Oranda Red Cap Goldfish

Orandas are very attractive and some of the most popular goldfish in the world, and the Redcap variety is one of the most adored. This beautiful goldfish has a large, round body and shimmering scales along with the same long, flowing split tail fin of all Oranda varieties. When the fish stops swimming, the delicate tail fans out, looking much like the petals of a flower.

Unlike the Common Goldfish, with its long slender body, this fancy goldfish is one of the more rounded or egg-shaped fancy goldfish. The Redcap Oranda is totally white except for a cherry red hood on its head, which looks just like a cap. All of its fins are paired except the dorsal fin, and the tail fin is usually split.

Beyond their overall good looks, these fancies are favored for their hood. This is a fleshy growth on the top of the head known as the wen. The wen will start to show when the fish are about 3 – 4 months old, but it really begins to form up at about 1 – 2 years and will be completely developed in 2 – 2 1/2 years.

Redcap Oranda Goldfish – Quick Aquarium Care
Aquarist Experience Level: Intermediate
Size of fish – inches: 7.0 inches (17.78 cm)
Minimum Tank Size: 10 gal (38 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Aquarium Hardiness: Moderately hardy
Temperature: 65.0 to 72.0° F (18.3 to 22.2&deg C)

Redcap Oranda Goldfish are some of the more delicate species of goldfish and not suggested for beginners. Unlike the flat-bodied types of goldfish, they have a lower tolerance for pollution. The Recap’s hood is subject to infection from debris, bacteria, and fungi that settles in the tiny folds. They will need good care and plenty of space.

Many people will keep goldfish in an aquarium with no heater or filtration. But for the best success in keeping goldfish, provide them the same filtration, especially biological filtration, that other aquarium residents enjoy. When it comes to feeding, the Redcap Oranda will not thrive with fast, competitive tankmates.

Food and Feeding: Since they are omnivorous, the Redcap Oranda Goldfish will generally eat all kinds of fresh, frozen, and flake foods. To keep a good balance give them a high quality flake food everyday. To care for your Redcap Oranda Goldfish, feed brine shrimp (either live or frozen), blood worms, Daphnia, or tubifex worms as a treat. It is usually better to feed freeze-dried foods as opposed to live foods to avoid parasites and bacterial infections that could be present in live foods. Due to their fleshy head growth they can have poor vision and a harder time seeing their food, so need extra time to feed.