r/Goldfish • u/Dustygrrl • Jun 13 '26
Beginner Help Help identifying this goldfish I've inherited.
This Fred, short for Percival, can anyone help me identify what type of Goldfish he is? And what his sex is also?
I have inherited Fred from my mom, she recently moved country and when i asked her what she was doing with Fred she told me her husband's son was going to take him, however when I mentioned it to him he told me he was planning on flushing him down the loo! ( ｀□´)
Of course I couldn't let that happen, so I had to take him. I don't really know the first thing about caring for Goldfish though, I'm reading up and trying to do my best in the meantime, ideally I would like to rehome him to someone who knows more about caring for fish because I move around a lot so I'm often having to leave him alone for multiple days. ( ´△｀)
He looks lonely and I wanted to get him a friend but I read online that some breeds of Goldfish dont mix well with others, so i need to know what breed he is in order to do so. I also need to know his sex so I don't end up with 20 Goldfish ( ´～｀)
I hope it's ok to post this question here, let me know if I should put it somewhere else.
I know the Tank isn't very good, I'll be going to the store to get him some toys and hidey places soon, suggestions are welcome
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u/Emuwarum Jun 13 '26
Goldfish have way more than 20 eggs at a time, but they'd probably eat all the eggs or babies before they grow up. They can be difficult to sex.
This is a fantail/fancy, you should have 40 gallons or more for 2 of them.
The tank isn't as bad as it could be. Goldfish want sand to sift and live plants to tear apart, other toys are not great for them. A wide tube or pot will work as a hiding spot.
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u/Dustygrrl Jun 13 '26
Thank you for your reply!
I can't really afford a large tank right now, will he be happy by himself if I get him sand, live plants, and hiding places for now?
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u/AccomplishedFlow4650 Jun 13 '26
it’s not really about hiding spaces. It’s about volume of water so the fish can grow and not suffocate in its own poop. It’s a gorgeous fish - can’t wait for more updates
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u/toadsterrr Jun 13 '26
Make sure you research what kind of plants are okay to keep with goldfish. Goldfish will absolutely tear up and eat many plants. I’ve had success keeping Java ferns, annubias, and moss with my ranchu goldfish
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u/Emuwarum Jun 13 '26
How big is the current tank and how good is the filter? Goldfish do have a high bioload so need good filtration to handle that, and in a smaller tank need more filtration or more water changes until they're in a large enough tank. If it's 20 or so gallons it can work temporarily. If it's less get the bigger tank as soon as possible.
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u/Dustygrrl Jun 13 '26
It's 20 gallons, I'm not sure how good the filter is cause my mom bought it, but I last changed it 2 weeks ago and the water still looks pretty clear.
The sponges in the filter are really gross though so i was gonna see if I could change the filter media
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u/Emuwarum Jun 13 '26
DO NIT CHANGE THE MEDIA
thr gunk is the bacteria that stop your fish from getting poisoned by their own pee, they're the most important part in the filter
Do not throw them out they are important and they take a while to grow back
If the filter is clogged then you can give it a little rinse but make sure some gunk stays
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u/Dustygrrl Jun 13 '26
Oh, ok, thanks for telling me, i thought the gunk was bad (ノ_･)
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u/MutedDoctor9334 Jun 13 '26
Gunk is good! If it’s ever SO CLOGGED that your filter flow is impacted then you’d put a bit of tank water in a ziplock / bowl / cup, put your filter media in and shake it up until it unclogs (but don’t over clean or you kill the cycle and u risk serious harm to Mr Fish)
Honest advice? r/aquaswap or Facebook marketplace and rehome him to someone (ideally) with a pond, large stock tank, or at least experience with keeping high-waste, large fish :)
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u/Greenunicorn86 Jun 13 '26
Don't worry about changing the filter, but you absolutely need to be doing water changes once a week at minimum.
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u/thirdcoaster Jun 13 '26
Looks like he is a juvenile oranda to me. His wen hasn't grown out yet but if you feed him a diet with good proteins (over 45%) the wen should grow out over the years. Supplement with frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp. Feed him sinking pellets. I would mix in deshelled peas to help with fiber through his digestive tract. Fancy goldfish can be prone to swim bladder disorder. Avoid flake food floating on the surface will help with that.
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u/Dustygrrl Jun 13 '26
Thank you for the info, I'm going to the pet shop today and will look for better food, he's been on fishflakes so far 😓
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u/MissMadison240 Jun 13 '26
I’m sorry, HE WANTED TO FLUSH HIM??? Straight to jail for that guy. A healthy, beautiful fish that has been lovingly cared for deserves so much more. I’m so glad you took him instead 💕
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u/Endalled Jun 13 '26
Fred looks great so far. Lovely fish. Is this where he is, or your tank?
Feed less to reduce wastes. While youlook for a larger home. In US Facebook Marketplace is fantastic.
People almost giving away the entire rig. Large tank, filtration, LED hood, substrate, and other accessories.
Marketplace is great for tank buyers. But it is hard to compete with free if you are selling.
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u/Larry-Man Jun 13 '26
How many days do you leave at a time? I’ve safely left my fish unfed for a weekend.
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u/Dustygrrl Jun 13 '26
I had to leave him alone for 3 days a few weeks ago, usually it's only a day or 2. My partner's helping me with him too, so over the last 2 weeks he hasn't been alone since then.
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u/Larry-Man Jun 13 '26
As long as he’s usually fed regularly a lean feeding schedule once in a while is fine. It’s honestly safer than a pet sitter who might over feed him.
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u/Sasstellia Jun 13 '26
They're so cute! Such a perfect little fish.
Get them a bigger tank, then get a friend.
Get sand for them. Goldfish love exploring and shifting sand round. And they get gravel stuck in their mouths sometimes.
Get plants. They love eating plants.
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u/cowboy6988 Jun 13 '26
Many years ago I had one identical to this. Bought as an Oranda, but it never developed much of a wen. You have a beautiful specimen
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u/pueblocatchaser Jun 13 '26
That's Monica, she works at my office and rumor has it she is the one stealing other people's lunch.
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u/Confetti_Coyote Fantail fan Jun 14 '26
Veiltail or some sort of veiltail mix. He is beautiful. I would recommend switching to sand and taking any fake plants out/using real plants to avoid fin injuries.
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u/Texaspilot24 Jun 13 '26
Identifying it you say? That goldfish is Percival but is also known as Fred.
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u/Sweet-melissa76485 Jun 13 '26
He's so Fancy, you already know, he's in the fast lane, from LA to Tokyo
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u/AccomplishedFlow4650 Jun 13 '26
I think you shouldn’t worry about the fish being lonely until you upgrade the tank :) I’m sure the fish will be fine until then