Albino goldfish are a rare variety. They are popular among aquarists because of their unique appearance and peaceful behavior.
Like other goldfish, aquarists often keep these coveted goldfish varieties because they are easy to maintain.
Let’s learn about albino goldfish in more detail.
Albino Goldfish Species Overview
Albino goldfish is a breed of goldfish that belongs to the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes.
These fish are native to East Asia and closely associated with other ornamental fish like Koi.
Besides their natural habitat, these fish can now be found everywhere, from aquariums to ornamental pools.
These fish are easy to manage and survive in waters with low oxygen levels.
They primarily inhabit slow-moving water bodies like lakes, ponds, streams, and rivers in their native habitat.
Appearance
Albino goldfish lack pigments that provide color to the skin. So they must not be confused with white goldfish.
Like common goldfish, albino goldfish have a streamlined body shape.
These fish have yellowish or cream-colored bodies due to the absence of pigments, with white fins and pink or red eyes.
Their dorsal fin has a long stripe down its back with two pairs of pectoral and pelvic fin.
Albinism in these goldfish usually results from a recessive genetic mutation.
However, it can occur in any breed of single and double-tail fish.
Lifespan
Goldfish generally have a reasonably long lifespan compared to other pet fish species.
Albino goldfish can live up to 10 to 15 years in captivity if provided with good water conditions and a well-balanced diet.
These fish do well when kept in large tanks that give them adequate space to move around.
Housing goldfish in a large aquarium and meeting their behavioral and physical needs is important to increase their lifespan.
Average Size
Depending on their living environment, goldfish vary in size. They are known to grow up to 12 to 16 inches long in the wild.
In captivity, they grow up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) to 2 inches (5.1 cm) in length when housed in a small tank.
However, goldfish usually grow large and can grow up to 6 inches long when raised in big aquariums.
Albino Goldfish Tank Setup
Albino goldfish thrive when kept in living conditions that replicate their natural habitat.
These fish have a longer lifespan than most captive fish species. So it’s essential to provide them with a conducive tank environment.
So let’s understand the tank requirements of albino goldfish in more detail.
Tank Size
The aquarium size can vary depending on the type of goldfish and the number of fish you want to keep.
A typical goldfish grows between four and six inches in length, but some larger species can reach up to twelve inches.
A single albino goldfish needs at least 15 to 20 gallons of water to live comfortably and have adequate space to swim around.
If you want to keep more than one goldfish in your tank, add 10 gallons of water for each additional fish.
These goldfish need a gravel substrate, natural plants, and decorations to explore.
So you need to factor them in as well before deciding the tank size.
Tank Equipment and Decorations
Albino goldfish spend most of their time close to the substrate, scavenging for food.
So the gravel should be fine, allowing the fish to move around and not create an obstacle.
The water flow in the aquarium must be gentle, replicating their natural habitat so that the fish don’t get stressed.
Goldfish are known to jump out of the tank. So to avoid mishaps, the tank should be adequately enclosed.
Add caves, decorations, and aquatic plants to imitate their natural environment and make them feel comfortable.
Avoid intense lighting, as moderately lit tanks are best for keeping these fish happy.
Given below are the items required in an albino goldfish tank:
- Substrate (gravel or sand),
- Filter,
- Heater,
- Moderate lighting,
- Aquatic plants,
- Thermometer,
- pH testing kit, and
- Hiding places like live rocks with crevices, caves, driftwood, etc.
Maintenance is vital to keep the pH levels of the tank water within the desired range.
This will ensure that your fish feels comfortable and happy.
Albino Goldfish Care
Albino goldfish are easy to manage and can survive a wide variety of water conditions, making them ideal for everyone.
So let’s understand how to take care of these goldfish.
Diet
The albino goldfish diet in the wild mainly consists of algae growing on the rocks and logs, floating on the pond’s surface, and rotting vegetation.
As omnivores, they also eat small fish, tiny crustaceans, aquatic insects, and mosquito larvae.
In captivity, these fish need a well-balanced diet to help them satiate their nutritional requirements.
So you can buy flakes and pellets suitable for goldfish from pet stores.
You can also add veggies like boiled peas, kale, lettuce, spinach, and cooked vegetables such as zucchini, cucumber, etc.
You can occasionally treat your goldfish with live and frozen food to meet their protein requirements.
Some of the live food that you must feed your albino goldfish are:
- Brineshrimp,
- Blood worms,
- Cricket,
- Daphnia, and
- Micro worms.
Because goldfish are always hungry, they will eat whatever is offered to them. So make sure that you don’t overfeed them.
Overfeeding can cause indigestion, bloating, constipation, and swim bladder disorder.
You can feed them twice a day. Feed them the amount of food that they can eat within two to three minutes.
Water Parameters
Albino goldfish are coldwater fish. So they don’t need warm water like other tropical fish species.
Goldfish can handle varying water conditions. However, rapid and drastic changes in water conditions can be fatal for them.
The ideal water parameters for albino goldfish are:
Water Temperature: 65°F to 72°F (18.3°C to 22.2°C)
Water pH: 6.5 to 8.5
Water Hardness (dGH): 6 to 12 dGH
Tank Maintenance
Goldfish are messy compared to most other aquarium fish.
So it’s essential to perform regular tank maintenance for stable water parameters.
Performing water changes regularly is one way of maintaining a healthy aquarium.
You can perform partial water changes up to 10% weekly for new aquariums and a 25% water change once every month for existing aquariums.
Regularly cleaning the filters, substrate, and other decorations in the aquarium helps to keep them in good condition.
An algae scrubber, water conditioner, and gravel vacuum can make tank maintenance easier and ensure adequate hygiene.
Use a liquid-based water quality test kit to check water parameters and maintain suitable water conditions inside the aquarium.
Common Diseases
Albino goldfish are hardy fish which helps them remain healthy even under varying water conditions.
They can be susceptible to common freshwater diseases like fungal, parasitic, and bacterial infections.
Given below are some of the common diseases that can affect albino goldfish:
- White Spot,
- Ich,
- Anchor Worm,
- Dropsy,
- Fin Rot,
- Fish Lice,
- Swim Bladder Disease,
- Polycystic Kidney Disease,
- Popeye or Cloudy Eyes,
- Red Streaks on Skin and Fins, and
- Velvet.
It’s essential to perform regular water changes and thoroughly scrub the aquarium bottom to prevent fungal, bacterial, and parasitic infections.
Albino Goldfish Behavior and Temperament
Albino goldfish are social and peaceful, so they usually don’t show aggression toward other fish.
Males usually don’t harm their tankmates or the female fish during mating.
However, these fish can get aggressive during feeding and are most likely to outcompete slow and timid tankmates.
In addition, stressful situations like cramped spaces due to overcrowding, unsuitable tankmates, poor water parameters, and sickness can make the fish territorial and aggressive.
Albino goldfish like to explore their surroundings and constantly move across the tank.
Albino Goldfish Tankmates
Like most goldfish, the albino goldfish variety is a social fish that likes to live with other fish.
But it’s essential that the other fish species in the tank are similar in size and temperament to the albino goldfish.
These goldfish can withstand varying water conditions and don’t necessarily need to be kept with coldwater fish species.
Some of the compatible tankmates that you can keep with your albino goldfish are:
- Bristlenose Plecos,
- Giant Danios,
- Hillstream Loaches,
- Japanese Rice Fish,
- Longfin Rosy Barbs,
- Black Skirt Tetras,
- Bloodfin Tetras,
- Apple Snails,
- Shrimp such as Bamboo Shrimp and Ghost Shrimp,
- Scissortail Rasboras,
- White Cloud Mountain Minnows, and
- Zebra Danios.
Avoid keeping albino goldfish with aggressive fin nippers because they can stress your goldfish.
Also, don’t keep goldfish with small and spiny fishes as they can get stuck inside the gill plates of goldfish while the goldfish try to swallow them.
Given below are some fish species that you should avoid housing with albino goldfish:
Keep your albino goldfish with compatible peaceful fish species to maintain peace and harmony in the aquarium.
Albino Goldfish Breeding
Albino goldfish are oviparous, which means the females lay eggs for the males to fertilize.
The breeding process usually happens during the spring season in their natural habitat.
In captivity, select a breeding aquarium of at least 20 gallons.
Start by stocking your tank with gravel and a variety of aquatic plants.
Spawning occurs when the water temperature reaches 70°F (21°C) or above.
Increase the temperature gradually until spawning starts.
Put a spawning mat in the tank to catch and handle the eggs efficiently. Now place both the male and female fish together.
Feed them live food such as brine shrimp and worms. Once the female is ready for spawning, the pair will start chasing each other.
The spawning session lasts for several hours, during which the female goldfish lays up to 1000 eggs that the male fertilizes.
The fertilized eggs will hatch within a few days.
Feed the newly born fry infusoria, baby brine shrimp, and algae in the first few weeks.
Then you can feed them slightly bigger food items like mosquito larvae and daphnia.
Finally, you can move the young ones into the main aquarium once they reach one inch in length.
