From African Cichlids to Goldfish.

[gilpi]

For decades I was a huge fan (still am) of African Cichlids, there is nothing more impressive than an overstocked African Cichlid tank but there is always that "one" that needs to be removed only for another to take over the beating and killing duties or else you need to overstock the tank. Years can go by, and all is well but as the population dwindles, the fish become more aggressive.

Anyway, through the years I did several rounds of Cichlids, but the last one did me in, no more.

I just wanted a tank where fish don't chase each other constantly, so I came across a tank that had black Moor Goldfish! Wow, these are beautiful!

Eventually I went for it and bought a few babies, and I am warming up to them, no fighting, chasing or killing, just eat and poop but they are very cool looking.

My goal now is to have 3 or 4 adult Black Moors in a tank.

Anyone here experienced with them?

 

[Andy Sager]

From Africans to Goldfish definitely is a major change. What would you like to know?

 

[gilpi]

From Africans to Goldfish definitely is a major change. What would you like to know?

Oh, just basic goldfish care. What I know so far, they are big eaters, messy and water on the cool side. Anything else you can add would be awesome.

 

[Andy Sager]

Oh, just basic goldfish care. What I know so far, they are big eaters, messy and water on the cool side. Anything else you can add would be awesome.

One of the big things is decorating the tank with items that the fish can't injure their eyes on. They don't have the best eyesight due to their shape so you have to be very protective for them.
Best temperature is 65F-75F degrees.
The big thing with goldfish which makes them so messy is that they don't have a "standard" stomach per say so they need to feed often because they can't store any food internally for later digestion. That means when a lot goes in, a lot comes out. They are listed as "omnivores" but they are almost 80% vegetable protein matter and 20% meat protein. They have a hard time processing meat proteins so stick with foods designed specifically for goldfish. There are a lot of brands out there but the containers should specifically say " Goldfish/ Koi" food on it. Just remember, the better the quality of food going in, the better looking the fish will get. You will do better using a sinking type pelleted food to help prevent the fish from eating at the surface and sucking in too much air at the same time. You should feed small amounts of food 2-3 or 4 times a day, rather than a large meal once a day. Using a slow sinking food will give the fish a chance to eat in the water column which is the best option.

Water changes will be your fish's best friend and help keep them healthy. You don't want to overclean the substrate like with other fish as goldfish like to dig in the substrate for food. You will want to do some substrate cleaning because there will be a good amount of poo in there over time tho.

For some odd reason, some black moors will turn gold as they get older. If you want to breed them, don't be concerned if the fry start out bronze or gray or even gold/yellow, they darken as they grow. As for knowing when they can be bred, males will develop tubercles ( small white bumps) on the gill plates and often pectoral fins as well. Those are definite sexually mature males at least 2-3 years old, ready to spawn. Females are generally larger than males so you want to use a larger really rounded fish which will most likely be a female gravid with eggs. I highly suggest if you do want to breed them, spawn and condition them in a separate tank(s) than the main tank because it is MESSY. LOL Use spawning mops where they will spray the eggs all over but the milt will really mess up the water since you won't have the best filtration on the tank. Remove the breeders after the spawn so they don't eat the eggs.

So that's the basics. They really are an easy fish to care for as long as you protect their eyes.
Hope this helps.

 

[gilpi]

One of the big things is decorating the tank with items that the fish can't injure their eyes on. They don't have the best eyesight due to their shape so you have to be very protective for them.
Best temperature is 65F-75F degrees.
The big thing with goldfish which makes them so messy is that they don't have a "standard" stomach per say so they need to feed often because they can't store any food internally for later digestion. That means when a lot goes in, a lot comes out. They are listed as "omnivores" but they are almost 80% vegetable protein matter and 20% meat protein. They have a hard time processing meat proteins so stick with foods designed specifically for goldfish. There are a lot of brands out there but the containers should specifically say " Goldfish/ Koi" food on it. Just remember, the better the quality of food going in, the better looking the fish will get. You will do better using a sinking type pelleted food to help prevent the fish from eating at the surface and sucking in too much air at the same time. You should feed small amounts of food 2-3 or 4 times a day, rather than a large meal once a day. Using a slow sinking food will give the fish a chance to eat in the water column which is the best option.

Water changes will be your fish's best friend and help keep them healthy. You don't want to overclean the substrate like with other fish as goldfish like to dig in the substrate for food. You will want to do some substrate cleaning because there will be a good amount of poo in there over time tho.

For some odd reason, some black moors will turn gold as they get older. If you want to breed them, don't be concerned if the fry start out bronze or gray or even gold/yellow, they darken as they grow. As for knowing when they can be bred, males will develop tubercles ( small white bumps) on the gill plates and often pectoral fins as well. Those are definite sexually mature males at least 2-3 years old, ready to spawn. Females are generally larger than males so you want to use a larger really rounded fish which will most likely be a female gravid with eggs. I highly suggest if you do want to breed them, spawn and condition them in a separate tank(s) than the main tank because it is MESSY. LOL Use spawning mops where they will spray the eggs all over but the milt will really mess up the water since you won't have the best filtration on the tank. Remove the breeders after the spawn so they don't eat the eggs.

So that's the basics. They really are an easy fish to care for as long as you protect their eyes.
Hope this helps.

Thanks for the advice. I basically have the tank clean of any decorations already. Interesting about their digestive systems and the mess, I can already tell that they’re messy and man, can they eat! Black Moors are a new world for me, let’s see how that goes.
Thanks again.

 

[Andy Sager]

Thanks for the advice. I basically have the tank clean of any decorations already. Interesting about their digestive systems and the mess, I can already tell that they’re messy and man, can they eat! Black Moors are a new world for me, let’s see how that goes.
Thanks again.

Yeah, goldfish are a whole different animal from " Normal" fish. Of all the goldfish types, I like the Black Moors the best myself but I am partial to any black colored fish. There's just something mysterious about them. When you get the better quality ones, they have a velvety coloring/ appearance which makes them really stand out against a background.

 

[gilpi]

How is it that these fish go from being black to silver in a matter of a couple of days? Yet other ones remain all black.

 

[Andy Sager]

How is it that these fish go from being black to silver in a matter of a couple of days? Yet other ones remain all black.

Genetics. It's just that simple. Their pigmentation changes when the melanic pigment loses it's vibrancy. It's not a disease and it's not dietary although a good vitamin supplement may delay the loss in vibrancy. U.S. Goldfish are not bred the same as ones from say, Japan or China. Usually they are just pond bred for shape. The best goldfish I got were out of Japan years ago. They took care in breeding for color as well as shape. The issue was cost so they weren't a staple I stocked but when enough customers wanted " the good stuff", I'd order in a bunch. If you wanted to create your own line, get older adults that are jet black so you know they probably won't change color. Just be ready to cull about 90% of every spawn for the best breeders.
I believe there is a Goldfish club in either S. Jersey or PA or try to get hold of some clubs to see when/where any goldfish shows are coming close to you and take a look. When my late neighbor was working the koi shows in Orlando, he used to have me helping him. There was always some booths with better quality fantails, Orandas and Moors. It's like looking at night and day when comparing them to what's usually available in shops.