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A fish pond can be found in countless ornamental gardens, front gardens and other outdoor areas. One of its favorite inhabitants is the goldfish. Among the innumerable goldfish species, the veiltail occupies a special place because of its particularly handsome tail fin. We explain how to keep the veiltail in your home pond and provide clear instructions for everything you need to know about settlement and the basics of keeping it.

General needs

Whether garden pond, aquarium or natural body of water - the goldfish of the species Carassius Auratus, the veiltail, needs some general environmental conditions in order to be able to survive permanently:

  • Low water temperature between 4°C and 22°C
  • Ideally, clean, oxygen-rich water with a low proportion of suspended matter and other impurities
  • pH of the water between 6.5 and 8.3
  • Maximum nitrate content of the water 25 mg/l
  • Hardness of the water 10 to 12 dH
  • Water depths around 100 to 150 centimeters
  • Intensively sunny waters are possible without any problems, as long as there is around 30% shaded water surface, e.g. in riparian zones
  • The bottom of the water consists of a loose mixture of sand and gravel
  • Life form as a shoal fish, group sizes at least 4 to 6 animals

Optimal living space

If you already know the general requirements of the animals of the veiltail genus for their habitat, these basics can easily be created in the form of a suitable garden pond by keeping the animals without significant problems:

  • Pond volume at least 1000 liters, correspondingly higher for large numbers of animals
  • Minimum depth 100 to 150 centimetres, plan for greater depths in exposed locations due to winter freezing
  • Provide shaded water areas, e.g. with aquatic plants, green border areas with overhanging vegetation, or surrounding trees
  • Choose a predominantly sandy or gravelly pond substrate, too much soil is disadvantageous because of "contamination" of the pond water by nutrient release and suspended particles
  • Good filter performance for high water quality, mechanical or natural filter (filter gravel, reed zone, etc.) possible
  • Water quality as already described, if necessary check pH value and nitrate content with test strips and correct if necessary (pH raiser/lowerer, nitrate binder, etc.)

cultivated forms

Similar to innumerable other ornamental fish, there are numerous different forms of the original veiltail goldfish, some of which have been greatly overbred. However, the extremely bred varieties in particular can only be kept in the limited environment of a garden pond with many disadvantages. Because of the intensive selection in the breeding process, many positive characteristics in terms of resilience, adaptability and attitude are generally neglected in favor of purely optical aspects. It therefore makes sense to return to one of the original, less heavily modified forms of the veil tail:

fantails

  • Also called "West Ryukin" because of its distribution in western countries
  • Strong taper of the caudal fin, veil shape correspondingly less pronounced
  • Uncomplicated in terms of reproduction in the garden pond
  • Heights up to 20 centimeters possible

danger: The fantails show less variability in water temperature. Although they can also hibernate without any problems, the water temperature should not be below 13 °C during the active phase.

Ryukin

  • is considered to be the oldest cultivated form of the veiltail
  • very good suitability for keeping in the garden pond
  • high dorsal shield with double fin
  • very broad physique
  • good wintering skills
  • faster swimmer, therefore more space required

Calico

  • very original, not very one-sided cultivated form
  • elongated physique, similar to classic goldfish
  • characteristic pattern with white, black and red-orange spots
  • is one of the cultivated forms best adapted to pond keeping

tip: The more closely a breeding form of the veiltail goldfish is based on the "original" goldfish, the more robust and adaptable it is usually. With this background knowledge, even beginners in keeping and breeding goldfish can easily avoid reaching for completely unsuitable forms of Carassius Auratus.

Suitable roommates

Since hardly any garden pond should be reserved for one life form alone, the question sometimes arises as to which other animals harmonize well with the veil-tailed goldfish. Because this goldfish prefers relatively cool water, pairing with most of the other established pond fish species is difficult. Although the animals leave each other in peace, due to their different preferences, the prerequisites for coexistence are often not given. The socialization of the fantail is therefore only known and widespread with a few fish species that also love the cold:

  • moldies
  • minnow
  • bitterling

On the other hand, there are no known problems with the compatibility with plants and other pond inhabitants, such as mussels or snails. As long as there is sufficient free water volume, nothing stands in the way of planting in the pond.

notice: The common goldfish is unsuitable for keeping with the veiltail. This prefers the same general conditions, but is superior in terms of its swimming properties. In the long run it will therefore oust the veiltail in terms of food and preferred places to stay.

settlement

If the framework conditions in the pond are right and the other participants in the planned community have been found, the veil tail can move in. This is the best time to move in spring, since the generally rather sensitive animals then have enough time to acclimatize in the new habitat before the most difficult phase, hibernation. A gradual acclimatization of the new residents usually succeeds very well with the following procedure and without too much stress for the fish:

  • Wait for the minimum water temperature of 15 °C
  • First place the transport bag with the fish closed at the edge of the pond
  • Open the bag after approx. 45 to 60 minutes, fill in some pond water and close again
  • Wait another 30 minutes, then open the bag and let the fish swim out on their own

lining

Although the goldfish is able to look for its own food, the food supply is very limited in the limited volume of the garden pond. The external supply of food is therefore indispensable. Since the veiltail also accepts almost all types of food and seems to accept the food offered at any time, there is a risk, especially for beginners when it comes to pond fish overfeeding given. The result is overweight animals with a reduced life expectancy. The more sluggish swimming behavior also makes them an easy target for predators such as birds, cats and martens. Well suited as food for the veil tail are:

  • Ready-made fish food from specialist retailers, usually available as dry food, frozen food or even live food
  • Dandelion leaves or lamb's lettuce as a dietary supplement and as a distraction from existing aquatic plants
  • Peas, corn and potatoes as additions to other foods

The following procedures have proven to be expedient for the animals and the pond when it comes to feeding them:

  • Feeding only from a water temperature of 10 °C, below which the animals are not very active
  • Distribute feed to two to three smaller doses per day, since a single dose has a high proportion of unused feed and is a burden on the pond water
  • Make one day a week food-free
  • Alternating different feedstuffs in order to provide animals with comprehensive care and to keep them busy through a variety of food
fish food

tip: Water fleas are considered to be the live food for the veiltail at all. The advantage of live food is that uneaten animals live on in the water and are later eaten. Dead food, on the other hand, sinks to the bottom of the pond and decomposes into water-polluting substances.

How much feed?

While determining the right type of food is fairly easy, determining the right amount of food is far more difficult. Depending on activity, size and number of animals, it can vary greatly. Here it is advisable to observe the pond closely at the beginning. If food remains in the pond, the dose should be reduced. If everything is eaten, the quantity can be increased somewhat. Ultimately, a balance should be established between supply and consumption.

multiply

Ideally, after acclimatization in the pond, the veiltail begins to multiply and reproduce itself. In this way, the population is maintained and subsequent purchases of new animals are unnecessary. The nice thing is that the veiltail goldfish doesn't need any guidance to reproduce. If the environmental conditions are right, it will start reproducing itself in the spring. The presence of overgrown, flat pond zones for laying eggs is particularly important. About a week after the eggs are laid, young one to two millimeters in size hatch in black camouflage coloring. Only after about 12 months do they develop the typical tail fin and distinctive body coloration.

danger: The biggest problem in breeding this goldfish is cannibalism! It is therefore advisable to remove the newly hatched animals and rear them separately in a tank or aquarium. Only from a body size of around four centimeters is the danger of being eaten by older animals passed and the young animals can go back into the pond.

Winter safely

When the first summer has passed, the animals prepare to spend the winter in the pond. With decreasing water temperatures, they withdraw into the lower water layers and remain there in a state of quiescence. As a pond owner, you can specifically support this overwintering process by creating the right conditions:

  • Cut back green plants and protect the pond against leaves with a net to prevent fermentation gases from decomposition in the water
  • Install an ozonizer on the bottom of the pond to ensure adequate oxygen supply for the fish
  • Provide ice preventers on the surface to avoid complete freezing (removal of fermentation gases from the water)

If the temperatures rise again in spring, the fish leave their winter quarters on their own and return to the active phase. From this point on, the feeding should be resumed and the necessary circulation should be provided in the pond with a pump.

diseases and parasites

Carassius Auratus has hardly any typical, species-specific diseases. Only the intestinal constipation that can be observed again and again in fish due to a particularly unbalanced diet occurs more quickly and frequently in fish due to its physiological characteristics. Otherwise, it suffers from the well-known fungal, bacterial and parasitic diseases that can generally occur in ponds and aquariums.

The best countermeasure is to provide a sufficiently large pond and to ensure good water quality in order to give the pathogens the worst possible conditions for development and spread from the outset.

Tip: Observe your pond fish regularly to identify changes in behavior and appearance at an early stage. Both can be a sign of a disease and thus represent the starting signal for successful control.

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Category:

Animals in the garden