Pompom Goldfish Care Guide - Tank Setup, Diet & Breeding

Pompom Goldfish are a distinctive fancy variety recognised by the rounded nasal growths, often called pompons or nasal bouquets, that develop beside the nostrils. These fleshy, textured growths can vary considerably in size and may be white, orange, red, yellow, black or mixed with other colour patterns. Their rounded bodies, flowing fins and gentle expression give them a particularly ornamental appearance.

Like other fancy goldfish, Pompoms are generally peaceful and unhurried swimmers. They spend much of their time exploring, searching the bottom and investigating anything new in their surroundings. Individual fish can become remarkably tame and often learn to associate people with feeding.

The pompons develop as the fish matures and may not be prominent in young specimens. They are not functional barbels or whiskers; rather, they are a specialised ornamental feature produced through selective breeding. Their development and final appearance are variable, so no two fish necessarily have identical nasal growths.

In the wild, the ancestral goldfish is related to crucian carp from slow-moving and still waters across East Asia. Centuries of domestication have produced a wide range of fancy forms, including fish with altered body shapes, tails, eyes and head features. Pompom Goldfish are valued for their unusual appearance and calm personality, though their specialised features make them less agile than streamlined goldfish.

Pompom Goldfish are a selectively bred ornamental form of Carassius auratus, descended from wild crucian carp native to East Asia. Goldfish domestication began in China more than a thousand years ago, and the many fancy varieties were later developed and distributed worldwide.

For two Pompom Goldfish, provide at least 150 litres, with a larger aquarium preferred as the fish mature; a tank around 120 cm long by 45 cm wide gives them useful swimming and turning space. Use strong, efficient filtration with gentle circulation and maintain plenty of open floor area. Choose smooth, rounded gravel or sand and avoid sharp rocks, rough ornaments and narrow decorations that could damage the pompons or fins. Hardy live plants, smooth wood and broad open areas create a secure, easy-to-clean layout.

Up to approximately 20 cm (8 inches) in adult body length, with females often growing slightly larger and deeper-bodied than males.

Pompom Goldfish are omnivores and do best on a varied diet based around a quality sinking fancy-goldfish pellet or granule. Supplement this with blanched vegetables such as peas, spinach and courgette, along with occasional frozen or live foods including daphnia, brine shrimp and bloodworms. Small, controlled meals are preferable to one large feeding, and sinking foods help reduce excessive surface gulping.

Suitable companions include other peaceful fancy goldfish with comparable swimming ability, such as Orandas, Ranchus, Lionheads and Fantails. Avoid tropical fish that require warmer water, fin-nipping species, highly competitive single-tail goldfish, and fast swimmers that may outcompete them for food. Do not keep them with aggressive cichlids, large predatory fish or species likely to pick at their nasal growths and flowing fins.

Pompom Goldfish are egg scatterers that can spawn when well-conditioned with varied, nutritious foods and a gradual seasonal increase in temperature. The female releases adhesive eggs among fine-leaved plants, spawning mops or other suitable surfaces while one or more males fertilise them. Remove the adults after spawning, as goldfish readily eat their eggs and fry. The eggs usually hatch within several days, and the tiny young need appropriately sized first foods before progressing to finely crushed fry food.

Females are usually broader through the abdomen, particularly when carrying eggs, while males tend to be slimmer. In breeding condition, males may develop tiny white breeding tubercles on the gill covers and leading edges of the pectoral fins, although these can be difficult to see on fancy goldfish.