < 40 ppm |
| Nitrite | 0 to 0.25 |
| Ammonia (per day) | 0.1 grams |
| Chlorine | 0.1 to 0.3 ppm |
| General Hardness (GH) | 180 to 280 ppm |
| Carbonate Hardness (CH) | < 120 ppm |
| Phosphate Level | 20 ppm |
Comet Goldfish
Comet goldfish is the best for beginners who do not tolerate any newbie mistakes. It’s a single-tailed fish found in the US (United States).
| Size (inches) | Up to 12 inches or longer |
| Temperature Range (°F) | 60° to 70°F |
| pH Range | 7.0 to 8.4 |
| Nitrate Level | < 20 ppm |
| Nitrite Level | 0 to 0.25 |
| Ammonia (per day) | 0.1 grams |
| Chlorine | 0.08 ppm |
| General Hardness (GH) | 5 to 12 dgH |
| Carbonate Hardness (CH) | 7.4 to 7.9 dkH |
| Phosphate Level | 120 to 160 ppm |
Shubunkin
Shubunkin are one of the most beautiful goldfish which was the first bred in Japan and have transparent scales so they are pearly in appearance.
| Size (inches) | 9 to 18 inches |
| Temperature Range (°F) | 40° to 80°F |
| pH Range | 6.5 to 8.5 |
| Nitrate Level | 7.0 to 8.4 |
| Nitrite Level | 0 to 0.25 ppm |
| Ammonia (per day) | < 0.25 |
| Chlorine | < 1 ppm |
| General Hardness (GH) | 150 to 200 ppm |
| Carbonate Hardness (CH) | 80 to 160 ppm |
| Phosphate Level | 0.01 to 0.03 ppm |
Wakin Goldfish
Wakin are the most fancy and rare type of goldfish which originated from Japan. It has twin-tailed goldfish.
| Size (inches) | 10 to 12 inches |
| Temperature Range (°F) | 60° to 78 °F |
| pH Range | 7.0 to 8.0 |
| Nitrate Level | < 20 ppm |
| Nitrite Level | 1.0 mg/L |
| Ammonia (per day) | < 0.2 grams |
| Chlorine | 1 to 3 ppm |
| General Hardness (GH) | 70 to 140 ppm |
| Carbonate Hardness (CH) | 6.5 to 8.5° dkH |
| Phosphate Level (Adults) | 2.8 to 4.5 mg/dL |
Jikin Goldfish
Jikin goldfish is similar to Wakin but he has a white-angled tail that looks like the letter ‘X’. They are found in different color variations such as red, white, and orange.
| Size (inches) | > 9 inches or more |
| Temperature Range (°F) | 68° to 78° F |
| pH Range | 6.5 to 7.5 |
| Nitrate Level | < 20 ppm |
| Nitrite Level | 0 to 0.25 ppm |
| Ammonia (per day) | 2 to 8 ppm |
| Chlorine | 25 to 37 mg/L |
| General Hardness (GH) | 4 to 8 dgH |
| Carbonate Hardness (CH) | 6.5 to 8.5° dkH |
| Phosphate Level | 2.5 to 4.5 mg/dL |
Watonai Goldfish
Watonai goldfish are one of the most expensive types of fish. They have double-tailed goldfish and are also found in such fantastic color variations (red & white).
| Size (inches) | 6 to 12 inches |
| Temperature Range (°F) | 60° to 78° F |
| pH Range | 7.0 to 8.5 |
| Nitrate Level | < 20 ppm |
| Nitrite Level | Up to 20 ppm |
| Ammonia (per day) | 0.5 to 1.0 mg |
| Chlorine | Up to 1 ppm |
| General Hardness (GH) | 120 to 160 ppm |
| Carbonate Hardness (CH) | 7.4 to 7.9 ppm |
| Phosphate Level | 0.005 to 0.05 mg/L |
Ryukin Goldfish
Ryukin goldfish is considered an aggressive type of goldfish due to less able swimmers. This is a short fancy body fish with a hump in the shoulder region. They are found in China as well as Japan.
| Size (inches) | 8 to 10 inches |
| Temperature Range (°F) | 60° to 75° F |
| pH Range | 7.0 to 7.5 |
| Nitrate Level | <50 ppm |
| Nitrite Level | 0 to 0.25 ppm |
| Ammonia (per day) | 0 to 0.25 ppm |
| Chlorine | 80 to 160 ppm |
| General Hardness (GH) | Up to 150 ppm |
| Carbonate Hardness (CH) | Up to 120 dkH |
| Phosphate Level | < 0.5 ppm |
Oranda Goldfish
Oranda goldfish is a special breed of goldfish that is prominent with a bubble-like hood on the top of the head.
| Size (inches) | 8 to 12 inches |
| Temperature Range (°F) | 65° to 75° F |
| pH Range | 7.0 to 8.4 |
| Nitrate Level | Below 50 ppm |
| Nitrite Level | 0.1 to 0.25 ppm |
| Ammonia (per day) | 0.1 g |
| Chlorine | 1 to 3 ppm |
| General Hardness (GH) | 160 to 200 ppm |
| Carbonate Hardness (CH) | 7.4 to 7.9 |
| Phosphate Level | 1.2% |
Ranchu
Ranchu is one of the most important types of goldfish which is also called the king of goldfish and the life cycle has been found for 10 to 15 years. It is also called Maruko which also originated from Japan.
| Size (inches) | 6 to 8 inches |
| Temperature Range (°F) | 64° to 86° F |
| pH Range | 6.5 to 7.5 |
| Nitrate Level | 30 to 40 ppm |
| Nitrite Level | 0 ppm |
| Ammonia (per day) | 0 to 0.20 ppm |
| Chlorine | < 1 ppm |
| General Hardness (GH) | 5 to 9 dgH |
| Carbonate Hardness (CH) | 4 to 8 dkH |
| Phosphate Level | < 0.5 ppm |
Bubble Eye Goldfish
Bubble-eye goldfish are very small in size with upward-pointing eyes and have two large fluid-filled sacs. It looks like a cartoon shape.
| Size (inches) | 3 to 4 inches |
| Temperature Range (°F) | 60° to 70° F |
| pH Range | 6.0 to 9.0 |
| Nitrate Level | <20 ppm |
| Nitrite Level | 0.10 to 0.25 ppm |
| Ammonia (per day) | 0.01 ppm |
| Chlorine | Upto 1 ppm |
| General Hardness (GH) | 5 to 19 dkH |
| Carbonate Hardness (CH) | 7.0 to 7.9 dgH |
| Phosphate Level | Below 20 ppm |
Fantail Goldfish
Fantail goldfish is a common type of goldfish which is known as double-tail goldfish and has no hump on the shoulder. It is also similar to the Ryukin and is found in Western countries.
| Size (inches) | 1.5 to 8.0 inches |
| Temperature Range (°F) | 72° to 78° F |
| pH Range | 6.5 to 7.5 |
| Nitrate Level | Below 40 ppm |
| Nitrite Level | 0 |
| Ammonia (per day) | 0.01 ppm |
| Chlorine | Up to 1 ppm |
| General Hardness (GH) | 6 to 12 dgH |
| Carbonate Hardness (CH) | 160 to 200 ppm |
| Phosphate Level | Below 0.05 ppm |
Veiltail Goldfish
Veiltail is a special type of goldfish that has an extra long and double-flowing tail. It looks like a dorsal fin.
| Size (inches) | 8 to 12 inches |
| Temperature Range (°F) | 64° to 78° F |
| pH Range | 7.0 to 8.4 |
| Nitrate Level | Below 50 ppm |
| Nitrite Level | 0 to 0.25 ppm |
| Ammonia (per day) | 0.02 ppm |
| Chlorine | < 1 ppm |
| General Hardness (GH) | 120 to 160 ppm |
| Carbonate Hardness (CH) | 7.4 to 7.5 dkH |
| Phosphate Level | Below 0.5 ppm |
Telescope Goldfish
Telescope is a very rare type of goldfish originating from China and also looks like protruding eyes, so it is also called telescope eyes.
| Size (inches) | 4 to 10 inches |
| Temperature Range (°F) | 68° to 74° F |
| pH Range | 7.0 to 8.4 |
| Nitrate Level | 0 to 0.25 ppm |
| Nitrite Level | 0.25 ppm |
| Ammonia (per day) | 0.5 to 1.0 mg |
| Chlorine | 1 to 3 ppm |
| General Hardness (GH) | 6 to 12 dgH |
| Carbonate Hardness (CH) | 7.4 to 7.9 dkH |
| Phosphate Level | Below 0.5 ppm |
Black Moor Goldfish
This is a fancy black moor goldfish with protruding eyes and is a peaceful and slow swimmer. It has long flowing fins and a long tail.
| Size (inches) | 6 to 8 inches |
| Temperature Range (°F) | 60° to 75° F |
| pH Range | 6.5 to 7.4 |
| Nitrate Level | <20 ppm |
| Nitrite Level | Below 20 ppm |
| Ammonia (per day) | 0.10 to 0.25 ppm |
| Chlorine | 1 to 3 ppm |
| General Hardness (GH) | 5 to 19 dgH |
| Carbonate Hardness (CH) | 4 to 8 dkH |
| Phosphate Level | Up to 0.5 ppm |
Red Moor Goldfish
Red moor goldfish is a common type of goldfish that originated from China and it is also similar to veil tail goldfish. It has different color variations such as orange to red and bronze to black.
| Size (inches) | 3 to 5 inches |
| Temperature Range (°F) | 60° to 74° F |
| pH Range | 6.5 to 7.5 |
| Nitrate Level | <40 ppm |
| Nitrite Level | 0 ppm |
| Ammonia (per day) | 0.25 ppm |
| Chlorine | 1 to 5 ppm |
| General Hardness (GH) | 120 to 160 ppm |
| Carbonate Hardness (CH) | 7.4 to 7.9 dkH |
| Phosphate Level | 0.02 to 0.1 ppm |
Butterfly Goldfish
This is a well-known goldfish and it has well-rounded fancy-shaped goldfish. It is also similar to the fantail goldfish.
| Size (inches) | 8 to 12 inches |
| Temperature Range (°F) | 68° to 74° F |
| pH Range | 7.0 to 8.4 |
| Nitrate Level | 0.25 ppm |
| Nitrite Level | Below 0.5 ppm |
| Ammonia (per day) | 0.5 to 1.0 mg |
| Chlorine | < 1 ppm |
| General Hardness (GH) | Up to 150 ppm |
| Carbonate Hardness (CH) | 7.4 to 7.9 |
| Phosphate Level | Below 0.5 ppm |
Lionhead Goldfish
Lionhead is a hooded type of goldfish and also has metallic, nacreous, and matte scales. They are also found in different variations such as red/orange and red natural etc.
| Size (inches) | Up to 6 inches |
| Temperature Range (°F) | 65° to 78° F |
| pH Range | 6.8 to 7.5 |
| Nitrate Level | Below 50 ppm |
| Nitrite Level | 0 to 0.25 ppm |
| Ammonia (per day) | 1.0 ppm |
| Chlorine | Up to 1 ppm |
| General Hardness (GH) | 120 to 160 ppm |
| Carbonate Hardness (CH) | 7.4 to 7.9 dkH |
| Phosphate Level | Min 1.2% |
Pompom Goldfish
Pompom is a fancy type of goldfish which is also known as velvet ball and Huna fusa.
| Size (inches) | 5 inches |
| Temperature Range (°F) | 65° to 75° F |
| pH Range | 7.0 to 8.0 |
| Nitrate Level | Below 25 ppm |
| Nitrite Level | 0 |
| Ammonia (per day) | 0 to 0.25 ppm |
| Chlorine | < 1 ppm |
| General Hardness (GH) | 120 to 160 ppm |
| Carbonate Hardness (CH) | 7.4 to 7.9 dkH |
| Phosphate Level | Min 1.2% |
Pearlscale Goldfish
Pearlscale goldfish is a unique type of goldfish that looks like a beautiful pearl and has a spherical body with double finnage. It can maintain temperament in the water.
| Size (inches) | Up to 8 inches |
| Temperature Range (°F) | 65° to 75° F |
| pH Range | 7.0 to 8.0 |
| Nitrate Level | Below 25 ppm |
| Nitrite Level | 0 |
| Ammonia (per day) | 0 to 0.25 ppm |
| Chlorine | < 1 ppm |
| General Hardness (GH) | 120 to 160 ppm |
| Carbonate Hardness (CH) | 7.4 to 7.9 dkH |
| Phosphate Level | Min 1.2% |
Hama Nishiki Goldfish
Hama Nishiki goldfish is also known as a high-head pearl scale goldfish. It can maintain a normal position in the water.
| Size (inches) | 5 to 8 inches |
| Temperature Range (°F) | 68° to 75° F |
| pH Range | 6.5 to 7.5 |
| Nitrate Level | Above 40 ppm |
| Nitrite Level | 0.25 to 0.50 ppm |
| Ammonia (per day) | 0.5 to 1.0 mg |
| Chlorine | Up to 1 ppm |
| General Hardness (GH) | 120 to 160 ppm |
| Carbonate Hardness (CH) | 7.4 to 7.9 dkH |
| Phosphate Level | Min 1.2% |
Celestial Eye Goldfish
Celestial eye goldfish is a special type of goldfish that has double tails of a fancy type of goldfish and is found in different color variations.
| Size (inches) | 5 to 6 inches |
| Temperature Range (°F) | 70° to 75° F |
| pH Range | 7.0 to 8.4 |
| Nitrate Level | Below 20 ppm |
| Nitrite Level | 0 ppm |
| Ammonia (per day) | 0 to 0.25 ppm |
| Chlorine | < 1 ppm |
| General Hardness (GH) | 6 to 12 dgH |
| Carbonate Hardness (CH) | 7.4 to 7.9 |
| Phosphate Level | Min 1.2% |
Lionchu
Lionchu is a special type of goldfish which is the resulting breed of lionheads and ranchu. This is one of the rare types of goldfish which originated from China and Japan.
| Size (inches) | 6 inches or more |
| Temperature Range (°F) | 65° to 72° F |
| pH Range | 6.0 to 8.0 |
| Nitrate Level | Below 20 ppm |
| Nitrite Level | Up to 1.0 mg/L |
| Ammonia (per day) | 0.5 to 1.0 mg |
| Chlorine | 1 to 3 ppm |
| General Hardness (GH) | 5 to 19 dgH |
| Carbonate Hardness (CH) | 6.5 to 8.5 dkH |
| Phosphate Level | 0.01 to 0.03 |
Curled-Gill Goldfish
The curled-gill goldfish is a common type of goldfish that is also covered by gills, so due to the gill it’s called curled-gill goldfish.
| Size (inches) | Up to 5 inches |
| Temperature Range (°F) | 60° to 75° F |
| pH Range | 4.0 to 4.5 |
| Nitrate Level | 1.0 ppm |
| Nitrite Level | Less than 50 ppm |
| Ammonia (per day) | 0 to 0.25 ppm |
| Chlorine | 0.074 mg/L |
| General Hardness (GH) | 200 to 500 dgH |
| Carbonate Hardness (CH) | 7.4 to 7.9 |
| Phosphate Level | 1.2% |
Egg-Fish Fancy Goldfish
This is one of the most fancy types of goldfish and due to the shape of the egg, it is called eggfish goldfish. They have longer bodies and also can maintain normal temperatures in water.
| Size (inches) | 4 to 7 inches |
| Temperature Range (°F) | 68° to 74° F |
| pH Range | 7.0 to 8.4 |
| Nitrate Level | 0 to 3 ppm |
| Nitrite Level | Up to 0.25 ppm |
| Ammonia (per day) | 0 to 0.25 ppm |
| Chlorine | Up to 100 ppm |
| General Hardness (GH) | 7.0 to 7.8 dgH |
| Carbonate Hardness (CH) | 7.4 to 7.9 |
| Phosphate Level | Below 0.5 ppm |
Izumo Nankin
Izumo nankin is a rare breed of goldfish which is also native to southwestern Japan. It has already won the award for an excellent type of goldfish in Japan.
| Size (inches) | Up to 6 inches |
| Temperature Range (°F) | 43 to 53 |
| pH Range | 6.5 to 7.0 |
| Nitrate Level | Above 40 ppm |
| Nitrite Level | 1.0 mg/L |
| Ammonia (per day) | 0.2 g |
| Chlorine | 0.001 to 0.003 ppm |
| General Hardness (GH) | 4 to 8 dgH |
| Carbonate Hardness (CH) | 6.5 to 8.5 dkH |
| Phosphate Level | 0.02 to 0.1 ppm |
Nymph Goldfish
The Nymph goldfish is a special type of goldfish that consists of a rounded body of fantail and has the straight tail of a comet. It has many different color variations.
| Size (inches) | 6 to 8 inches |
| Temperature Range (°F) | 72 to 76 |
| pH Range | 6.5 to 7.5 |
| Nitrate Level | Below 20 ppm |
| Nitrite Level | Up to 20 ppm |
| Ammonia (per day) | 0 ppm |
| Chlorine | Up to 1 ppm |
| General Hardness (GH) | 8 to 12 dgH |
| Carbonate Hardness (CH) | 7.4 to 7.9 |
| Phosphate Level | Below 0.5 ppm |
Tamasaba
Tamasaba is a very uncommon type of goldfish that has a single and long tail. It is also known as Sabao goldfish. It is nearly similar to Ryukin and Fantail goldfish.
| Size (inches) | Up to 10 inches |
| Temperature Range (°F) | 60 to 78 |
| pH Range | 6.5 to 7.5 |
| Nitrate Level | Less than 30 ppm |
| Nitrite Level | 0 to 0.025 ppm |
| Ammonia (per day) | 0 to 0.025 ppm |
| Chlorine | 0.5 to 1.0 ppm |
| General Hardness (GH) | 17.9 mg/L |
| Carbonate Hardness (CH) | Up to 0.4 ppm |
| Phosphate Level | Below 0.5 ppm |
Tosakin Goldfish
Tosakin goldfish is a very special type of goldfish that has a large tail and is also spread horizontally. But technically its tail has divided into two halves curves which looks like a beautiful species.
| Size (inches) | Up to 8 inches |
| Temperature Range (°F) | 68 to 74 |
| pH Range | 7.0 to 8.5 |
| Nitrate Level | Above 40 ppm |
| Nitrite Level | 0 |
| Ammonia (per day) | Up to 8 ppm |
| Chlorine | 0.001 to 0.003 ppm |
| General Hardness (GH) | 120 to 160 ppm |
| Carbonate Hardness (CH) | Up to 120 ppm |
| Phosphate Level | Below 0.5 ppm |
Froghead Goldfish
Froghead goldfish is a common type of goldfish that looks like a frog and it consists of two fins and a single tail. It is also found in Japan and China.
| Size (inches) | Up to 9 inches |
| Temperature Range (°F) | 68 to 75 |
| pH Range | 7.2 to 7.6 |
| Nitrate Level | Above 40 ppm |
| Nitrite Level | 0 to 0.25 ppm |
| Ammonia (per day) | 0.5 to 1.0 mg |
| Chlorine | 0.5 to 2 ppm |
| General Hardness (GH) | 120 to 160 ppm |
| Carbonate Hardness (CH) | 7.4 to 7.9 |
| Phosphate Level | Below 0.5 ppm |
Feeder Goldfish
Feeder goldfish is a common type of goldfish that has an average life of between 10 to 15 years. It has different color variations such as red/white, white/orange, etc.
| Size (inches) | 1.5 to 12 inches |
| Temperature Range (°F) | 68 to 74 |
| pH Range | 7.0 to 8.4 |
| Nitrate Level | Below 40 ppm |
| Nitrite Level | 0 to 0.25 ppm |
| Ammonia (per day) | 0.1 mg |
| Chlorine | Less than 1 ppm |
| General Hardness (GH) | Min 80 ppm |
| Carbonate Hardness (CH) | 7.4 to 7.9 |
| Phosphate Level | 0.02 to 0.1 |
Sarasa Comet
Sarasa comet goldfish is a common type of goldfish that originated from Japan and China. It is also known as “Carassius Auratus”. They have a crisp white color and solid red markings. It also has a straight tail and a nearly slender body shape.
| Size (inches) | 1.5 to 14 inches |
| Temperature Range (°F) | 64 to 72 |
| pH Range | 7.0 to 8.0 |
| Nitrate Level | Below 40 ppm |
| Nitrite Level | 0 to 0.25 ppm |
| Ammonia (per day) | 0.1 mg |
| Chlorine | Less than 1 ppm |
| General Hardness (GH) | Min 80 ppm |
| Carbonate Hardness (CH) | 7.4 to 7.9 |
| Phosphate Level | 0.02 to 0.1 |
Thai Ranchu
Thai Ranchu is a hooded type of goldfish native to Japan. It has an arched back and a short tail that can also turn 45 degrees.
| Size (inches) | 6 to 8 inches |
| Temperature Range (°F) | 72 to 78 |
| pH Range | Greater than 7 |
| Nitrate Level | Under 40 ppm |
| Nitrite Level | 0 |
| Ammonia (per day) | 0 to 0.25 ppm |
| Chlorine | Less than 1 ppm |
| General Hardness (GH) | 17.9 mg/L |
| Carbonate Hardness (CH) | 6.5 to 8.5dkh |
| Phosphate Level | 0.5 ppm |
Butterfly Tail
Butterfly tail goldfish is a fancy type of goldfish and the uniqueness of its undivided tail makes it look like a beautiful species.
| Size (inches) | 5 to 8 inches |
| Temperature Range (°F) | 68 to 100.4 |
| pH Range | 6.5 to 7.5 |
| Nitrate Level | Below 25 ppm |
| Nitrite Level | 1.0 mg/L |
| Ammonia (per day) | 0.5 to 1.0 ppm |
| Chlorine | Less than 1 ppm |
| General Hardness (GH) | 1 mg/L |
| Carbonate Hardness (CH) | 6.5 to 8.5 dkH |
| Phosphate Level | Up to 10 ppm |
Conclusion
Every goldfish has specific requirements and unique characteristics. So, choose according to your own preference and set-up. The minimum life period of goldfish is about 10 to 15 years.
According to this information, you can easily identify which goldfish is better for you. If you can not take care of these parameters such as temperature, ammonia, nitrate level, oxygen, and general hardness then they can cause death.