Black Moor
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| iBlack Moor Goldfish | ||||||||||||||||
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| Carassius auratus auratus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
The Black Moor is a fancy species of goldfish also called the Dragon Eye Goldfish or the Black Peony, or the Demekin in Japan.
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[edit] Animal Description
The Black Moor, also known as the Dragon Eye Goldfish or the Black Peony, is a popular fish to own. It is also called Demekin in Japan. The Black Moor is often considered the most popular Chinese fish available. They have short, thick bodies with a hump around the shoulder area. They are typically a velvety black color, though sometimes with red and white spots. The most striking feature of the Black Moor is their eyes, which are large, and grow from the sides of their heads. At maturity, the Black Moor will reach a size of eight to ten inches. Blackmoors typically have a life span ranging from six to twenty-five years.
The Black Moor, Carassius auratus was originally found in China.
[edit] Specific Care Information
No goldfish, including the blackmoor, should ever be kept in a bowl. They do not provide adequate room or filtration and when hot they could cook. Due to their size when grown, black moors should never be kept in less than a 20 gallon aquarium. A general rule of thumb for goldfish of all kinds is no less than ten gallons per fish or for very large fish, per inch of fish. Granted this is an ideal and not always possible it should be attempted as closely as possible. Tank decor should be kept to a minimum to allow plenty of swimming room and decor with sharp edges should be avoided as blackmoor can damage their protruding eyes on them. Black Moors should be kept in water with a temperature ranging from 66 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit, though most can tolerate temperatures as high as 86 degrees. Higher temperatures may make tanks more bacteria prone or cause fish to be sluggish. Whenever keeping fish one should make sure that the tank is filtered using one of various kinds of filters that can be purchased at your local pet supply store or may come with the tank you purchase. Tanks should also be well lit. Before you place your fish in the tank, you should always use a water conditioner to make the tap water safe for your fish. A test kit to test your pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels is also essential. These are naturally occurring chemicals that result from decaying fish food and feces in the water. At high levels they become toxic to fish. To keep these levels low tank water should be tested at least once or twice a week and depeding on the levels of pH, ammonia etc a 25-50% water change should be done. More in depth information on this can be found at a variety of websites or in books found at your local pet supply store.
[edit] Diet
Like all goldfish Blackmoors like a varied diet. Fish flakes and pellets should be supplemented with vegetables like zucchini, peas, spinach and lettuce. Some fruits are good for fish too such as oranges, peeled grapes and more. However fruit should only be given a couple times a month as the sugar and acid content can be too much for the fish. Frozen glass worms, blood worms, brine shrimp and daphnia should also be given in addition to fresh food and flakes. Other foods such as freeze dried and gel foods are also available. When feeding live or frozen worms always make sure your source is reliable as some can carry parasites that will infect your fish. Human foods like bread, some animal meats and sweets should never be given to fish as they cannot digest them well. As a general rule, pellet style food that sink is better than floating flakes or pellets. Floating food forces fish to come to the surface to feed and thus ingest more air along with their food. This can cause swim bladder problems. It is always advisable to soak dry foods in a bit of tank water until they sink and then pour them into your tank rather than floating them on the surface. As dry foods expand when wet this way they will not be gobbled up too fast and then expand inside your fishes stomach. You should never feed your fish more than he can eat in 3 to 5 minutes and only twice a day.
