Azuma Goldfish

1 Species Overview

The Azuma goldfish is a goldfish variety. Unusually, it does not show its pretty pattern at first; the color appears slowly months after hatching. Its habits are the same as other goldfish.

English name: Azuma goldfish

Type: Goldfish, temperate freshwater fish

Origin: China

Reproduction: Egg-laying

Water: low hardness, slightly alkaline, pH 7.2 to 7.5

Difficulty: Easy

Temperature: 10 to 30 C

2 Appearance and Physical Traits

The Azuma goldfish is a goldfish variety with the same habits as goldfish and a very gentle temperament, so it can mix with other gentle ornamental fish without chasing or fighting. What is special about its looks?

The Azuma goldfish is a calico-pattern goldfish that does not start with a pretty pattern. In fact, besides calico goldfish, most goldfish are black like crucian carp for a while after hatching from the egg. After months the black fades to red or white. This color change is called metamorphosis. But goldfish with transparent scales, such as those with variegated or brown-gold (tea-gold) patterns, do not show this.

3 Habitat and Living Environment

The Azuma goldfish has weak territoriality and a very gentle temperament, so it can mix with other gentle ornamental fish. As a cold-blooded animal it tolerates 10 to 30 C and likes low-hardness, slightly alkaline water.

Keeping the Azuma goldfish is technical; many hobbyists lose heart after failure, and even the experienced suffer losses from mistakes, carelessness, or bad weather. But its keeping follows rules: master the basics, learn from experienced keepers, and study books, and you will soon be at ease.

Adult Azuma goldfish eat many foods: common large plankton, bits of plants, tubifex, wheat bran, bean cake, barley, buckwheat, and prepared foods, and also graze algae off the tank walls.

4 Feeding Guidelines

Besides stable water to help it through harsh seasons, a healthy balanced diet matters. How to feed scientifically?

Foods include natural live foods: infusoria, daphnia, tubifex, and mealworms; water fleas and tubifex; plant foods like duckweed and plankton algae; and prepared pellets. Animal, plant, and prepared foods. Make sure all is eaten within 1 to 2 hours daily, not too much. Feeding time: in spring and summer around 7 am when sun hits the tank; in late autumn and winter around 8 am; in severe cold 9 to 10 am. Never feed heavily at dusk; even if the fish clearly beg, only a small feed around 3 pm.