Goldfish PearlScale 3-4cm

Pearlscale Goldfish are very popular mostly because of their hardiness and ability to live in colder temperatures. Their body shape is more compact and rounded or egg-shaped, they have a straight back with a swollen belly and usually have a twin tail.

They are easily recognized by their scales that have raised centers and dark perimeters. The scales are arranged in rows which make them look like pale pearls. No other goldfish have these types of scales. The Pearlscale Goldfish can be found in various colors including red, blue, black, calico, chocolate, and red/white combinations.

Behaviour

Fancy Goldfish need plenty of space. The minimum tank size is 75 litres, but the more space you provide, the more likely they are to stay healthy.  Avoid using glass bowls instead of standard aquariums. These are usually too small, especially when your fish reach maturity.  Aim to have 30 litres of water per fish because though they will group together sometimes, they also like swimming off on their own.

Tank Conditions

Goldfish are known to be messy feeders. Over time, therefore, the water can quickly become unhygienic, leading to potential health issues. It is important, therefore, to install a suitable filtration unit.

Provide a gravel substrate with some smooth decor to create a natural environment for your fish. Although plants are the best decor for goldfish, these fish are diggers and live plants may be uprooted and Artificial plants make a good substitute.

All goldfish require cold water. This means that you should keep your tank away from any heat sources and keep it in a cool room. If you place them in water that is too warm for them it can cause lifelong damage to their nerves.  Ideally the water temperature should be between 18 – 22°C.

Compatibility

Pearscale Goldfish do best with other slow swimmers so that they do not have to compete for food.  Fantail Goldfish, Ryukin Goldfish and Black Moor Goldfish all make good tank mates.  Small shoaling fish are also good companions and you could add Zebra Danios, Neon Tetras, Mollies, Rosy Barbs, or White Cloud Mountain Minnows to the mix.

Feeding

These omnivores eat all kinds of fresh, frozen, and flake foods. You need to keep a good balance by giving them a high quality flake food everyday and also feed brine shrimp, blood worms, Daphnia or tubifex worms as a treat. You can also feed them  vegetables like cucumber and lettuce.

Their unusual body shape make them more susceptible to swim bladder disease and constipation so you should soak pellets or flake foods before feeding to prevent swelling in the stomach.

Care

They are are not very demanding about water quality and temperature. However, they can be easily damaged because their scales can be knocked off by rough handling or contact with sharp objects in their environment.  Once the pearl like scales have been lost, the new ones will grow back as regular scales.

Swim bladder is a common problem and symptoms of this are obvious – the fish will either be floating on the surface or sitting at the bottom of the tank, since they can’t control their buoyancy effectively. Avoid feeding for 24 hours, then start to introduce fibrous foods such as vegetables.

Skin diseases, such as velvet disease are common for fancy Goldfish and are caused by parasites or bacteria. Symptoms will vary depending on the disease, but spots or color changes are typical.

See Fish Diseases and Diagnoses for help with diagnosing and treating diseases.