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Home > Fish > Red Cap Oranda Goldfish: Pictures, Info, Care Guide & Lifespan

Red Cap Oranda Goldfish: Pictures, Info, Care Guide & Lifespan

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Goldfish are often underestimated, being considered boring and too common for some people’s tastes. If you think goldfish are boring, then the Red Cap Oranda goldfish may be just what you need to change your mind. These fabulous fish are colorful and lively additions to a variety of freshwater tank setups. Here’s everything you need to know about the Red Cap Oranda goldfish.divider-fish

Quick Facts about Red Cap Oranda Goldfish

Species Name: Carassius auratus auratus
Family: Cyprinidae
Care Level: Moderate
Temperature: 65–72°F
Temperament: Peaceful
Color Form: Body: blue, black, red, orange, yellow, white, silver, grey; wen: orange, red
Lifespan: 15 years
Size: 6–7 inches
Diet: Omnivorous
Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons (variable)
Tank Set-Up: Freshwater
Compatibility: Coldwater and temperate community fish, other goldfish

Red Cap Oranda Goldfish Overview

Red Cap Oranda goldfish are curious, lively fish that can bring a lot of interest to your tank. They are peaceful fish that typically get along well with tank mates. They will eat tank mates that are small enough to fit into their mouth though, so avoid keeping your Red Cap Oranda with tank mates like cherry shrimp, small snails, and livebearers like guppies. Avoid keeping these goldfish with tank mates that are prone to bullying and fin nipping, as this can lead to damage to the Red Cap Oranda’s beautiful, long fins.

They tend to spend most of the day staying active, often scavenging for food. They are intelligent fish that can be trained to perform tricks and learn to recognize specific people. With proper care, they can live to 15 years or more, making a Red Cap Oranda a long-term commitment to maintaining high water quality in your aquarium.

Red Cap Oranda_
Image by: dien, Shutterstock

How Much Do Red Cap Oranda Goldfish Cost?

While Red Cap Orandas are more costly than the average goldfish, they are typically still pretty affordable fish. You’re likely to spend $5–$10 for a single Red Cap Oranda, but you may spend upwards of $30 for a fish, depending on its appearance and breeding stock. Keep in mind that purchasing your aquarium and getting everything up and running in preparation for your goldfish can cost upwards of $100.

Typical Behavior & Temperament

These goldfish tend to be quite peaceful but playful and active fish. They are often spotted foraging around the bottom of the tank but may also be seen begging humans for food. Red Cap Orandas, like other goldfish breeds, are highly intelligent fish that are capable of recognizing patterns, including human faces and feeding patterns. This means that your Red Cap Oranda is likely to begin begging for food around the same time every day or every time they spot you walking around the room.

goldfish eating
Image by: TD wt, Shutterstock

Appearance & Varieties

Red Cap Oranda goldfish are a fancy goldfish breed with a double tail fin that flows beautifully as they swim. They have shorter pectoral and dorsal fins than many other varieties of fancy goldfish, but these fins are longer on the Red Cap Oranda than they are on common goldfish breeds.

They have egg- or ball-shaped bodies that are almost as tall and wide as they are long. Most Red Cap Orandas have orange, yellow, or white bodies. The body color of a Red Cap Oranda can be almost any color that a goldfish can be, including bicolor and tricolor varieties.

Young Red Cap Orandas lack a wen, which is a fleshy growth that appears on the head like a cap, often called a “wen”. As they age and the wen develops, it will be an eye-catching red or orange color. Other varieties of Oranda goldfish can have other wen colors, but Red Cap Orandas will only have orange or red wens.

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How to Take Care of Red Cap Oranda Goldfish

Habitat, Tank Conditions & Setup

Goldfish need a freshwater tank environment. They can be kept in indoor tanks or outdoor ponds, but keeping Red Cap Orandas in a pond should be done with caution since these fish can acquire damage to their fins or wen in environments with sharp or rough surfaces.

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Tank Size

There are a lot of opinions regarding the tank size needed for goldfish. Generally, it’s recommended to give your goldfish a tank that is at least 30 gallons. However, Red Cap Orandas are smaller goldfish that can live in a smaller tank. The smaller the tank, though, the more of a commitment you must be willing to make to tank maintenance to ensure water quality stays high.

Water Quality & Conditions

These fish need high water quality, although they may be hardier than many other fancy goldfish varieties. Their water should contain no ammonia or nitrites. Aim to keep nitrate levels below 20–40ppm. The water temperature should stay between 65–72°F, although they can tolerate temperatures as low as 60–62°F for extended periods of time during cooler months. The pH of the tank should stay between 6.0–8.0.

checking PH level of aquarium water
Image Credit: Joan Carles Juarez, Shutterstock

Substrate

Substrate is not necessary for a goldfish’s environment, but some people do prefer it. Bare bottom tanks are acceptable, but if you choose to use substrate, it should be something small enough to not cause choking if consumed, like sand, or too large to fit in the mouth, like river rocks.

Plants

Goldfish are notorious plant murderers, and Red Cap Orandas are no different. Plants are not a requirement for your goldfish’s tank, but they can enrich and enhance the space. Plants that can be planted, floated, or attached to surfaces are good options, like hornwort. Java fern is a plant that is unlikely to be eaten by your goldfish, and floating plants like dwarf water lettuce can help improve water quality. Duckweed is a nutritious plant that reproduces quickly enough to keep up with the demand of your goldfish.

Lighting

Goldfish do not have special lighting needs, but they do best with a normal day/night light cycle. Too much lighting can lead to algae growth, while too little lighting can make it difficult to view your fish. Day/night lighting can be achieved with a tank light or by keeping the tank in a room with a decent amount of natural light.

red cap oranda in aquarium
Image Credit: Maslov Dmitry, Shutterstock

Filtration

These fish are big bioload producers, which means that they require filtration that can keep up with their high waste production. Your tank’s filter should at least be labeled for the size of your tank, but overfiltration is often recommended for goldfish.

Are Red Cap Oranda Goldfish Good Tank Mates?

Due to their very peaceful nature, the Red Cap Oranda is often a great tank mate in freshwater tanks. They can be kept with most other types of goldfish, including common goldfish breeds since Red Cap Orandas are faster than many other breeds of fancy goldfish. They can also be kept with cool and temperate water community fish, like White Cloud Mountain minnows.

Make sure to quarantine your goldfish before adding it to a community tank. It’s recommended to quarantine for a minimum of 4 weeks, with most people recommending closer to 8 weeks of quarantine to prevent disease spread.

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What to Feed Your Red Cap Oranda Goldfish

Red Cap Orandas are omnivorous fish, meaning they require both plant and animal-based foods. A high-quality pellet food formulated for fancy goldfish is ideal for maintaining health and coloration.

Goldfish do well with a varied diet, so aim to offer fruits and vegetables to snack on throughout the day. By offering foraging materials, like lettuce leaves and green bean pieces, you may save your plants from being eaten or uprooted. You can also offer high-protein foods, like bloodworms and Mysis shrimp.

Keeping Your Red Cap Oranda Goldfish Healthy

Like most fancy goldfish, Red Cap Orandas are at risk for swim bladder disorder, and some are at an increased risk for overall poor health if they come from poor breeding stock. A healthy diet and clean water will help keep your Red Cap Oranda healthy.

Since they have a wen, Red Cap Orandas may experience overgrowth of the wen. The wen sits on top of the head like a cap, but it can grow down onto the face, limiting vision and mouth mobility. Wens do not contain blood vessels, though, and can be carefully trimmed if needed.

red cap oranda goldfish
Image Credit: Wang Sing, Shutterstock

Breeding

Goldfish will usually breed without much assistance, especially when the water quality is good. To encourage your goldfish to spawn, you can slowly raise the water temperature after a period of cooler water. In nature, the shift from cold winter water to warmer spring water signals that it’s time to spawn, and you can artificially recreate this in the aquarium with a heater.

Use a spawning mop to catch eggs after spawning. The eggs should be moved to a well-filtered tank or tub. Otherwise, the eggs and newly hatched fry are at risk of being eaten by the other fish in the tank, including the parents.

Are Red Cap Oranda Goldfish Suitable For Your Aquarium?

The Red Cap Oranda goldfish is an elegant goldfish breed that can be suitable for many types of tanks. They are slightly more difficult to care for than slim-bodied goldfish, but they may be hardier than many other fancy goldfish breeds. The key to keeping healthy Red Cap Orandas with a long lifespan is to maintain high water quality and feed a nutritious, varied diet to support health.

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Conclusion

We hope you learned some new and useful information about the Red Cap Oranda goldfish. Fancy goldfish are wonderful fish to have in aquariums because of their unique beauty. Now that you are equipped with the know-how on taking care of this amazing goldfish, you are one step closer to having one of your very own.

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Featured Image Credit: hxdbzxy, Shutterstock

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