Panda Oranda Goldfish - Medium

Carassius auratus is the scientific name of the ancestor of all the types of goldfish that are around today. From this original fish there has been well over 100 goldfish varieties that have been created through selective breeding. Some have stayed true to the carp like body shape while others have developed larger bodies, lost their dorsal fins. have over sized eyes and some have elongated fins.

Called the "Flower of the Water" in China, the Oranda is one of the most popular types of goldfish. Orandas are round, deep-bodied goldfish, with its most noticeable feature being the large, puffy growth on top of its head. This growth gets larger as the fish ages, sometimes covering their eyes. They also tend to have long, flowing fins. The Panda Oranda is a special color variation with dark markings on a white body.

When feeding these fish keep in mind that they will need large amounts of vegetative matter to stay healthy and to avoid buoyancy problems. Generally flake food that is designed for goldfish is sufficient enough to meet their dietary needs. For variety, live plants such as Anacharis or Hornwort can be thrown in to allow the goldfish to naturally graze. As can be derived from their dietary needs, keeping these fish in a planted tank is generally going to be a poor idea if the plants are desired. If feeding floating foods like flakes, soak the food in tank water for a few minutes so it sinks. Goldfish can swallow air from the surface, causing them to swim off-balance.

Tankmates for these fish should generally be other goldfish. They will produce large amounts of waste material and can add to the ammonia level in the aquarium which can be very detrimental to other tank inhabitants. If other tank inhabitants are desired extreme care should be taken in choosing them.