# Gold Fish



## Qwertus (Oct 14, 2008)

Are there any cause for a gold fish to start turning from orange/white to black? The scales and it's behavior seems normal I've had it or 2 years, its about 6-7 inch the other gold fish in the same tank still has its original color.


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## Cliff Mayes (Jan 29, 2007)

Most Goldfish "color up" at a few weeks of age but some do not until much later. I have had fish lose color before but never gain color later but anything is possible.


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## Avi (Apr 7, 2004)

Goldfish very often do change colors with maturation and time. It's a bit odd that yours is losing its other colors in favor of black because in many if not most cased, the black pigmentation on non-Moor goldfish is destined to disappear. In fact, it's often said that any non-Moor goldfish will eventually loose any black color that it has. Large, good quality goldfish that retain their black coloration when mature have enhanced value when they manage to keep some of their black markings that long. Why yours is actually getting more black is pretty strange.


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## Qwertus (Oct 14, 2008)

even the tip of the tail fin is turning back also, it seem to be expanding towards the body. I can't find any disease that would turn fish black so I'm hoping its natural for it. But It wouldn't be a "gold" fish anymore if it loses its color though.


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## Six (May 29, 2006)

goldfish can turn black with high lighting such as in a pond under the sun. usually they lose this coloration in an aquarium. i highly doubt it is a disease. No disease causes what you are explaining.

http://www.kokosgoldfish.invisionzone.com/forum/index.php?/topic/58822-black-moor-turning-gold/

IMO id like a black goldfish. LOL.


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## Qwertus (Oct 14, 2008)

The goldfish that i have is comet goldfish and the tank that its in has no light... well except room lights but that hardly counts.


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## Six (May 29, 2006)

that is strange considering the lighting, but it's not impossible and actually more probable than a disease.
goldfish are goldfish. black moors are the same species as your comet they've just been bred for thousands of years to look different.


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## Cliff Mayes (Jan 29, 2007)

AS long as the Goldfish are healthy and happy I would not give it a second thought.

Goldfish are very plastic genetically; which means that any color or body shape is possible. If you have the time, money and interest just about anything is possible. Due, probably, to the large number of fry from a, good, spawn just about any trait can be selected. Why not a black goldfish, other than a Moor?

Feeders are bait fish and are raised cheap and fast. When feeders come into a LFS they are in a large styro and are possibly full of parasites etc. These are good fish but are usually destined to be lunch to some other critter. If the feeders are rescued and put in a pond or tank they make very good and healthy fish if they survive. Who knows what traits they bring to the table?

As a side note the feeders can live a long time (fifteen years or more) and get eighteen inches long in a matter of just a couple of years given enough room and food. Goldfish are grazers who probably eat a lot of veggies but as with most fish anything that fits in their mouth will eventually wind up there. A lot of pond folk allow outdoor/pond fish to go without food for a few Winter months (and they should not be fed anyway) to slim the fish down in time for natural Spring breeding to replicate nature and if some fish do not make it; it is considered normal.


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## Avi (Apr 7, 2004)

Cliff Mayes said:


> Why not a black goldfish, other than a Moor?


The simple answer is genetics. Black is very common in goldfish, it's true. And, Black Moors are...well, black. But the genetics for black coloration in goldfish is very complicated. Find a fancy adult goldfis with good form for its type (eg. Ryukin) and find and identical adult Rykin...with black markings...and the one with black markings would fetch a lot more money than the one without...a lot. That's because the black is, to say the least, elusive.

For some discussion on this subject look here:

http://thegab.org/Goldfish/developmental-color-change-in-goldfish.html

More often than not, from what I can tell, if black appears on a goldfish that didn't have such coloration before, it's a sign of the healing of some bruise or other superficial injury (I have a female Gold Barb at this moment that had an injury on its side, which is now turning black, as it heals,) or it may indicate that there's ammonia burn going on, so do test for that.


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