One of the most common types of goldfish is the Pearlscale goldfish.
They are beautiful to look at, but their delicate conditions demand a lot of care, particularly when it comes to their health.
We have created this comprehensive guide about taking care of Pearlscale goldfish in your fish tank.
How Long Do Pearlscale Goldfish Live?
Pearlscale goldfish are able to live up to 5 or 10 years in general. Some people also say 15 years, but these instances are rare.
Pearlscale goldfish are, by nature, quite resilient. But because of their biology, they are more vulnerable to health problems as compared to other goldfish.
If the living conditions of Pearlscale goldfish are less than ideal, this can decrease their lifespan by a considerable amount.
What Are the Tank Requirements for Pearlscale Goldfish?
When considering tank requirements for Pearlscale goldfish, you need to keep several factors in mind.
A common element is to make sure whatever you put in the fish tank isn’t sharp.
This is because Pearlscale goldfish have a lot of delicate scales. Once out of the body, they do not grow back.
Ideal Tank Size
Pearlscale goldfish swim quite slowly as their bodies and fins aren’t designed for fast swimming. Nevertheless, they require plenty of space to move around.
Your fish tank size should be 20 gallons minimum. Ideally speaking, a 30-gallon fish tank is best for one Pearlscale goldfish.
For each subsequent Pearlscale goldfish addition, you should increase your fish tank size by 10 gallons each.
Larger tanks are good for Pearlscale goldfish as it gives them a lot of room to move around and provides sufficient oxygen.
Substrate
There are different types of substrates available, but you should go for a sandy substrate. This is because sandy substrate emulates a natural environment.
You will often find Pearlscale goldfish digging in the substrate.
Gravel substrate can be an alternative, but it comes with a risk. It can be of small and rough texture, which if ingested by Pearlscale goldfish, may cause a lot of problems.
Type of Décor
As with the gravel substrate, your décor should also be smooth, having no sharp edges or points.
You may use smooth rocks or driftwood but don’t put too much of them in the fish tank.
The best aquarium décor is none other than aquarium plants. These plants also provide oxygen in the fish tank, making them doubly useful.
Since Pearlscale goldfish like to dig, it is possible that they can dig out even live plants. Hence, we recommend using artificial plants like silk plants.
Avoid going for plastic ones as they are not that safe.
Plants
Pearlscale goldfish like playing with plants and swimming around them.
Java fern, hornwort, anubias, and anacharis are some of the most common types of plants people use for their Pearlscale goldfish aquarium.
Also read: 20 Best Plants for Goldfish Tank (with Images)
What to Feed Pearlscale Goldfish?
Pearlscale goldfish can eat most food types easily, making them excellent omnivorous pets.
Dry flakes and pellets are extremely good for them as they provide a lot of calcium.
However, too much dry food can be the reason for swim bladder disease as it can affect their digestive systems.
You should make sure the dry foods are a little moist before feeding your Pearlscale goldfish. This will make the dry foods soft and easy to eat.
Pearlscale goldfish like cucumbers, frozen and shelled peas, lettuce, and other vegetables.
These vegetables are good for curing constipation. However, the vegetables need to be sterilized first. This is mostly done by steaming them prior to giving them to the goldfish.
Pearlscale goldfish shouldn’t be consuming too much protein. While protein is important for them, it should only be 30% of their whole diet.
Live foods are also preferred by Pearlscale goldfish.
There are different types of live foods available, for example, Daphnia, blood worms, tubifex worms, brine shrimp, and others.
One potential problem of giving Pearlscale goldfish live food is that they become more prone to diseases.
You should give live foods to them as a dietary supplement and not as the main food.
How Should the Water Be for Pearlscale Goldfish?
It is difficult to completely replicate a natural habitat for Pearlscale goldfish.
These fishes aren’t naturally occurring. That is not to say, we don’t know what their preferences are.
Pearlscale goldfish will always prefer a cooler water temperature with lots of plant life.
The water pH level should be neutral all the time as any rapidly occurring changes can affect their health.
Your fish tank water should also be free from nitrates. It is best if you regularly test the water of the fish tank to determine its quality.
Below are the ideal ranges for the different aspects of checking the water quality.
| Parameter | The Range for Pearlscale Goldfish |
|---|---|
| Water Temperature | 65.0 to 75.0° F |
| pH Range | 6.0-7.5 |
| Hardness Range | 4 – 20 KH |
| Salinity | Below 10% (with a specific gravity below 1.002) |
| Water Movement | Moderate |
| Nitrates | Below 40 |
Do Pearlscale Goldfish Require Filtration Systems?
Pearlscale goldfish do require an optimal filtration system. Most people prefer to have biological filtration as it also improves water quality.
This also prevents diseases from afflicting your goldfish.
An efficient filtration system can clean up the whole fish tank from the fish’s waste products and leftover food.
Pearlscale goldfish are never in a hurry to finish their food; hence some of the leftover food may cause problems.
Since Pearlscale goldfish provide an unusually high bioload to the fish tank, you should use a hang-on-back filter at the very least.
If you have a large fish tank, you may need a canister filter. Canister filters are highly efficient in removing accumulated waste and processing nutrients.
Pearlscale goldfish produce a lot of waste, mostly because of their large sizes. They also like to forage around looking for food which pollutes the water.
If you are using a canister filter, we recommend pairing it up with biohome media. Biohome media is excellent for cleaning and controlling the nitrates in the fish tank.
Pearlscale Goldfish Diseases
Pearlscale goldfish are beautiful but delicate fishes that can easily get affected by different types of fish diseases.
Some of the most common fish diseases are fin rot, ich, fungus, and flukes.
Among these diseases, fin rot is the one you would see the most. Lack of water maintenance and their long, flowy fins make them highly vulnerable to fin rot.
In order to prevent Pearlscale goldfish from suffering from fin rot, you need to constantly make sure the water quality is up to par.
Another disease that can affect Pearlscale goldfish is the swim bladder disease.
This is caused by their intestinal tract becoming tight. This usually happens due to excessive food and air intake.
Swim bladder disease hampers their swimming capability; hence you need to get rid of it as soon as possible.
Failure to do so can have disastrous consequences for Pearlscale goldfish, who swim weaker than other fish already.
What Is the Typical Behavior of Pearlscale Goldfish?
Pearlscale Goldfish are easily one of the most docile fish you can have in your fish tank.
They spend the whole day swimming around the tank, either exploring the different features or playing with them.
They are not the fastest swimmers too hence they like to take their time in doing whatever they want.
What Type of Company Should Pearlscale Goldfish Have?
Pearlscale goldfish are quite peaceful creatures themselves. They can easily live with other fishes, provided they are themselves docile.
You need to avoid putting aggressive fishes in your fish tank if you have Pearlscale goldfish.
Also, important to remember is not to add fast-swimming fish. Those can unintentionally damage the fins of your Pearlscale goldfish as they swim by.
Also, consider putting fishes that are similarly shaped to Pearlscale goldfish. Some of these include Fantail goldfish, Ryukin goldfish, and the Black Moor goldfish.
The above three not only have the same size but are also slow swimmers, making them ideal fish tank mates for Pearlscale goldfish.
How to Breed Pearlscale Goldfish in Fish Tank?
Pearlscale goldfish breeding is often done in captivity without the help of aquarists.
However, in case you want to put in direct efforts to breed them, you can do so easily.
You will need to have another fish tank solely for breeding purposes.
Fill up this tank with plants and spawning mops and make sure the temperature is low at the beginning; 60 degrees Fahrenheit would be ideal.
After putting a pair of Pearlscale goldfish, you will have to raise the water temperature by two degrees every day. Sudden temperature changes can seriously affect their health.
Once the optimum water temperature is attained, it will start a mating ritual between the Pearlscale goldfish.
A female goldfish is capable of laying more than 1000 eggs at one go.
These Pearlscale goldfish eggs take almost five or six days to hatch. In the beginning, the newborn fry will live on the egg sac.
Once they have grown and are able to swim, you should give them powdered food.
Keep giving them powdered food until they have grown more mature. Only then can you start their diet of brine shrimp.
Pearlscale goldfish are known for having a rounded belly. The fry will start to develop the belly when they are eight months of age.
Following the belly, the fry develops their beautiful, pearly scales, which are so characteristic of them.
Additional Tips for Pearlscale Goldfish Care
You should keep the water salinity below 10%. If there is too much salt, it will cause an increase in the osmotic pressure.
This is dangerous for Pearlscale goldfish as they can make the goldfish excrete their body fluids. If this happens, Pearlscale goldfish will get dehydrated very quickly.
If you are feeding Pearlscale goldfish shelled peas, it is best to do so once a week. This will have the maximum effect in reducing their constipation.
If you are changing the fish tank water, it is best if you put the Pearlscale goldfish in a bag first and let it flow in the new water.
This helps them get acclimated to the new water temperature.
Conclusion
Pearlscale goldfish are beautiful and low-maintenance fish that live peacefully. The only concerning factor is their health which you should look out for.
Apart from that, they make for wonderful aquarium pets.
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