Siamese Doll Goldfish Care 12 Things Must Know

Siamese Doll Goldfish is one of the world’s smallest goldfish types. They are a less known Goldfish species that is so hard to find. If by any chance you could buy a Siamese Doll Goldfish, let me tell you that you are so lucky. They are beautiful little creatures that will bring your tank a magnificent look, and they just need a little less space than common Goldfish because of their small size. Below is a complete guide on Siamese Doll Goldfish Care.

Appearance

Siamese Doll Goldfish looks more like Albino Telescope Goldfish but in smaller size and with red eyes. They have big telescopic or cone-like stalks mounted on the sides of its head. The eyes are red in color and have a more rounded or egg-shaped body. The short and stubby body has a vast head and a split veil-like caudal (tail) fin slightly forked. 

Origin

Goldfish are a type of carp native to East Asia, specifically China. Siamese Doll Goldfish is a result of cross-breeding of fish keepers, and they are a very rare breed of Goldfish.

Size of the fish

A common goldfish will grow up to 12 inches in an aquarium. But, Siamese Doll Goldfish will only grow up to 5 inches head to tail. That makes Siamese Doll Goldfish a small-sized goldfish you can keep.

Life span

Just like other small goldfish types, Siamese Doll Goldfish also have a lifespan of 10 to 15 years. However, they need special care to stay healthy because of their shape.

Tank preparation

Siamese Doll goldfish is not a beginner-friendly fish. They are not hardy as common Goldfish because of their shape, especially the telescopic eyes. The eye shape causes them to have poor vision and make them more vulnerable to injuries and infection.

Because of this reason, your tank must have soft-edged decorations and other equipment. You should also choose non-aggressive, peaceful tankmates if you decide to keep Siamese Doll Goldfish in your tank.

Size of the tank

The minimum tank size recommended for Siamese Doll Goldfish is 10 Gallons. Although you can keep your fish in smaller sized tanks and bowls, they will have a stunted appearance and will die sooner than their expected lifetime.

If you keep your Goldfish in a 10-gallon tank, make sure that you change the water at least once a week and maintain the tank well because poorly maintained water may injure their eyes.

Water quality

Just like other Goldfish types, Siamese Doll Goldfish also prefer cold water. Siamese Doll Goldfish do best at a temperature between 65 – 72° F (18°- 22° C). The water Ph level should be between 6.0-8.0, and water hardiness should be between 5 – 19 dGH.

They can tolerate freezing temperatures if the temperature drops steadily over time. So, they can be kept in ponds in winter. However, they can not tolerate sudden temperature changes. So, if you live in a very cold climate, you should keep a heater in your fish tank.

Decoration

Because of the eye shape of Siamese Doll Goldfish, you need to decorate your fish tank carefully. The decorations, substrate and even the equipment like filter systems and aeration systems need to have rounded soft edges; otherwise, your fish may become prone to injuries by those decorations.

In addition to that requirement, Goldfish prefer certain conditions in their environment.

Substrate:

Goldfish are fish that forage. So, they prefer sand substrate rather than gravel, cobbles, rocks and other substrate types because, with sand, they can efficiently forage food.

However, if you prefer, you can keep your tank without any substrate, and your fish will do fine with no substrate.

Plants:

As Goldfish are omnivores, they always appreciate live plants in their environment. But,  these Siamese Doll Goldfish are diggers and may uproot live plants. You can use artificial silk plants as a substitute.

Lighting:

Lighting is not essential for Goldfish, but it will give your tank an impressive look and will help if you have live plants.

Cover:

Goldfish are not prone to jumping, although some Goldfish jump out occasionally. However, a cover is desirable as it reduces evaporation and provides protection for your fish from predators.

Filter System:

Goldfish need a lot of oxygen and produce a lot of waste. Hence, you need to install a sound filtration system to remove residues, excess food and debris from the water. A good filtration system can keep the tank clean and maintain the general health of your Goldfish.

Aeration system:

Goldfish are very active and busy fish that swim and forage all day. So, they need a lot of oxygen to thrive. An aeration system will ensure that the water gets enough oxygen and circulation by providing forced air bubbles into the water. So, installing an aeration system is recommended for a Goldfish tank.

Cleaning your Siamese goldfish tank (daily cleaning, monthly cleaning)

Goldfish are very active fish that produce a lot of waste. So, weekly cleaning is necessary to keep your fish healthy.

You need to maintain a sound filtration system to keep your tank clean and do a 10% water change weekly or a 25% every two weeks using a vacuum gravel cleaner.

In addition to water changes, do a complete tank cleaning if you notice any algae growth. Monthly full tank cleaning is recommended for a cleaner fish tank.

Feeding the Siamese goldfish

Siamese Goldfish are omnivores like the common Goldfish. Hence, they will eat all kinds of fresh, frozen, and flake foods.

Providing high-quality flake food will ensure a good balance while feeding live or frozen foods such as blood worms, Daphnia, or tubifex worms and fresh food such as fruits and vegetables as a treat.

Because of the protruding eyes of Siamese Doll Fish, they have poor vision and a harder time seeing their food. So, they need extra time to feed.

Food type:

Siamese Doll Goldfish eat anything you feed. Some fish may not eat some food types. If that’s the case, just skip the food they avoid and feed anything else. You have a wide variety of foods you can feed your Goldfish as treats.

Goldfish will ease pellets and flakes, fruits and vegetables, some seeds like green peas, and live and frozen meat food such as brine shrimp, tubifex worms and blood worms.

Feeding frequency:

Feed several times a day as this fish has poor vision and can not compete with swift tank mates for food. Because of that, they need several feedings to make sure they are getting enough diet.

Overfeeding:

As Goldfish are omnivore scavengers, they will eat anything you provide, even to the death. So, preventing overfeeding is necessary if you want a healthy fish. Overfeeding will also leave excessive food on the bottom of the tank, which will decay and pollute the water if left uncleaned.

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The normal behaviour of the Siamese Doll Goldfish

Siamese Doll Goldfish are very active and social animals who get along with any other fish in a community.

They are great as community fish as well, as they are good scavengers. Because of the eye shape, Siamese Doll Goldfish are visually handicapped. Because of this, they can not compete with other types of Goldfish for food.

They need more feeding time than other fishes and need a safer, injuries free environment to thrive. Goldfish are excellent scavengers, so; you may not need to add any bottom feeders or other scavengers with Goldfish.

Goldfish are non-venomous, peaceful fish which will do fine with Shrimps, crabs, snails and other non-aggressive fishes.

You may not be able to grow aquarium plants as Goldfish tend to eat aquatic plants. If they don’t eat a specific plant, they tend to uproot those plants from the substrate.

Tank mates of Siamese goldfish

Goldfishes are peaceful species that can live with any other non-aggressive fish if they are bigger enough not to get eaten by Goldfish.

Although Goldfish are peaceful fish, they eat small fish if it fits their mouth. Below are some general guidelines to follow when picking a tank mate for Siamese Goldfish.

Avoid aggressive fish that pick on other fish

Aggressive barbs, African cichlids and other large cichlid types tend to pick on other fishes. Goldfish don’t prefer picking and will not get along well with aggressive fish species.

Choose Slow Swimmers

Siamese Goldfish are slow swimmers, so they can not compete with fast swimmers like common Goldfish. If you mix Siamese goldfish with fast-swimming fish, Goldfish may be bullied by other fish.

Other fancy goldfish types fit better with Siamese Goldfish because they are also slow swimmers like Siamese Doll Goldfish.

Stay away from small and spiny fish

Goldfish are little explorers that taste everything with their mouth, including food, substrate, plant and other fish.

So, it is better to avoid smaller fish that fit in the Goldfish mouth for the most part unless you want to feed the smaller fish to your Goldfish.

Also, avoid adding spiny fish like otocinclus or Cory catfish, which could get stuck in Goldfish’s gill plate if swallowed.

Check the required water condition of tank mates

Goldfish are cold-water fish that prefer a temperature between 50-70°F, and they can live at room temperature without a heater. You should check the temperature of your chosen tank mate suits Goldfish’s requirements.

And also, check with the dietary need of both fish types. If you add a carnivore tank mate with Goldfish, then Goldfish will get too much protein and get constipated.

Here is a list of compatible tank mates for your Goldfish.

• Hillstream Loach
• Brochis multiradiatus
• Dojo Loach
• Bristlenose Pleco
• Rubbernose Pleco
• White Cloud Mountain Minnows
• Ricefish
• Hoplo Catfish
• Variatus Platy
• Longfin Rosy Barbs
• Zebra Danios
• Giant Danios
• Banded Corydoras

Common diseases

Just like other animals, fish also get sick. They also get infected by different types of diseases, although it is rare. When you see a sick fish in your tank, most of the time, the reason for their sickness is poor water condition.

You may notice clear water in your tank, but the water may be filled with poisonous ingredients such as ammonia and nitrate, which are lethal for your Goldfish.

The symptoms of water poisoning and infecting with diseases are the same so, it is better to check water condition before deciding your fish sickness.

Here is a list of common diseases of Goldfish and how to treat them.

Parasitic Diseases

Ich

Also known as white spot disease, Ich is a parasite that causes white spots on Goldfish skin. The white spots are actually not the parasite but stretched skin of Goldfish because of the parasite.

Your fish can be prone to Ich if they are stressed, weakened, kept in poor conditions or not quarantined. If left untreated, Ich can kill your Goldfish.

Symptoms:

• Clamped (flattened down) fins.
• Flashing ( Darting and scratching against objects in the tank)
• White spots all over the body from head to tail

Treatment

You can easily treat Ich by following simple steps.

• Raise the water temperature for up to 80F to speed up Ich life cycle
• Add aquarium salt in a recommended amount for Goldfish
• Wait for 10 to 14 days and keep the water pristine

The best way to prevent Ich is to use separate equipment such as nettings and siphons on each fish tank. When you bring a new fish to your tank, always quarantine them for few days before introducing them to your fish tank.

Flukes

Fluke is a parasite that clamps on tight to the Goldfish skin and feeds on the slime coat until the fish dies because of constant bleeding. Unfortunately, you can’t see this parasite in the naked eye without a microscope. However, there are some symptoms of Goldfish that can help you decide if your fish got flukes.

Symptoms

• The fish tries to scratch its body part where fluke got harboured on the walls and floors
• Eventually shed their slime coat to get rid of the parasite
• They clamp their fins and get away from other fish
• Sometimes the fish get very thin
• If infected with gill flukes, they will have trouble breathing, so they gulp at the surface

Treatments

Salt can not kill Flukes, so you’ll have to buy particular anti-parasite medication to treat your fish. Do not use chemical-based medication like Praziquantel or Formalin as they can be lethal to your aquarium life, including fish. A good medication we can recommend is MinnFinn.

If you want to prevent Fluke infestation, you always have to quarantine your new fish and treat them for parasites before adding them to your tank.

Anchor Worm

Anchor worm is a highly contagious fish disease Goldfish get when the seasons change. And it gets infected for healthy Goldfishes too. By the time you notice the worms,  a lot of damage has already been done to the fish. In most cases, the fish dies when the worm appears.

Symptoms

• Flashing (itching) and scratching
• Stick looking worms are seen on the body
• The places of the body to which the worm is attached become very red and bloody

Treatment

If you can see the worms on a Goldfish body, you have to take it out and remove the worms with tweezers. Then clean the wound with hydrogen peroxide to prevent infection.

Salt will not kill this worm. You’ll have to use anti-anchor-worm medicine like Cyromazine to treat your fish. You will have to treat the whole aquarium with this medicine to treat your sick fish.

To prevent an Anchor worm infection, you’ll have to quarantine any new fish before adding them to the tank. Also, treat the new fish with worm treatments if they show any symptoms.

Fish Lice

Fish Lice are crustacean type parasite that lives by sucking blood. They are more common in ponds than indoor aquariums, and they are highly contagious.

If infected, you can see tiny green specks shaped like discs on the stomach, chin and around the fins of your Goldfish. They will also hop around your fish, making a disgusting feeling.

Symptoms

• tiny green specks shaped like discs around the body that hops here and there.
• The fish scratches and itch themselves, leaping and darting around in irritation.
• In severe infection, the Goldfish gets red wounds around the body

Treatment

Fish lice are extremely hard to get rid of. They don’t respond to salt or other parasitic medication. However, they respond to anti anchor worm medication like Cyromazine. Treat the whole tank with Cyromazine to get rid of Fish lice.

If you want to prevent fish lice infestation, always quarantine new fish and treat them with proper medication before introducing them to your aquarium.

Trichondia

A common disease in dirty tanks, this parasite doesn’t actually harm your fish. They will live on Goldfish body, but the fish get stressed because of this parasite.

Symptoms

• Flashing (or scratching) and irritation
• Fish get ulcers because of so much itching
• The fish may stop eating because of stress

Treatment

In order to treat Trichondia, you have to concentrate your tank with salt in higher amounts anywhere from 0.3% to 0.9%. However, this high concentration is highly stressful for your Goldfish. Your Goldfish may die because of extreme stress with Trichondia salt treatment.

Instead, you can use MinnFinn to treat Trichondia in Goldfish.

Quarantining new fish is the only option to prevent Trichondia disease from your Goldfish tank.

Bacterial Diseases

Fin Rot

Fin rot is a very common bacteria infection Goldfish get. It usually shows up when the fish is stressed or living in foul water. If left untreated, the fins of Goldfish may never grow back.

Symptoms

• start as a cloudiness on the fins.
• First fins get whiter tips, and then it rots away, sometimes splitting
• Fins may erode to the base of the tail

Treatment

You have to start treatment right away when you spot fin rot symptoms. If the fins erode to the tail, it will never grow back.

You can treat the fish fin with an H2O2 swab. Dab the effected areas with a Q tip dipped in h2o2 solution every 24 hours for several days. Or you can use Minnfinn to stop them from rotting.

For severe cases, you may need to treat with antibiotics like Sulfaplex to save the fish.

To prevent fin rot, make sure that the water condition in your tank is good all the time.

There are many other bacterial diseases like,

• Hole-in-the-Head
• Mouth Rot
• Ulcers
• Pop Eye
• Dropsy
• Cloudy Eye

That needs proper attention. They all are treated with the anti-bacterial medication mentioned above.

viral infections

Additionally, Goldfish may also get viral infections such as,

• Tumors
• Carp Pox
• Lymphocystis

And may also get infected with Fungus. You can treat fungal infections with antifungal medication, but you may have to check with a vet for viral infections.

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How To Breed Siamese Goldfish

Goldfish are egg scatterers that spawn their eggs in home aquariums. They are terrible parents that provide no care for the eggs or fry. If a pregnant Goldfish lays its eggs in your tank, you’ll have to remove the eggs from the tank to prevent eggs from being eaten by the adults or other fish.

The eggs are adhesive, and you can see them clinging to plants and other decorations. You have to remove these plants and decorations into a separate tank, and the eggs will hatch in 48 to 72 hours.

Difference Between Albino Telescope Fish And Siamese Goldfish

There’s not much difference between Albino Telescope Fish and Siamese Goldfish in shape.

But, the Siamese Goldfish have red colored eyes, while Albino Telescope Fish have a standard goldfish eye color that is blackish. The Siamese Goldfish is also a little bit smaller than the telescope fish.

Difference Between Black Moors Fish And Siamese Goldfish

Black Moors fish skin color is black, but Siamese Goldfish skin color is usually light color. However, there are some Siamese Goldfishes that are black, but they have red colored eyes. Black Moors have normal Goldfish color eyes. Otherwise, the shape is the same.

Special notes

Siamese Doll Goldfish are known to live less than their expected lifespan, maybe because of less knowledge of fish keepers on how to care for Siamese  Doll Goldfish.

They need extra care than common Goldfish because of their eye shape, and they are slow swimmers. Siamese Goldfish are not excellent feeders.

They need additional time to feed and need non-aggressive tank mates to thrive. Siamese Doll Goldfish are a rare species and known as one of the smallest Goldfish breeds in the world.

Read more Guide for Taking Care of Goldfish in a Pond | must know.

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