Panda Butterfly Goldfish

Once in a blue moon, a natural Grade A black and white Panda Butterfly Goldfish is born. Grade A Panda Butterfly Goldfish command a very high price, ten times more than Grade B fish, and have dramatic solid white and black color and no red.

Unfortunately, nearly all Grade A Panda Butterfly Goldfish are sold to the Asian market and are not available to the USA market. What we get is pictured below: a silvery black and off-white butterfly with a small amount of orange.

Butterfly goldfish have very wide caudal (tail) fins, like the wings of a butterfly.

Quick Facts

Care Guide

Tank setup: Butterfly goldfish produce a lot of waste, so give them plenty of room and a strong filter. Use smooth decorations and live or silk plants, and keep the water current gentle.

Feeding: Feed small amounts of a quality sinking pellet or flake once or twice a day, only as much as they eat in a couple of minutes. They also enjoy frozen foods like bloodworms and brine shrimp.

Tankmates: Keep them with other fancy goldfish of similar size and speed. Avoid fast single-tail goldfish like comets and shubunkins, which will outcompete them for food. Also avoid tropical fish, which need warmer water, and fin-nippers.

Ponds: Butterfly goldfish can live in ponds in mild climates, but they are less cold-hardy than comets and shubunkins. Bring them indoors where winters are harsh, and keep them away from fast, aggressive pond fish.

Good to know: The wide, delicate tail fins look best from above and can tear in strong currents, so keep the flow gentle.