Assorted Comet Goldfish

(Carassius auratus) 

The comet goldfish is one of the oldest and best known variants of the common goldfish. It was first bred in the late 1800’s in the United States, and has since become one of the best known and most widespread fish in the aquarium hobby.

Because of its extremely prolific nature, comet goldfish are usually sold for mere pennies and can often be found in crowded feeder tanks or in tiny prize bags at fairs and carnivals. These terrible conditions lead to shortened life-spans, and often result in the fish suffering from any number of parasites and diseases.

But if you can find a healthy comet goldfish, they can grow up to 13 inches in length, with some being reported much larger. They will also live up to 15 years if provided with a proper housing and food – a far cry from the month or two that most will survive when kept in cramped fish bowl.

For anyone who hasn’t seen a well cared for goldfish, it may come as a surprise that they can grow to enormous sizes.

Because of their aquarium busting size, they should only be kept in the largest tanks, although they can be kept in smaller tanks while they’re still very young. The minimum size tank for a small group of comet goldfish should be a 55 gallon tank, though a 75 gallon tank is preferable. This will give them a chance to grow to a full and healthy size – something that can’t happen in smaller tanks.

https://aquariumtidings.com/comet-goldfish-the-care-feeding-and-breeding-of-comet-goldfish/