The Stunning Chocolate Oranda Goldfish Variety: Care, Behavior, and Breeding Tips

The Delightful Chocolate Oranda Goldfish

The chocolate oranda goldfish is a stunning variety of fancy goldfish with a rich brown color. Often referred to as chocolate orandas or chocolate pompoms, these fish have a round body shape and distinctive wen hood that covers most of the head. Chocolate orandas are a joy to keep for their beautiful appearance and playful personalities.

Origins of the Chocolate Oranda

The oranda goldfish originated in China and was first bred in the 1700s. The wen growth characteristic appeared later as a genetic mutation in breeding programs. Chocolate orandas were developed even more recently, arising from innovative crossbreeding to produce their chocolate brown coloration.

Today, chocolate orandas are bred by specialist goldfish farms and companies around the world. They remain a popular choice among goldfish enthusiasts thanks to their striking color and flowing fins. The development of the chocolate oranda showcases how new color varieties continue to emerge from selective goldfish breeding.

Appearance of Chocolate Orandas

Chocolate orandas have a very distinctive look. Their body is a solid chocolate brown color. The shade can range from a rich dark chocolate to a warmer milk chocolate tone.

Like all oranda variants, chocolate orandas have a headgrowth called a wen. This encircles the entire head and cascades downward like a hood. The wen is the same chocolate brown color as the body and together with the body shape gives the fish a round pom pom silhouette.

Another classic oranda feature is the paired caudal fins. These fan out gracefully behind the body. In chocolate orandas, the fins are also chocolate brown or may fade to a slightly lighter reddish shade toward the tips.

The eyes stand out as black against the brown body. Overall, the monochrome color scheme creates a very cohesive and aesthetically pleasing look.

Size of Chocolate Orandas

Chocolate orandas are middle-sized goldfish. Adults typically reach 6-8 inches in length when kept in proper housing. Selectively bred show quality chocolate orandas can potentially reach up to 10 inches long.

These fish have a short stocky body well-suited to their round shape. Their large wen hood also contributes to an overall large, rounded silhouette. Proper nutrition and aquarium conditions are needed to allow chocolate orandas to achieve their full adult size and retain a healthy shape.

Housing for Chocolate Orandas

Chocolate orandas need ample aquarium space to grow properly and swim comfortably. A minimum tank size of 30 gallons is recommended for juveniles, increasing to at least 50 gallons for adult fish.

Good filtration and regular partial water changes help maintain water quality. Chocolate orandas produce a significant amount of waste so efficient filtration is a must. Water temperature from 72-78 F provides ideal conditions.

Since chocolate orandas can reach 10 inches in tanks, avoid crowded housing. Allow at least 20 gallons of water per fish once fish reach adult size. Use smooth decor and substrate to prevent injuring the delicate wen hoods and fins.

Temperament and Behavior

Chocolate orandas have playful, social personalities. They coexist well with other medium to large fancy goldfish except faster, more aggressive varieties. If housed with slow tankmates like Black Moors, provide plenty of space.

Chocolate orandas interact with each other and humans at the tank. They learn to associate their owners with feeding time and may swim forward begging for food when someone approaches. These intelligent fish can even be trained to do simple tricks.

The large wen hoods do not hamper swimming in chocolate orandas. But the growths are quite delicate and can become injured if fish suddenly charge into objects. Chocolate orandas do best in peaceful community tanks with no aggressive fish that may nip at their wens.

Diet for Chocolate Orandas

Chocolate orandas are omnivores and will accept most types of fresh, frozen, and freeze-dried foods for goldfish. Offer a diverse diet to provide balanced nutrition. Here are some great options:

• Pellets with spirulina and color enhancers
• Earthworms, brine shrimp, and crickets
• Bites of fresh zucchini, lettuce, and spinach
• Prepared goldfish gel foods

Avoid overfeeding to prevent obesity and water quality issues. Feed only enough food that fish can completely finish within 2-3 minutes, 1-2 times per day. Vary diet regularly for enrichment.

Breeding Chocolate Orandas

Chocolate orandas can be bred although they are less prolific than common goldfish. Specialist breeders focus on enhancing color intensity and finnage quality in each generation.

To trigger spawning, chocolate orandas require a separate breeding tank with spawning mops. Water temperature is gradually increased to around 75 F while conditioning fish on high protein foods like live or frozen brine shrimp. Males may bump and chase gravid females when ready.

Hundreds of eggs are deposited on the spawning mops overnight. Eggs hatch in 4-7 days. Fry are moved to rearing tanks and must be fed a steady diet of small live foods to grow. Reaching maturity takes 1.5-2 years in chocolate orandas.

Common Health Issues

Providing excellent water quality, nutrition, and habitat helps chocolate orandas stay healthy. Be alert for these potential problems:

• Fungus or fin rot - Treat quickly with antifungal medicine.
• Dropsy - Symptoms are raised scales and swelling. Often fatal.
• Swim bladder disorder - Causes floating, inability to dive. Fix diet and feeding schedule.
• Buoyancy problems - Related to wen hood compressing the swim bladder.

Chocolate orandas are also prone to wen growth becoming too massive. This hampers swimming and eye visibility. Some trimming may help if monitored carefully.

The Delight of Keeping Chocolate Orandas

With their cocoa colored bodies, gracefully flowing fins, and charming personalities, its easy to see why chocolate oranda goldfish have won the hearts of aquarists worldwide. Their beauty and friendly nature make them a joy to care for. Chocolate orandas are sure to add delightful charm to any home aquarium!

FAQs

How big do chocolate orandas grow?

Chocolate orandas typically reach 6-8 inches long as adults. Selectively bred show quality fish can potentially reach up to 10 inches in length when provided with ideal housing and nutrition.

What tank size is needed for chocolate orandas?

A minimum 30 gallon aquarium is recommended for young chocolate orandas. Adult fish should be housed in at least a 50 gallon tank, with extra space of 20 gallons per additional fish in the tank.

Are chocolate orandas good community fish?

Yes, chocolate orandas are peaceful fish that interact well with other medium to large fancy goldfish varieties. Avoid housing them with fast aggressive species that may nip at their delicate wens and fins.

How often should you feed chocolate orandas?

Chocolate orandas should be fed 1-2 times per day. Provide only enough food that they can completely finish within 2-3 minutes at each feeding to prevent overfeeding issues.

What causes swim bladder problems in chocolate orandas?

Swim bladder disorder can result from improper diet, overfeeding, or even compression of the swim bladder by an overly large wen hood. Fixing the diet and feeding schedule is the first step to treating this issue.