Thoughts on Fancy Goldfish

[divemaster99]

Extreme or sick fish perhaps, but most fancies get along quite easily.

Perhaps, maybe it was just I'll care at the store. Like I said, I think Veiltails and Ryukins are awesome looking and I'd love to keep them sometime as they look like they swim fairly easily. Some of the strains just look a little to "heavy" or oblong to stay off the bottom.

 

[predatorkeeper87]

I know the behavior dive is talking about, and it is most definitely due to the breeding, but I don't know how well it effects them swimming. Obviously it has to be somewhat more difficult with the awkward body and tail shapes, etc.

 

[calichai]

That was my bubble eye posted earlier. I agree this type of goldfish shouldn't be bred or sold Willy nilly. You rarely see them at the shops here, anyhow. The ones I bought were the only ones that survived in a tank of 20 @lfs. He needs a lot of attention, more then any of my other tanks. But he puts a smile on my kids face everyday, so I'll deal with it. The other fancies have been around forever though and I accept those as part of my heritage. For the record, a healthy ranchu has good movement, and doesn't cruise the bottom as readsun mentioned.



I have more issue with the newer strains like balloon or electric blue types. They usually move ok but are weak somehow. The ones I tried never lived long. Electric Rams, blue Dempsey, to name a few. I always see these types stuck to the filters at the shops. My Goldie's though, some are pushing 6years already and I hardly lost any from my original buy.



Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

 

[Quo Vadis]

Cute Pearlscale!

 

[MN_Rebel]

I know the behavior dive is talking about, and it is most definitely due to the breeding, but I don't know how well it effects them swimming. Obviously it has to be somewhat more difficult with the awkward body and tail shapes, etc.

Or it could be an illness. Walmart is always full of sickly and diseased goldfish.

 

[MN_Rebel]

Ok...you guys are confusing my disapproval of linebreeding for the traits with disapproval of the animals themselves. The animals aren't at fault and everyone, including myself, should know that. I'm stating the act of producing these animals with genetic defects, to which can and do frequently cause health and wellbeing issues, is a ridiculous trend that has been around for 1000's of years. I'm well aware the animals don't realize whats going on and live life the best they can...but those traits being bred into some species has a debilitating effect on day to day life of the animals. Them learning to cope with the deformities because they were born with them does not make it alright simply because they know nothing else in the world. That bubble eye goldfish that was posted earlier in the thread....come on...that's just plain cruel in my book.

Again, it is just your opinion, not a fact. I don't think it was cruel to breeding bubble eyed goldfish. In fact I had one that lived for 10 years old and it was fatty. Never had any issues with him.

 

[Redearsunfish]

Fancy goldfish is a rewarding hobby. I exclusively keep fancy goldfish, and if I had a monster tank, it would probably house koi.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with the fancy goldfish strains available today. The problems begin with people buying goldfish thinking they are simple to keep. In many ways they are. In many ways they most defineltely are not.

I'm thinking you saw a sick fish or an unfortunately abnormal fancy.

I'm glad there are fancy goldfish defenders here. You can consider me the president of that club.

 

[divemaster99]

Or it could be an illness. Walmart is always full of sickly and diseased goldfish.

I doubt it's an illness if it's present in every fancy goldfish I've ever seen among different stores, and it's never been walmart either.

 

[divemaster99]

Again, it is just your opinion, not a fact. I don't think it was cruel to breeding bubble eyed goldfish. In fact I had one that lived for 10 years old and it was fatty. Never had any issues with him.

Regardless of life span it's not fair to the animal, it'd be like if someone bred humans so that you had a gigantic hunchback and three legs, could you still live a healthy life, yes. But wouldn't you be much happier if you were a normal person?

 

[divemaster99]

Fancy goldfish is a rewarding hobby. I exclusively keep fancy goldfish, and if I had a monster tank, it would probably house koi.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with the fancy goldfish strains available today. The problems begin with people buying goldfish thinking they are simple to keep. In many ways they are. In many ways they most defineltely are not.

I'm thinking you saw a sick fish or an unfortunately abnormal fancy.

I'm glad there are fancy goldfish defenders here. You can consider me the president of that club.

I've seen hundreds of them at many different stores and they all look "disabled" to me. I just think that we need to stop trying to genetically alter animals in a negative way. Breeding for albinism or melanism or the like is one thing but dying and changing to body shape of the fish are another.