Phone: 352.357.4563
Fax: 419.715.8697
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The history of Goldfish dates back to 960 AD, in China, where they were produced for food as a means to supplement protein sources. Over time these fish were developed into cherished pets. Japanese Goldfish varieties including Wakin, Ranchu, Ryukin fantail and globe eyed Demekin date back as early as 1500 AD with the first Goldfish show in Tokyo in 1845! The average Goldfish life span is 10 years, some much longer.
Goldfish are part of the Cyprinid family. This family of fishes contains some of the most intelligent species and is among the largest family of fishes in the world.
Here in the United States, early in the 1900’s, department stores such as Woolworth coined the saying “five and dime”, these types of retailers introduced and gave access, to the general public, exotic fish (common Goldfish). The result was the beginning of the tropical fish and in-
Goldfish, (carassius auratus), make a great pond fish because;
- They are hardy fish that are cold tolerant and can withstand many months of below freezing weather living fine under the ice.
- They grow to a typical maximum size under 10" allowing more people to enjoy the pond keeping hobby in vessels as small as a rain barrel. From a retailer’s standpoint, this opens up a larger pool of customers. Smaller environment requirements also mean that these “pets” can be brought inside and placed in an aquarium during the winter for year round enjoyment.
I think what drives this fish farmer’s passion is the really unique and special opportunity to see and have a hand in the production of some truly unique fish. I often compare our fish farms to diamond mines. Often saying, "We go through an awful lot of dirt to get a few diamonds." It's the allure of the unknown... That chance of finding those few “diamonds” in the net when the fish are harvested. That reward is what drives most of us. It may not be the best business plan, as finding those few diamonds takes tremendous resources and most farms choose the mass production route that favors a more consistent income stream with much less risk.
These crazy looking Goldfish, typically, come with an appropriately higher price tag. These higher prices become a lot more reasonable when one knows the “true costs” of production, similar to the mentioned “diamond mine”. True aquatic diamonds such as these, one in a million fish, attract buyers who desire the best and rarest Goldfish available.
The recent boom in water gardening and the fish pond hobby has given the fish farmer more incentive to produce new, never before seen, varieties of Goldfish. Some of the more impressive varieties include some of the specimens that were found during the 2013 harvest here at Blackwater Creek and which we are featuring on this website.
Along with the growth of the Fancy Goldfish keeping hobby has come the inclusion of Goldfish categories in the world of Koi Shows along with the growth of Goldfish clubs all over the world which has fueled the desire for these Exotic Fancy Goldfish. As of right now these unique new varieties of Goldfish, which rival the more expensive Koi Fish, are still very reasonable in price and in some ways easier to keep then their big brothers!
We are proud to say that our reputation as a breeder of top quality Koi and Butterfly Koi has carried over to our Goldfish breeding programs for Specialty RARE Goldfish varieties.
Here at Blackwater Creek Farms we have had the unique opportunity to breed the “NOT SO COMMON” Goldfish. By putting our Koi and Butterfly Koi breeding experience to use with Goldfish.
Over the years we have been able to breed some very unique varieties of Goldfish, some of them even rival our Premium Koi and our Long Fin Koi, as far as coloration and body shape. In fact when these Goldfish are kept in a pond with Koi it is sometimes hard to tell them apart (except for the “Fan-
We have taken great care in breeding these fish to be quite hardy and social so that they will do very well in your pond swimming right along with your prized Koi!
They will thrive on the same high quality food that you feed your Koi, we highly recommend our line of Aquatic Nutrition Koi Foods.