The Black Moor Goldfish, a captivating and peaceful fish with a rich history, has become a favorite among aquarium enthusiasts. First bred in China in the early 1400s, this fancy goldfish variety is known for its unique appearance and relatively easy care requirements, making it suitable for both beginner and experienced aquarium keepers. This comprehensive guide will delve into the essential aspects of Black Moor Goldfish care, including their dietary needs, ideal tank setup, breeding habits, and potential health issues.
A Brief History of the Black Moor Goldfish
Goldfish were first bred in China 1000 years ago. The development of these fish resulted in the 1400s with the Black Moor Goldfish, which was later traded in Japan, Europe, and America. Black Moor Goldfish identify themselves with their enlarged telescope eyes protruding from each side of their head. It has an egg-shaped, stubby body and a long, flowing finnage which makes him not a good swimmer.
Identifying a Black Moor Goldfish
The black moor goldfish is pretty easy to identify from among other types of goldfish! All you have to do is look for a fish that has a black body and two telescope eyes. Black Moor Goldfish have bold deep black metallic scales, but only the high-quality ones have a velvety black color with no metallic scales. Black Moors are commonly known for their docile and peaceful nature among goldfish owners.
Coloration and Physical Characteristics
As the name suggests, Black Moors are typically a black color, with a few exceptions. Black Moor Goldfish have bold deep black metallic scales, but only the high-quality ones have a velvety black color with no metallic scales. Some Black Moors will show bronze or gold along the sides of their stomachs. When young, Black Moors start off with a light gray coloring and not yet so noticeable telescopic eyes. Warm water temperatures long-term lead to your Black Moor turning a vibrant orange color. As the fish ages, they will start to fade and may even develop a white belly. It is important to note that black is an unstable color variety among goldfish, and unless you buy your goldfish from a quality breeder, there is no guarantee your Black Moor will stay a stable black color forever.
They make excellent beginner goldfish for owners new to the goldfish keeping hobby. Black Moor Goldfish identify themselves with their enlarged telescope eyes protruding from each side of their head. It has an egg-shaped, stubby body and a long, flowing finnage which makes him not a good swimmer.
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Size and Growth
In general, black moors can grow to 6-8 inches (15-20 cm); however, as with all goldfish, it is always possible that your fish will easily surpass these estimations. They will also grow very round and will take on an egg-shape, which will slow down their movements through the water.
Dietary Needs of Black Moor Goldfish
Black Moor Goldfish is an omnivore species, so the key to feeding these fish is a well-balanced diet of plant and meaty food. Like all goldfish, black moors are omnivorous fish. This means that you should offer your fish a balanced diet of plant- and animal-based foods. You should limit the amount of protein gain to 30% of the diet so the fish can get the proper nutrients it needs.
Recommended Food Types
Because Black Moors are omnivores, that means you can feed them a variety of frozen, dried, or live food. If feeding fish flakes, make sure they are specifically made for fancy goldfish. Round-bodied goldfish, like the black moor, are prone to swimbladder issues and a good high-quality fancy goldfish food can help prevent digestive problems. Sometimes it’s better to presoak the food in the water tank before it’s given to the fish to make it easier for them to digest. Healthy vegetable-based treats such as peas should be available every now and then, as store bought foods should not be their primary source of nutrition.
Feeding Schedule
It’s very important to keep a scheduled diet. A good diet is important throughout their lifetime, but is most important during their growth stages under 2 years.
Creating the Ideal Habitat for Black Moor Goldfish
A suitable habitat is beneficial in keeping a happy and healthy Black Moor goldfish.
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Tank Size and Dimensions
For one black moor goldfish, the minimal tank size recommended is 20 gallons (76 L), with 30 gallons (113.5 L) being even better. If you intend to keep only one Black Moor, then a 10-gallon (37 liters) tank would suffice. The larger the tank, the better because more amounts of water will result in less amount of waste and fewer water changes. Since these fish are not the best swimmers, it is also recommended to get a long tank as opposed to a tall tank.
Water Parameters and Maintenance
Like all Goldfish varieties, the Black Moor requires good water quality to thrive. Water changes should happen on a weekly basis, where you should remove 25-30% of the water tank and replace it with new RODI/distilled water. In order to control waste from building up, weekly water changes are a must. Remove 25-30% of the water from your tank at the same time every week, and replace it with new RODI/distilled water. Ammonia can also be maintained through a good filter. In general, it is recommended to get an aquarium filter that is meant for two times the suggested tank size; so for a 20 gallon (76 L) tank, a filter rated for 40 gallons (151 L) is recommended.
Goldfish produce a high amount of waste. and therefore. need adequate filtration.
Black Moor are warm water fish, not cold water, not tropical, and prefer seasonal temperature changes. Goldfish are a coldwater species of fish, so an aquarium heater is not required for your black moor. Water temperature should remain between 65-72° F (18-22° C) with pH between 6.0-8.0. Sudden changes in temperature will prove to be fatal to these fish, and that is why you need to remember not to leave any source of heat near the aquarium.
Tank Decorations and Lighting
The decoration of the tank should be smooth because of their poor eyesight, and it will hinder their orientation. Plants are a good choice. Black Moor Goldfish are diggers and may uproot live plants, so artificial ones may be the right choice. It’s your decision. Suggested live plants would be the ones that are common in areas with Asain Carp, like hornwort, which also helps to keep the tank clean. You can also go for silk plants. It is also not recommended to add too much decoration to the tank for the same reason. Your black moor may be struggling enough to swim on its own and added obstacles won’t make it much better! Black Moor goldfish love to have a lot of safe and secure smooth decorations and plants in their tank. They will feel more comfortable knowing they are in a safe environment, as they are instinctively wary of other fish because of their appearance and lack of mobility.
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Black Moors are quite sensitive to bright light (even with poor eyesight!) and sometimes will hide away from unnatural bright lights. Natural light is recommended with a light and dark cycle. Lighting isn’t really necessary for these fish. Most aquariums come with a cover that includes lighting; if that’s your case, feel free to use it.
Compatibility with Tank Mates
Black Moor Goldfish is a very peaceful community fish, it doesn’t get along well with boisterous fish, and it’s recommended to keep them alongside other peaceful species. To put quite simply, yes, Black Moors have the potential to be great tank mates when housed and cared for appropriately. Unfortunately, they do not make good community tank mates with a variety of fish breeds and should be in a species-only tank.
Suitable Tank Mates
They should ideally be kept with other slow-moving, similarly-sized fancy goldfish in an appropriately decorated and maintained tank. Some examples of suitable fancy goldfish tank mates are Ranchu, Ryukin, Fantails and Orandas, to name a few. When keeping fancy goldfish together, make sure you have good filtration for the bio load (the fish’s accumulated waste) and enough swim space to comfortably house your goldfish.
Fish to Avoid
Because of their protruding and disproportionate eyes - as well as their stocky build and flowing tripod tails - they have trouble moving around their tank and are not suitable for outdoor ponds with fast-moving and slim-bodied goldfish.
Breeding Black Moor Goldfish
Black moor goldfish are pretty easy to fish to breed in a tank setting. Black Moors are ready to breed at an early age of 1 year old, although it is most common for a goldfish to breed between 1.5 to 2 years old once they have matured. It’s recommended to keep males and females apart during the breeding season for them to gain interest in spawning. Both males and females are introduced to the breeding tank at the same.
Setting Up a Breeding Tank
It is best to move your breeding pair into a separate tank with plenty of plants and other surfaces where your fish can lay its eggs. Don't clutter the breeding container so the female can hide.
Inducing Spawning
To finally commence breeding between them, you are going to slowly lower the temperature to around 60°F (15°C) and then gradually raise the temperature at a rate of 3°F (1°C) each day until the fish start mating around 68-74° F (20-23° C). Gradually reduce the temperature to 60° F (15.5° C), and then start to warm it again at a rate of 3° every day until the fish start mating around 68-74° F (20-23° C). Under no circumstances should you surpass 75°F (24°C).
The Spawning Process
Black Moor Goldfish are egg layers, and as soon as the females lay their eggs, the males will fertilize them. The breeding process may take 2-3 hours, and they may even produce up to 10.000 eggs! The female black moor will lay her eggs and the male will fertilize them. Spawning can take several hours and the female fish can lay up to 10,000 eggs! Once you notice eggs, move both fish back to your main display or else they will quickly eat the eggs. In about a week, the eggs will hatch and will immediately be able to swim freely. The telescopic eyes make it harder for the male to find the female.
Identifying Males and Females
You can differentiate males from females during the breeding season because males have white prickles called breeding tubercles. Luckily, it is easy to see the breeding stars (little dots mostly seen on male goldfishes gill area that signals that they are ready to breed) on Black Moors due to the contrast of the white dotting on the black coloring. The common mating behavior of chasing and nudging can be seen; this can potentially stress out the female, so make sure to keep an eye on her when you start noticing this behavior. Black Moor male goldfish are slimmer bodied than the short and stockier females, and all portray a set of protruding telescopic eyes varying in size and proportion to their body.
Common Health Issues in Black Moor Goldfish
Black Moor are no more susceptible to diseases than any other fancy Goldfish. They are one of the hardier ones, able to withstand low temperatures better than most of the fancy varieties.
Swim Bladder Disease
Swim Bladder Disease: A disease that you can point out by observing your fish. It will swim in abnormal patterns and have difficulty keeping its balance. Round-bodied goldfish, like the black moor, are prone to swimbladder issues and a good high-quality fancy goldfish food can help prevent digestive problems. Diet needs to be of high quality for these types of goldfish, as they are very sensitive to over-feeding and swim bladder disorder (they lose control of their buoyancy and struggle to swim normally).
Quarantine
Quarantining new fish does not mean keeping them separated from your existing fish population for a few weeks and observing if they develop a disease. It is unlikely fish being kept in pristine quarantine conditions and being fed high-quality food will succumb to any disease. But what if the new fish are carrying a few parasites, such as flukes within the gills, and do not exhibit any symptoms? And what if your fish have low immunity to flukes as they have never been exposed to them before? It should be assumed your new Black Moor has parasites and should be treated for them.
Treatment
If and when your fish shows signs of any of these diseases, you need to remove it from the tank and go to the proper veterinarian to get the appropriate treatment.