Oranda owners

[Phoenixphire55]

I'm hoping someone who has or has had Orandas would tell me some things about keeping them. I'm not asking how to take care of them, (I'll do plenty of research on my own if I decide to go with Orandas) but I'm curious what people have to say about having them as pets / taking care of them. Are they fun? difficult? etc>

I'm planning to eventually breed a type of goldfish but I'm stilling trying to decide what kind. I like the look of ryukins a lot, but now I'm starting to really like Orandas and ranchus.

 

[Zagz]

Orandas are very easy to look after. The most important thing to remember is they are messy fish and need regular water changes and plenty of room. When feeding them put the food below the water level as they can be prone to swim bladder issues from being such piggies and gulping their food. When they do this at the surface they ingest a lot of air.

 

[Phoenixphire55]

Thanks Anne. I'm also thinking about ranchus and lionheads. Any experience with those? I feel compelled to choose one type but I really like several different kinds. Since I'd like to breed them I'd have to stick with one though so maybe it'll just depend one which kind I find a good specimen of first. Orandas don't have the wen on their cheeks and face do they? I really like the lionheads and ranchus because of their puppy dog faces, but the whole no dorsal fin thing kind of turns me off, lol. Who knows which I'll go with. I have plenty of time to decide I guess.

 

[jsoong]

Of all the goldfish, Orandas are most sensitive to bad water. Some Orandas have over-grown wens & that can cover the eyes & face & cause problems.

Ranchus & lionheads are relatively poor swimmers, and some have problems competing for food amoung faster breeds ..... although mine has no problems even against Speedy <my metallic-self fantail, the fastest of all fancies.> For dorsal-less fish, be wary of any nubs of residue fins ... not only will that disqualify a fish from a show, it may also indicate back deformities.

Other than minor differences, I find all types of double-tailed fancies to have much the same temperment (Ryukins may be more aggressive) .... they are really pets & will come right up to beg for food & eat off your hands. I'll even pet mine under water ...

 

[Zagz]

I've had no experience with ranchus or lionheads. Some of the orandas can get overgrown wens to be sure. It is not a high risk IMO but possible.

That is why I said they need regular water changes. My step mom had some orandas for 7 years in a 15 gal tank! I convinced her finally to get a larger tank and we acclimated them slowly to better water conditions, they had acclimated to over 80ppm nitrates! They survived another year but I think the regular water changes proved too much to their systems which were already damaged to cramped, unhealthy water conditions.

 

[Phoenixphire55]

I've been doing a lot of research and I'm pretty set on orandas. If the wen covers their eyes is it a big problem? I guess it might be uncomfortable but I've read that it doesn't stop them from getting food (actually I read that goldfish without eyes are still capable of finding food and having normal lives, so a wen over their eyes would probably be the same). What other problems can an overgrown wen cause?

 

[Luohan]

Actually I have a lionhead oranda with an overgrown wens, the poor thing is not moving most of the time due to blindness. In fact it also sleeps sideways because the wens is so big it can barely support it. I was wondering if surgery is the only option? It is fairly expensive and there aren't many vets that has an expertise in goldfish.

 

[jlk]

Welcome to AA, Luohan!!! Wens do need to be trimmed when they reach a point when they impact a fish's quality of life and comfort. If your fish is blinded by his wen, has difficulty eating and swimming, it needs to be trimmed because the situation will only continue to become worse. If you are not confident in sedating and trimming the wen yourself, I strongly advise that you seek out the aid of an aquatic vet. If you need help finding one, please let us know! Ill post two links with more info on wen surgery.

http://thegab.org/Veterinary-Procedures/panda-paws-wen-trim-surgery.html

Wen Surgery on an Oranda Goldfish - Site for Goldfish Keepers

 

[jlk]

Edit: Sorry, but it seems the GABs website is down for some reason so the first link is not working. Hopefully, it will be back up soon!