Red Cap Oranda – 10cm+

An Oranda is a breed of goldfish characterized by a prominent bubble-like “hood” on the head. A sign of wealth and influence, the weirdly beautiful oranda goldfish continues to fascinate aquarists from all over the world.  Recommended for the intermediate aquarist.  These goldfish should be treated as tropical fish not the typical cold water goldfish.  Minimum tank size: 80 litres, adult size: 23 cm.

The Oranda goldfish was created through selective breeding, so they don’t have a natural habitat of their own.

Behaviour

Like ordinary goldfish, orandas aren’t aggressive. They are very peaceful and loving fish that get along with other peaceful fish in the aquarium.  They are not a schooling fish but they still feel comfortable in a tank with a number of their own species.  Although they are not fast swimmers, like the Comets, they are still energetic and bring a lot of life into your aquarium. You’ll find them spending most of their day swimming all over the tank and digging in the substrate. This goldfish doesn’t hide a lot, mainly due to its size.

Tank Conditions  

When choosing a substrate keep in mind their love for digging. If your substrate is sharp gravel or uneven sand, your goldfish will hurt themselves. Instead you should use nicely rounded gravel or large grains of sand.

Moderate amount of plants are allowed, but please ensure that you don’t end up with more plants than free space in the tank. They are large fish and need lots of space to swim around. If you restrict their swimming space it will make your fish feel uncomfortable and can also result in sickness as they become stressed.

If you want plants you should pick small, sturdy leafed varieties which don’t prevent oranda from swimming freely. A few plants you might consider are vallisneria or elodea.

In terms of lighting, orandas require a normal daylight cycle of 8-11 hours.

They love to eat and as a result the water quickly becomes dirty. That’s why there should be a good filtration system. Oxygen-rich water is important for any freshwater fish, and a strong aeration system is also needed. This will keep the water oxygenated and clean.

Compatibility

Even though orandas are peaceful and friendly fish you still need to be careful about which fish you introduce to the tank.  When choosing tank mates, the main things to keep in mind are their size and temperament. Small fish should be crossed off the list right away as they can be swallowed.  The best option is keeping a group of orandas, or keep them with other species of Goldfish.

If you decide to get other species, make sure they can be kept under the same conditions (especially temperature). If you don’t want to keep a few of the same species, the next best option is similar sized catfish such as peppered catfish, leopard pleco or catfish from Ancistrus will all make great tankmates. They will also help keep the tank clean, that’s useful if you consider oranda’s eating habits and the amount of waste they create.

They shouldn’t be kept with Neons, Mollies, small Barbs, Bettas, Gouramis, Cichlids and Platies. All of them may nip at the oranda’s fins, which only traumatizes fish.

Feeding

Oranda goldfish will gladly feed on all sorts of both live and dry foods. It is important to often include a vegetable like salads or spinach. If you don’t want to make it yourself, get combined foods, here are all the Goldfish foods at Rebel Pets.  The quality of the food directly correlates with their color; the better the quality, the brighter the fish.

They love to eat and easily gain weight. That’s why you should be considerate with their diet to prevent them becoming obese.

Keep an eye out for any signs of overfeeding. If you spot your fish swimming on their side, skip feeding that day, let it rest and in the future give them smaller portions. Young orandas should be fed twice a day, adults once a day.

Overfeeding often leads to problems with digestive system and should be taken seriously. When you don’t pay enough attention, it ends up being lethal for your fish. If you’re unsure whether the portion size is right, keep in mind that an average portion should be around 3% of the fish size.

On the other hand, if not fed frequently enough they will start digging up the substrate looking for food.

Care

Orandas are freshwater fish and have a lot in common with many other goldfish in terms of care.  Goldfish are known to be messy feeders and over time the water can quickly become unhygienic, leading to potential health issues. It is important, therefore, to install a suitable filtration unit.  Be careful not to overfeed them as discussed above.

Like other freshwater fish, orandas are very sensitive to changes in water parameters such as ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites so a weekly water change of 25% is needed.

Ignoring the suggested water temperature range can result in something called white spot disease, or Ich.  This can be treated with Ich medications or white spot medications.  See Fish Diseases and Diagnoses for help with diagnosing and treating diseases.