Black Moor

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This article is about a breed of fish. Black Moor might also refer to a member of an ethnic group, a subgroup of the present-day Moors.

Black Moor

Country of origin
China
Type
Veiltailed
Breed standards
BAS

The Black Moor is a fancy species of goldfish also called the the Black Peony, or the Kuro-demekin in Japan. Black moor is essentially a velvet black variety of the telescope eye goldfish, although a black moor may have rounder fins and less forked tail than a telescope eye.

1 Animal Description
2 Specific Care Information
3 Diet
4 See also

[edit] Animal Description

The Black Moor is one of the most popular breeds of goldfish. 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. 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. Black Moors typically have a life span ranging from six to twenty-five years.

The Black Moor was originated in China.

[edit] Specific Care Information

No goldfish, including the Black Moor, should ever be kept in a bowl. They do not provide adequate room or filtration, unless you will frequently change this water. 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. That was an estimate. Tank decor should be kept to a minimum to allow plenty of swimming room and decor with sharp edges should be avoided as Black Moor can damage their protruding eyes on them. Black Moors should be kept in water with a temperature ranging from 66^{[citation needed]} to 72 degrees Fahrenheit, though most can tolerate temperatures as high as 86 degrees. Higher temperatures will change the variety of bacteria or make your fish sluggish. Small tanks containing fish that don't filter-feed should use a mechanical or bio-mechanical filter if not frequent changes of water. Chlorine and chloramine from water treatment are toxic to fish. Organic matter, water conditioners, and activated charcoal (organic matter) will remove them. A test kit to test pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels is essential in a small tank. These are products of decay, in decreasing order of toxicity. Water should be changed in proportion to the amount of poison it contains from decay products.

[edit] Diet

Like all goldfish black moors 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 eaten too fast and then expand inside the stomach. Feed your fish what it can eat in 3 to 5 minutes and only twice a day.