If you're looking to add some personality to your aquarium, then you may be interested in the exotic and unique-looking Ranchu fish. A relative of the popular and colorful Koi fish, the Ranchu shares many of the same bright colors and patterns and has some interesting differences in behavior and temperament. If you're thinking about adding some Ranchu fish to your aquarium or pond, here's what you need to know before getting started!

What Is A Ranchu?

The Ranchu is a variety of fancy goldfish with one of its most distinctive features: it has small webbed feet on its body. With proper care, a ranchu can grow as large as 13 inches (33 cm). It has a short lifespan ranging from 2–3 years and requires at least an 18-gallon tank. This fish comes in many colors, such as red, yellow, orange, and brown. The ranchu is known for its beauty and hardiness and is relatively easy to care for if you can give it what it needs. Its beautiful scales will sparkle no matter what color they are!

Origin Of The Ranchu Goldfish

The Ranchu fish originated in Japan. The fish's appearance was more important than their swimming ability, so breeders turned them into goldfish that wouldn't require large pools of water. It's unknown exactly when they were bred into what they are today, but there are rumors of them being bred for several hundred years. The fish's appearance is more similar to an angelfish than a common goldfish or Koi, and there are several different ways you can have one for your own.

How To Take Care Of Ranchu Goldfish

Goldfish are not difficult to take care of, but they do require a few key elements. The most important part of keeping goldfish healthy is keeping their water clean. Over time, fish waste and uneaten food can cause their tank's water quality to degrade. To keep your fish healthy, you should: 1) purchase an aquarium-cleaning product that will clear up algae and other gunk and 2) change out 10% of your tank's water once a week using a special aquarium vacuum or siphon to avoid stirring up toxins that may be lurking at the bottom of your tank.

How Big Do They Get?

Unlike goldfish and Koi, which can grow up to 20 inches, ranchu goldfish usually max out at two or three inches in length. But even though they're smaller than other fish, they still need an appropriately sized tank—after all, they can live for more than 30 years. For that reason, most experts recommend a 10-gallon aquarium as an absolute minimum for a single fish; 20 gallons is better. A long lifespan also means that there are physical differences between male and female ranchus—although it takes some practice to tell them apart. Male ranchus have delicate fins called fairy caudles that are so light in color as to be virtually invisible; females lack these finnage developments entirely.

What Do They Eat?

The koi fish (Koi is Japanese for carp) is also referred to as a ranchu or horned carp because of its large gill covers. The ranchu enjoys eating vegetarian food. A vegetarian diet consists of plants, vegetables and fruits; animals are not considered part of a plant-based diet. Vegetarian foods are low in fat and high in fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins. A typical ranchu diet contains primarily lettuce along with tomatoes, cucumbers and zucchini squash. They enjoy being served dark leafy greens that provide more nutrients than lighter greens such as spinach do.