Description

2–3″ Red Comet Goldfish (Carassius auratus)

The Red Comet Goldfish is a hardy, active single-tailed goldfish with a streamlined body, flowing forked tail and bright orange to red colouration. At 2–3″, these are still young fish and have plenty of growing to do.

Comets are sometimes thought of as small, easy aquarium fish because they’re inexpensive and commonly sold as juveniles. In reality, they’re large, long-lived and extremely active goldfish, potentially reaching 30cm or more. For that reason, we consider them primarily a pond fish, rather than a permanent resident for a typical home aquarium. Shirley’s existing page already makes this important distinction.

Given suitable space and good care, Comets can live for many years and develop into impressive pond fish.

Best Kept in a Pond

Red Comets are particularly well suited to garden ponds, where they have the swimming space needed to develop properly.

Unlike round-bodied fancy goldfish, Comets are strong, fast swimmers. A suitably sized pond allows them to forage, explore and interact with other fish while providing the large volume of water needed for adults.

They can be maintained in very large aquariums, but their eventual size, activity and waste production make a pond the much more practical long-term home for most keepers.

A 2–3″ fish may look tiny when purchased, but housing should always be planned around the adult goldfish rather than its purchase size.

Pond Set Up & Filtration

Goldfish produce a substantial amount of waste, so effective filtration becomes increasingly important as the fish grow.

A good pond filter should provide both mechanical filtration, removing suspended solid waste, and biological filtration, allowing beneficial bacteria to process harmful ammonia and nitrite.

Good oxygenation is also important, particularly during warm summer weather when water contains less dissolved oxygen and the fish are often at their most active.

Plants can provide additional cover and interest, although established goldfish are enthusiastic foragers and may nibble or disturb some aquatic plants.

Social Behaviour

Red Comets are peaceful, sociable fish and are best kept with other suitable pond fish rather than alone.

They can be kept successfully with other single-tailed goldfish, including other Comets and Shubunkins, provided the pond has sufficient space and filtration for the eventual stocking level.

Their speed is worth considering when choosing companions. Comets can be extremely quick at feeding time, which is one reason we don’t recommend mixing them indiscriminately with slower, more cumbersome fancy goldfish.

Once settled, many pond goldfish quickly learn to associate people with feeding and will gather at the surface when somebody approaches.

Feeding Red Comets

Red Comets are omnivorous and should be offered a good-quality goldfish or pond fish food as their staple diet.

Pellet size should be appropriate for the size of the fish, with smaller foods particularly useful for young 2–3″ Comets.

Their diet can be supplemented with suitable foods such as Daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworm. Goldfish will also naturally forage around an established pond for small invertebrates and other edible material.

Feeding should be adjusted according to water temperature, season and activity, rather than offering the same quantity throughout the year.

Colour Development in Young Red Comets

Young Red Comets may not always arrive displaying the uniform bright orange-red colour associated with mature fish.

Juvenile goldfish can retain darker or black pigmentation while they’re developing, and their colour can change considerably as they grow. Shirley’s current stock description specifically notes that small areas of black colouration can be normal in these young fish.

Colour and pattern naturally vary between individuals, so each fish should be expected to look slightly different.

Good nutrition, water quality and suitable surroundings will help young fish develop naturally, but exact adult colouration cannot be guaranteed.

Red Comets as an Alternative to Koi

For ponds that aren’t suitable for large koi, Comets can provide much of the colour and activity people want from ornamental pond fish while generally remaining smaller than adult koi.

They still aren’t small pond fish, however. Mature Comets can exceed 30cm and potentially live for decades, so adequate pond volume, filtration and long-term stocking levels remain important considerations.

Please note that the image is for illustration purposes and the Red Comets you will receive may not be identical. These goldfish are still juveniles and have yet to colour up, so small flecks of black scales are normal and will turn orange in the coming weeks. A healthy environment and good quality food will help bring them into full colour. If you have any questions about keeping Red Comets, please don’t hesitate to ask a member of staff.

Why not check out our YouTube channel for the latest updates on our fish tanks, livestock and many more!