These fabulous fish are starting to gain more and more popularity in the United States but were almost unheard of a few years ago. Still if you call around you will probably not find many (if any) fish stores that carry them or that even know what they are. People ask me why I love Wakin goldfish so much and I say that it�s not just their unique appearance but their personalities as well. They are the friendliest fish I have ever had and are easy to tame to eat from your hand.
I first became interested in Wakin when I was looking for goldfish alternatives. We had started our pond with common goldfish (aka feeders.) Common goldfish are very prolific breeders and we were soon overrun with baby goldfish. We ended up giving a lot of them away free but I had the bright idea that if goldfish were going to breed in my pond whether I liked it or not, maybe I could breed something unique that people would be willing to pay a little more for.
I started researching goldfish types and that�s when I stumbled upon this breed which I had never heard of or seen and became convinced that I had to have some. I placed an order on-line since nobody around me carried them or had even heard of them. They were shipped to me via UPS 2 day air and arrived in perfect condition. It was love at first site and they�ve now taken over a good portion of my life. If anyone had ever told me 15 years ago that I would ever love fish so much I would have thought they were nuts. It wasn't until I had my first outdoor pond that I really fell in love with fancy carp. Everyone wants koi but few people have a pond or filtration system large enough to really handle them. Experts recommend a pond larger than 1000 gallons for koi. Wakin are a perfect alternative for people that want colorful, beautiful, friendly fish that can live in a pond that is less than 500 gallons.
Wakin (scientific name Carassius auratus) is pronounced WAH-KEEN, although you will most likely hear it mispronounced as Wahkin. Calling a wakin a "Japanese wakin goldfish" is redundant, since the literal translation of �wakin" is "Japanese Goldfish".
This breed is the same species as the common goldfish and looks similar but when you get to the tail this is where the similarity ends. The combination of the double caudal (tail) fin, in addition to it�s long body is what makes the wakin so unique. Just like all other goldfish the Wakin goldfish originates from the Chinese Gibel Carp.
The wakin, with its fantail, is a true mutation originally discovered in China. The wakin ancestor is thought to be the first type of goldfish brought into Japan around 1500AD. A precious luxury of the Nippon elite, after two centuries of selection in Japan this fantailed fish became the namesake goldfish of Japan becoming known generally as the "wakin", or the Japanese goldfish. It is thought most of the fancy fantailed goldfish have arisen from the original wakin ancestral mutation.
I think that wakin are the very best pond fish there are, particularly if you want to have a water garden that includes lilies or lotus. Koi can really destroy a water garden and are particularly tough on water lilies but wakin and water lily�s go together just great. Wakin will do well in pretty much any sized pond as long as you follow the standard goldfish stocking rules. However, they can really get quite large in a large pond. I have some wakin in my 3500 gallon pond along with my koi and these fish are from 9-12 inches. I have read that wakin can become as long as 18 inches. None of mine are that big yet but only time will tell as goldfish grow throughout their lives if given the opportunity. (ie perfect water quality, quality food and lots of room.)
While you can�t put other kinds of fantailed goldfish in ponds with faster/larger fish like comets, shubunkins or koi, wakin are perfect for a pond and get along with koi and other goldfish just fine. They are just as fast as koi and are usually the first ones up to the top for food in my pond. While you can have a wakin in an aquarium I think that they look kind of funny from a side view. They have really deep bodies and they are really intended, like koi, to be viewed from above. This is definitely their best angle. This is just my personal opinion but I think that as a permanent home, the only goldfish that really belong in aquariums are the fancy varieties. Comets, shubunkins, common goldfish and wakin really can only thrive and reach their full growth potential in a pond.
Here are a couple of pictures of wakin in my pond
I am located in the San Francisco Bay Area.
I am not able to ship fish but I do have young wakin available for local sales only.
I currently only have solid reds and predominant reds for sale
For information on fish available for sale please e-mail me.
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