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When it comes to common goldfish, the black moor goldfish is easily one of the most recognizable goldfish in the world. They are often the once seen in bulbous fish bowls and possess protruding eyes or telescope eyes as they are often referred to as well. They are what give goldfish the reputation for being fish with big eyes. Also known by their scientific name, the carassius auratus, the black moor or blackmoor goldfish are a peaceful species of fish that originated from China, with the goldfish carassius auratus being a descendant of carp.
They first made their way to Japan, which is also a country that is a big fan of these fish and then later branched out into other parts of the world. The black moor goldfish can be found in most if not all pet stores for a very affordable price. They are a great addition to tanks or single fish bowls due to their easy maintenance, beautiful colors and distinct appearance that make them a fancy goldfish for all.
| Information Chart | |
|---|---|
| Care Level: | Easy |
| Temperament: | Peaceful |
| Color: | Black |
| Lifespan: | 10-15 years |
| Size: | 6-8 inches |
| Family | Cyprinidae |
| Diet: | Omnivore |
| Minimum Tank Size: | 20 gallons |
| Temperature: | 50-75 ºF, 10-24 ºC |
| Water Conditions: | pH level should be relatively neutral, 6.5-7.5 |
| Tank Mate Compatibility | Other peaceful fish |
The black moor goldfish is easy to care for, which is why you see them living in the rooms of children quite often. They don’t require much to thrive and can keep you company for quite a long time. Drastic water changes aren’t great for any fish, but the black moor goldfish are quite forgiving with subtle changes.
As they are also not very big, black moors won’t require a lot of your space either, which makes them a great entry-level fish for beginner aquarists. Much like others in its family, goldfish care is known to be quite easy and the black moor goldfish is no exception.
You will learn later on in this article that black moor goldfish have poor eyesight, which means they are almost swimming blind. In this case, you should be even more aware of what you place in your take to reduce the chances of injury. Skin diseases and swim bladder are common problems that plague the goldfish carassius auratus so make sure you pay attention to their everyday behavior.
A clean environment is imperative to keep the black moor goldfish healthy, and once you find a sick fish, make sure you isolate it from the others in its own individual tank.
Temperament and Behavior
Black moors are very friendly and peaceful little fish no matter if they live in a community tank or with tank mates. They can keep to themselves and mind their own business in the tank, which is also why they don’t take too well with fish that are all up in their space.
Being slow swimmers, the black moors use most of their time just going back and forth inside the tank and don’t require too much to keep them entertained. They are mostly found bobbing along the middle of the tank, but black moors have been known to hide away in the plant substrate or tank decorations when they are stressed out.
Being kept with fish of a similar temperament is what they like and the black moor prefers being with its own kind and will shoal when together.
Appearance
We all know what black moors look like in general, but did you know that black is the most common color? The younger fish will have less opaque color that will eventually darken as they age. Their bulging eyes, or also known as dragon eyes, are mostly due to intraocular pressure. These fancy goldfish actually have larger eyes as they age.
Next time you look at a bunch of black moors in a tank, just pay attention to the eyes to gauge who is the oldest. Dragon eye goldfish, telescope goldfish are all alternative names for the goldfish carassius auratus. You would think that with big eyes they have better vision than the average fish, but this is contrary to the truth. Despite being fishes with big eyes, the black moor goldfish carassius auratus actually have very poor vision.
It’s almost fair to compare their vision to myopia in humans! As mentioned, the black moor goldfish are slow swimmers due to the bulging shape of their bellies, a common trait among fancy goldfish. Similarly to their cousin, the comet goldfish, their tails are quite impressive.
Contrary to a lot of other species in nature, the black moor goldfish males are actually smaller in size than the females. However, sexing with this particular goldfish is quite hard as the difference is not very obvious. However, during mating season, it does get a bit easier to tell them apart since the males develop what is called breeding tubercles on their fins. They look like little white bumps that can be quite visible.
Size
How big does a black moor goldfish get? We can kind of get a picture of how big the goldfish carassius auratus can get even without ever having seen them in person. Thank you, Hollywood and the Internet. You may be surprised that they can exceed your expectations by quite a bit and reach lengths of 6-8 inches and sometimes even more if the conditions permit.
Color
Black moor goldfish, as the name suggests, are mostly black with flecks of golden hues decorating their scales. However, they do have the tendency to change color throughout their lives. The young tend to deepen in color and as the black moors age, they can turn to an orange or reddish color as well.
Lifespan
Black moor goldfish are so popular because they can also live for quite a while. You are looking at the high range of anywhere between 10-15 years and maybe even more in the right conditions!
Diet
Most goldfish, including the goldfish carassius auratus, are omnivores, meaning they consume plants and meat. Black moors are big eaters that can mistake anything they can fit into their mouths as food, which is why you should also pay extra attention to what you place in your tank.
Flakes and pellets are most often used for the black moor goldfish although they can benefit from live foods as well. Look into bloodworms, and other moist or frozen foods too because they are easier to digest for black moors. Variety is good, and relying on pellets or flakes with supplementation is the best option.
A lot of fish can benefit from added veggies in their diet. Your black moors will love some spinach and lettuce and the occasional broccoli just for a treat from time to time. They are big eaters so it’s important not to overfeed these fish. Twice a day of feeding should be enough and remember to clean out all the uneaten leftovers to not pollute the water.
Family
The black moor goldfish, like other goldfish, belong to the cyprinidae family.
Tank Conditions
Due to their poor eyesight and tendency to feed on smaller objects, what you place in your tank during the initial setup is very important. The goldfish carassius auratus can benefit most from an environment closest to its ancestors, the carps. If you know anything about carps, you will know they prefer murkier waters in rivers and lakes which have a sandy bottom.
Temperature
Do black moor goldfish need a heater? No, the goldfish carassius auratus won’t need other equipment as long as you are able to keep the water at 50-75 degrees Fahrenheit (10-24 degrees Celsius), they will be fine. They have a wide tolerance for water temperature, but we still don’t advise major fluctuations.
Water Conditions
They generally live in slow-moving waters, so make sure the flow is steady and the pH level should be relatively neutral, sitting at 6.5-7.5.
Minimum Tank Size
They aren’t that big of a species, but their beautiful and flowing fins may take up more space than you would realize. We would recommend a minimum tank size of 20 gallons for black moor goldfish. Try not to copy what you see in most movies and settle for a fishbowl, give your black fancy goldfish the luxury of having its own aquarium. For every black moor you add to the tank, add another 10 gallons.
Maintenance and Care
They don’t need much or take up much of your time, but a clean environment is crucial to their survival. Cleaning out the tank whenever there are leftovers floating around will keep the water conditions cleaner for longer. Although they do like murkier waters, that doesn’t mean you should let it get dirty.
Changing their water biweekly to once a month is a good standard. They don’t swim very quickly and have very poor eyesight, so keep yourself from putting in anything that could hurt them when decorating the tank. Also, keep an eye out for any unusual behavior in your fish, this could signify the onset of a disease.
Once it has been confirmed that your black moor goldfish is sick, make sure you isolate it from the others. Goldfish care isn’t very difficult as they are considered entry-level fish, and they can keep you company for years to come.
Suitable Tank Mates
Goldfish in general, including the black moor goldfish, are very friendly fish that can do well in community tanks. They are fragile though and are slow swimmers so you need to bear that in mind when picking out their tank mates. The best way to ensure success is to consider fish with similar temperaments. Can black moor goldfish live with goldfish? Why, yes! Other fancy goldfish such as orandas and comet goldfish can be good buddies (although they can be aggressive come feeding time).
Certain tetras, mollies, catfish and angelfish can be good mates as well in the tank. Definitely count out aggressive species such as the green terror cichlid and the firemouth cichlid (their names hint at their temperament). A lot of more aggressive fish can become “jealous” of your goldfish’s long and flowing tail that they may nip at it.
Peaceful tank cleaners such as shrimp and snails will also be great additions to the aquarium.
Compatibility
You can, of course, keep the black moors with the same species without any problems at all. Just make sure you give them enough room. Remember that the basic standard is adding 10 gallons for every black moor you add to the tank.
Breeding
These fancy goldfish are so popular for all the reasons we listed above and more. One of which includes the fact that they are easy to care for and easy to breed. You don’t really need to do much or much knowledge to breed these creatures. In the wild, the breeding time is usually in the springtime, so all you need to do is to make sure your tank conditions mimic those in the wild. We mean water changes such as in the temperature.
Similar to the comet goldfish, you should start raising the temperature of your tank gradually every day until it reaches about 75 F or 24 C. You know the magic is about to happen when you see your fancy goldfish circling the female. The females lay their eggs on surfaces so make sure there is plenty of flat ground.
You can expect each pair to be able to lay about 10,000 eggs that will hatch in just a few days. If you do not keep the eggs away from the adults, they might consume them as food, so keep them separate. Once they have hatched, feed the fry an iron and protein-rich diet for the first two months. After that, you can reintroduce them to their parents and feed them all similar food.
Conclusion
If we could recommend a low-maintenance and easy to care for fish, we would tell you it’s fancy goldfish. They can be with you for years with little to no maintenance on your part. They may take up more space than you would like, but since goldfish care is so simple, the amount of effort (or lack thereof) you need to exert over time more than makes up for it.
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