Rarity sparks joy, replication murders art. ~ Inspired by Ming Dynasty fishbowl inscriptions.
4-bubbles bred by Tian Zhuang ( (田庒戲泡) displayed during the CIPS Guangzhou 2024. Picture courtesy of Mr. Alvin Lim
What began as a humble crucian carp in ancient China has blossomed into one of nature’s most extraordinary canvases. Since the Jin Dynasty 晋朝 (265–420 AD), when the first golden mutant crucian carp emerged, we’ve witnessed an evolutionary ballet. With a remarkable 100 chromosomes — more than double our human count, the goldfish’s genetic symphony erupts into dazzling mutations under different environments, yielding endless variations that have captivated civilizations for centuries.
selectively bred swordtails with compact body
While most aquarium fish, such as swordtails, tetras and gouramis display modest variations like elongated fins or compact bodies, goldfish explode with radical transformations. Every feature mutates spectacularly: from bulging eyes, pearl-like scales, dorsal-less egg shapes, crown-like head growths, and tails like butterfly spreads. Even their mouths reshape, as seen in the Ryukin’s sharp beak. One of the most unimaginable mutations, the throat sac of the Four Bubbles, swells into hypnotic, glass-like orbs with every breath it takes.
breeding and importing goldfish over the years, we have experienced our fair share of mutations too
Humans became co-creators - enhancing these spontaneous mutations through selective breeding, artfully combining different traits like a master decorator assembling nature's finest ornaments. Sometimes a single fish emerges bearing multiple marvels: pearlscale with dragon eyes and pompoms, celestial eyes paired with lionhead growths, or Orandas with broad butterfly tails.
a rare mutation of the pectoral fin
Herein lies their magic. While ornamental fish like guppies are "dissected" in competition — stripped into segments, each trait scored in isolation. But goldfish refuse such reduction. Their beauty lives in the whole: A lush head wen may crown one fish elegantly yet overwhelm another. We do not tally their parts; we feel their balance. Like judging a face not by nose or brow alone, but by the silent music of their harmony. With forms too diverse to catalog, each human or goldfish becomes a unique testament to nature's creativity.
Goldfish mirror humanity’s dance with nature; our attempts to shape it, and our humility when it surprises us. As Japanese breeders say, "The perfect goldfish doesn’t exist." Yet this imperfection makes them perfect. Even breeding successes reveal paradoxes: the Red Cap Oranda, once revered for its rare red crown, lost much of its allure when it can be bred true and mass-produced to a high degree of consistency. Scarcity, it seems, fuels wonder and uniformity extinguishes it.
The Red Cap Oranda
The art of goldfish appreciation teaches us that life’s most breathtaking creations emerge not from rigid control, but from the beautiful tension between human intention and nature’s boundless imagination. In each unique specimen, we find a masterpiece written in scales and fins — a testament to the wonder that unfolds when we collaborate with, rather than conquer, the natural world.
Yet today’s market tells a narrowing tale. While a handful of goldfish varieties dominate aquariums worldwide, few realize that over 300 documented and undocumented strains exist. Ancient breeds, like the Celestial, the Tigerhead, or the Phoenix are dismissed as "less regal" despite their storied and ancient lineages that have endured centuries longer than their commonplace counterparts.
Some rare exotics imported over the years
Our concoction of Pompom, Dragon Eyes and Pearlscale
At JuzFish ArtQuatics, we have quietly championed these overlooked treasures for years. By curating rare, high-quality specimens of exotic varieties, we hope to rekindle appreciation for goldfish diversity beyond the familiar. For in their forgotten forms, sculpted by time and refined by history lie masterpieces of living art, waiting to be rediscovered.
Stay tuned for our limited retail opening announcement as we present some of these exquisite specimens at their most resplendent. 😉
To get timely updates, subscribe to our telegram channel : https://t.me/juzfishart
柳柔不斷，玉剛含柔 - 武者亦需剛柔並濟。 The willow bends but never breaks; the jade is hard yet holds the softest glow - so too must the warrior cultivate both. - Classical Chinese Training Maxim
In both nature and art, the most captivating forms arise from the harmony of opposites—strength tempered by grace, vigor balanced by serenity. Few creatures embody this duality as vividly as goldfish, whose diverse breeds mirror the dynamic interplay of forces found in martial arts philosophy.
My favourite crossed-eye celestial pompom with ying & yang pompoms (circa 2002) - photo courtesy of Mr. Alvin Lim
The robust Ryukin, Oranda, and Ranchu, with their bold contours, evoke the explosive power of external martial arts like Shaolin Lohan Quan (少林罗汉拳) or Karate (空手道）, where technique harnesses raw, structured force. In contrast, the delicate Bubble Eye, Butterfly Tail, and Phoenix Tail varieties reflect the fluid elegance of internal arts like Taiji Quan (太極拳) or Aikido (合氣道), where softness conceals precision, and movement flows like water. Just as martial artists progress from admiring raw power to appreciating subtle control, goldfish enthusiasts often follow a similar journey. Beginners may be drawn to dramatic fins and bold contours, much like students first marvel at spectacular kicks and punches. Yet with time, the eye learns to value refinement — the Celestial Eye’s upward gaze, the Pompom's nasal growth, or the Pearlscale’s intricate scales.
High quality mascular-looking Ryukins
This is not a matter of choosing sides. A true master knows when to apply force and when to yield, understanding that strength resides in softness — like bamboo, unyielding yet bending with the wind. Likewise, gentleness persists within strength— like the pine tree, steadfast yet cradling snowfall upon its branches. The goldfish embodies this equilibrium: a prime specimen of the robust varieties balances muscular power with effortless grace, while the delicate varieties draw strength from a well-toned, resilient frame. Neither extreme is superior; beauty lies in harmony, in the tension between opposing qualities.
Dragon Eyes Crown Pearlscales cruising like mythical dragons
And just as no two martial artists move identically, no two goldfish, even within the same spawn are identical. Their proportions, hues, and temperaments vary. In this, they remind us: mastery is not uniformity, but the art of balancing contrasts. Aesthetics, after all, are as subjective as cultural ideals — whether in judging a Miss Universe’s poise, the bold lines of architecture, or the hues of traditional dress. What one culture prizes as elegance, another may find excessive. Yet all reveal the same truth: beauty thrives in diversity, in the dialogue between opposing visions—and, ultimately, in the eyes of the beholder.
A pair of elegant ballet dancers
So unless you’re preparing a champion for competition where judging criteria, scoring merits, and even the preferences of the panel come into play, why fret over others’ opinions? Love your fish for their unique balance of contrasts. (And for those curious about competitive standards — well, that’s a discussion for another day.)
Be like a postage stamp, stick to one thing until you get there. ~ Josh Billings
SingPostrecently launched Singapore’s 2019 goldfish definitive stamps. I am honoured that the image of one of my goldfish was featured in the 1st Local and Local Stamp Book designs.
The image is of a Telescope Eye (a.k.a Dragon Eye) Pearlscale that has been on the main banner of my Facebook page for some years. Born and bred in 2010 in Singapore, it won first prize in the Pearlscale class at the 2011 Aquarama International Goldfish Competition. This uniquely Singaporean creation was the product of a breeding program that I had begun in 2006.
Tank view of the First Local Stamp Pearlscale
The basic features of the Pearlscale are a roundish body and pearl-like protruding scales, from which the breed derives its name. The more commonly available strains are the Ping-pong Pearlscale and the Crown Pearlscale.
The idea of creating a new strain came about in 2005. I wanted to set myself tougher challenges in the goldfish hobby and was determined to refute critics who believed it impossible to produce quality goldfish in tropical Singapore. Thus was the blueprint of the new variety conceived, based upon the Pearlscale variety - one of the most demanding goldfish to properly cultivate.
A big pearlscale from the Little Red Dot:
Size from the top view of the First Local Stamp Pearlscale
My dream was to develop a Pearlscale with an adorable rounded body and short tail; and exotic oriental features in the form of dragon (telescopic) eyes, pom poms (velvety narial bouquets), and topped off with a mini crown. I also wished for it to have a multitude of colour variations and the potential to achieve an impressive size.
It does not take much imagination to realise that my ideas would be accompanied by a engineering challenge - a fish with a short tail on one end having the daunting task of powering a plumpish body which would sport the heavy payloads of dragon eyes, pom poms and a crown at the other end. Balance had to be achieved through careful selective breeding for the optimal backbone structure, body-head-tail proportions, eye size, tail shape and angle. This was important to allow the fish to swim with grace and refined deportment, and live a healthy dignified life.
Dragon Eye Pom Pom Crown Pearlscale came to life in 2013
A goldfish breeding programme is a long term project. It entails knowledge of goldfish genetics and show standards, water quality management, contingency planning, ample pond space and the commitment to track the development of the bloodline.
In livestock breeding, a stable bloodline is one that exhibits a high consistency of desired traits over generations. Outcrossing - ie mixing with unrelated strains or bloodlines - is necessary to introduce new desired features to the baseline pearlscale variety.
Power of the dream
However, outcrossing is akin to shuffling a deck of hitherto ordered cards - once done, it is difficult to predict the hand that will next be dealt. Stable and desired traits may diminish or even disappear in the new hybrid offspring. A bad decision in outcrossing or casualties in brood stock can have catastrophic - or even show stopping - consequences for the whole breeding programme.
Tank view of a Singapore Dragon Eye Pom Pom Crown Pearlscale in 2015
If the outcross proves promising, back-crossing - breeding the new outcrossed hybrid back to the original stable line - is done to reinforce any original desired traits “diluted” by the outcross. This process may take multiple iterations over years before the new bloodline stabilises. As such, preserving the “last working version” is crucial so that there is no need to return to square one, when things go awry.
Creating a new goldfish variety is a long game of patience with no guarantee of success. The journey was at times lonely, with few fans or believers when it began with the first generation in 2005. Singapore’s tropical climate has allowed me to breed up to 3 generations of goldfish a year (as compared to only one generation in spring for temperate climates like China’s or Japan’s). But even with the quickened progress, it took years to stabilised the new variety.
2019 Dragon Eye Pom Pom Pearl babies 5 month old
As of the time of writing in December 2019, this labour of love has endured for over a decade. Having given many of my best years to the cause, it all seems worthwhile whenever I see specimens developing nicely.
Whilst still less known here at home (at least before the stamps were launched!) the Telescope Eye Pearlscale has gained recognition internationally as a uniquely Singapore variety.
However, the quest for “pearl-fection” is a continuing passion and I would hope to continue enhancing the breed for as long as I possibly can.
My heartfelt thanks once again to SingPost for showcasing my work in the prominent way that they have!
You may purchase the Singapore goldfish definitive stamp set and Stamp Book from shop.singpost.com
Sometimes, a change in perspective is what it takes to see the light. ~ Dan Brown
Most who had visited Japan would be awed by its unique culture that has been very successful in conjugating tradition with modernization. Albeit Japan's technological prowess, various ancient trades and art still persist in the traditional way, reverberating the candid contrasts of old and new in the Japanese's lifestyle and society.
Goldfish aquaculture in Japan is no exception. Long before the advent of glass tanks, goldfish were kept in ponds and naturally, they were bred to be appreciated from the top view. Today, many Japanese goldfish varieties are still bred for their top view aesthetics with some of the important goldfish competitions in Japan still assessing the goldfish from the top view.
Jikin Club Competition in Japan :
How beautifully the jikin waves its tail like the petals of
a flower from the top view!
Ranchu Competition in the AJRS (All-Japan Ranchu Show)
The most famous of all Japanese goldfish is of course the Ranchu. In fact, the Chinese Ranchu was created in the early 80's when the Japanese Ranchu was introduced into Fuzhou to cross with the Chinese lionhead. Ironically, it was the Chinese Ranchu that first took the goldfish world by storm. The Thai breeders have also imported the Japanese ranchu and selectively bred it for appreciation in the side view profile. The Thais, being very skilled in ornamental fishes, and inevitably these ranchu become very popular too and are widely known as the Thai ranchus (side view appreciation).
Top view profile of a Chinese ranchu: head is more rounded, body more olive shaped, peduncle thinner and tail are not so widely open
Top view profile of a Japanese ranchu: head is squarish, thick back, streamline body and wider tail spread
Why are the original Japanese ranchu not as well known as their cousins in China and Thailand? The main reasons being that in Japan, ranchus were mostly bred by closed groups of Japanese hobbyists in ranchu clubs, hence the lack of commercialisation until the age of the Internet in the mid 90s. Another reason is that most hobbyists are not accustomed to appreciating goldfish from the top view because of the popularity of keeping goldfish in glass tanks.
What then is the allure of the Japanese Ranchu? For a culture passionate about the refinement of anything, the aesthetics of dynamics is but only a natural course in the Japanese goldfish art and culture. The Japanese ranchus are bred not only to look beautiful from the top view but also to swim beautifully. They also seem to exhibit very different temperament from the Chinese and Thai ranchus; Japanese ranchus are extremely hyperactive like playful puppies. This could be due to their structure that was bred for swimming aesthetics. The most endearing moment for the Japanese Ranchu keeper is a shoal of cute ranchus wagging their tails and sexy peduncles in anticipation of their meals. Their active temperament, stocky peduncle, broad back and wider tail spread are a real joy to be appreciated from the top view ponds. Many people who started keeping the Japanese ranchu soon realised that they have open up a whole new perspective in enjoying the goldfish hobby.
Always therapeutic to watch a group of healthy ranchus feeding
Tips of starting the Japanese Ranchu hobby:
The Japanese ranchu have been closely inbred and isolated for more than a century in Japan and are very sensitive to gill bacterial and gill flukes. A wrong footing in the hobby can prove very painful and disastrous for the newbie. However, the Japanese ranchu can be very easy to keep if we are discipline and observe some basic rules.
1) Reliable source
Get your Japanese ranchu from a source who has quarantined and acclimatized the ranchus to local conditions for sometime. Healthy fishes should be eating well and swimming actively.
2) Do not mix Japanese ranchu with other types of goldfish or ornamental fishes.
Avoid mixing Japanese ranchu with other types of goldfish or ornamental fishes from other continents. The Japanese ranchus are not well immune to new pathogens carried by fishes from other continents due to a century of isolation. Mixing them is not impossible but usually prove very tricky. The story of all Japanese ranchu wiped out in a matter of days after mixing with other varieties of goldfish is all too common.
3) Learn to diagnose their sickness before they deteriorated.
With early diagnosis and applying the correct treatment, the chances of recovery is very high. For such hyperactive fishes, low appetite, listlessness, parking on the bottom or floating near the water surface are tell-tale signs of sickness. The good news is, the majority of the sickness can be tackled with salt and anti-bacteria treatment in the early stages of development.
4) Be familiar with the basics and salt treatment techniques
Perform the salt treatment whenever you mix fishes from different sources or different ponds. Salt treatment should be used as a routine maintenance too. The salt treatment article which I shared in an earlier post has received very favourable feedback from hobbyists who tried it out. They observed that the fishes have improved in health and growth.
Close up.. focus on the tail and the thick peduncle
5) Water quality and feeding
A good water change regime based on your stocking and feeding should be observed by the ranchu keeper. In essence, learn to feel and read the water quality by studying the behaviour of your ranchus. Water change regime will vary according to the stocking, feeding and environmental factors.
In general, for goldfish keeping in Singapore, water change should be at least 80% to 90% once every 7 days. The frequency of water change also depends on your stocking, feeding and weather conditions. it is highly recommended to buffer the water with baking soda because we have very soft municipal water. The guideline is one tablespoon of baking soda for every 25 US gallon, which should buffer the water to maintain a stable pH above 7 for a week or so under normal conditions.
Either a bio-filter system indoors or the natural wall algae and green water in the outdoor can be used to maintain the water quality. The later is preferred as goldfish are essentially outdoor fish that do best with ample sunlight. Some advance hobbyists have also successfully used the high output T5 lightings or the metal halid to groom wall algae and natural green water algae to maintain good water quality indoors.
6) Well balanced diet
In competitions, winning ranchus are ranked in accordance to the sumo titles. Sumo wrestlers may be big and fat but they are not the average fat man; they are very strong and very agile - thanks to the nutritional food and a strict exercise regime. It is the aspiration of the Japanese breeders to develop their ranchus like sumo wrestlers.So it is the same for the ranchu - big, strong structure nurtured with good exercise and a well balanced diet.
More frequency of lighter meals is preferred to a few heavy meals. Keep them well fed, but not too indulged so that they will have plenty of exercise foraging the pond for food. The older second year (nisai) and third year fishes (oya) also do not need as aggressive feeding as do young yearlings (Tosai).
7) Start small
Black Baby Ranchu (BBR)
Patience is very important in the art of the Japanese ranchu. Learn the hobby from basics with the cheaper grade ranchu. Black baby ranchu (BBR) are also good to kick start the hobby. Investing in the hobby too aggressively without a good understanding of the ranchu would likely kill the hobby.
Eventually, most hobbyists do not need to acquire very expensive or very high grade ranchu to enjoy the hobby. Most are just happy with the average ranchu for general appreciation. Like many other hobbies, it all depends on how we want to play, there are different grades of ranchu to satisfy players of all levels and expectations.
You may contact me for any queries regarding the Japanese ranchu or any type of goldfish. No purchases is required.
Your friends are a reflection of yourself. ~ Elizabeth George
3.5 months old Tora Oranda
The calico goldfish (五花) was created by crossing a transparent scale (透明鱗) goldfish with a metallic scale (正常鱗) goldfish. As such, the calico goldfish spots some hard metallic scales over matte-transparent scales. In some cases, metallic scales congregated in clusters and create interesting reflective effects. Hence, the term reflective scales (反光鱗) are also used broadly nowadays.
A pair from the same spawn having sky-blue patches and red head wen
Calico goldfish has very random and varied combinations of black, orange, yellow, brown, red, white and even sky-blue coloration, likened to a painting canvas decorated with impressionistic hues of intermingling colours. It is no doubt, my favorite colour pattern!
Another of same spawn with lesser black markings
My recent outcross of the Chinese calico oranda with the Thai black (nacreous scale) oranda yields various different and interesting colour patterns within the same spawn. Many of which spotted the tiger-liked decorations with orange base and black markings. I hope some can grow real big and majestic like a tiger ;-)
I am also selling some excess fishes in my sales blog.
如果对你真的很重要，你会找到一个方法。 要不，你将会找到一个借口。 If it is important to you, you'll find a way. If not, you'll find an excuse. ~ Unknown
A baby black dragon eyes pearl that I am monitoring closely
Thanks to the concern from some readers about my well being since I have not been active in this blog for quite a while. Rest assured that I have never been more active in the goldfish hobby than ever before.
Besides my annual Pearlscale breeding and planning for next year's Ranchu breeding, I am preoccupied with something that I have not indulged for many years - collecting other varieties of goldfish!
In fact, I love all fancy goldfish and used to keep almost every variety of fancy goldfish until I had to make space and time to focus on goldfish breeding. For years, I abstained from keeping other varieties of goldfish that are not directly relevant to my Ranchu and Pearlscale breeding projects.
New collection: Pair of blue brown dragon eyes butterfly
This year, I am very fortunate to have a good friend who helped to improve my set up and cut down on the time and effort of my maintenance chores tremendously. So now with an efficient set up that free up much time and spaces, I am happily succumbing to my temptations to collect other varieties of goldfish again. I may also breed some of the other varieties in a small scale just for the experience as I do not think I will have the capacity to track the bloodlines as much as I do for my Ranchus and Pearlscales.
New collection: Thai black orandas
It is a matter of time that my freed time gaps and spaces will be filled up with fishes and more fishes. Kudos to my good friend Xing again ;-))
Nothing can be loved or hated, unless it is first understood. ~ Leonardo da Vinci
If we try swimming the breast stroke underwater as leveled as possible nearer the surface of the water and then in the deeper parts of the water, we will feel much more resistance in the deeper water compared to nearer the water surface.
Reducing our aerodynamic profile by pointing our hands straight or keeping them very close to the body reduces these resistances and we glide forward easily. Now imagine that we are Ranchus trying to swim with our hands wide open to simulate the open tail fins. The stress and strained will be felt mostly on our shoulders and joints as we pushed forward (assuming if we managed to swim this way underwater).
The tail bones of the BBRs are very soft and delicate and prone to damage. We can reduce the resistance and strain on the tail fins by lowering the water level (10cm to 14cm). However, do take extra precaution on the water quality and provide good aeration because the water volume is decreased and the rate of oxygen exchange from the air stones is also reduced due to the lower water level.
Spawn A: spawn date: 11 Jan 2014 video date: 24 Feb 2014
Next, imagine swimming with hands wide open and some weights tied to our abdomen to simulate a Ranchu with a full "stomach" and then, if we can, wag our hips like the peduncle of the Ranchu (just kidding). It is just common sense that we will struggle to keep our heads up against gravity and our hips may be injured due to the strains. For a Ranchu swimming with a heavy and full "stomach" and wide open tails, the strain on the back and tail core from the weight may alter their backbones, ruin their tail bones and tilt their tail dish (ozara).
A seed ranchu having damaged tail shoulder
BBRs, like human babies need more feedings to grow and path the foundation for a healthy adult. However, overfeeding them may do them more harm than good as exemplified by the above analogy. So spread out the feedings to more moderate feeds vs a few heavy feeds to reduce the weight of the BBR and encourage them to look for more food and exercise, which in turn aids digestion and growth.
BBR with flip up tail tip on the right side and a folded tail tip on the left
On the flip side (pun unintended), underfeeding the BBR will make its tail closer as it naturally evolved less widely-spread tail to swim faster and compete for food with its peers. In essence, the Ranchu keeper should exercise their own feel and judgment to groom their Ranchus. As each Ranchu is unique, some will turn out better than the others with specific grooming techniques.
Even with these measures in place, we can only minimise but not eradicate the possibility of tail or structural damages in a BBR simply because Ranchu aesthetics defies nature: In the first place, why are we asking for a fish with beautifully spread out tail to swim and glide at ease and with good balance? Isn't the Ranchu art an amazing engineering feat? Which is precisely why the Japanese always refer to "making a Ranchu" literally. There is no perfect Ranchu and as we appreciate that it is not easy to be a Ranchu, we should try to see more of the beautiful aspect of every Ranchu and not only on its flaws :))
As I am now selling some excess BBRs in my Goldfish sales blog to most people who may be keeping the BBR for the first time, I reckoned that this blog post should come in handy in saving much repetition and making the concepts clearer ;-)
We're all in the same game, just different levels. Dealing with the same hell, just different devils.
- Unknown
A long hiatus from blogging to take care of some very important stuff both at work and at home. Fortunately, things have worked out fine after a few months of hard work. In the course of which, I was compelled to make some time sacrifices from the hobby and that inspired the current post about different perspectives of playing this game. Never have I craved for those beautiful and fantastic cars like the Ferrari or the Lamborghini. I mean, I appreciate the beauty and the ingenious engineering of these performance cars. Besides, I can't afford one and I am also a bit of a tacophobia, the fact is, I really am more than happy to own a simple and low maintenance car that I can commute from point A to B.
In the context of a car, I am a complete newbie and chose not to be bothered with its engineering or inner workings. Though I have never washed my own car, I have never missed any service schedule because I value safety on the road.
Tosai bred this year, one of the important seed females for next year
In the context of fish keeping, I am everything a serious hands-on hobbyist, interested to know all about them: how to make them more beautiful, how to groom them for competition and how to breed them well. While people also keep fishes for various reasons, some would go for the Fengshui (geomancy) aspect but even for most who really love them would be happy to settle for some simple setup that they can maintain easily; not many people would like to spare the time and effort to do what I am doing for the hobby. It is just different levels of play based on personal preferences and priorities.
No matter what level of play, hobbyists should adapt fish keeping to their lifestyles and not to unduly stress the fishes or themselves. After all, a hobby is where one can feel relax and enjoy. Not everyone needs a competition grade goldfish to enjoy the hobby just as not everyone needs a Ferrari. Besides, there are too many traffic lights in Singapore to really appreciate the real power of this beautiful masterpiece... but, I digress ;-) It's time to beef up the Ranchus again for the Ranchu breeding season. This would be my 10th consecutive year of breeding the Japanese Ranchu. Though I have still a lot to learn and improve upon, I feel proud that I have persisted and never looked back since. For me, it is all out for the things that I want to do.
Experience is what allows us to repeat our mistakes, only with more finesse!
~ Jessamyn West
Blessed with a cooler weather in the beginning of this year, I was able to spawn all the Ranchu seed-pair combinations according to plan. This year's Ranchu breeding has been my personal best so far. Having more spawns, I kept only a few of the better spawns within the capacity that I can manage.
In fact, with greater improvements this year, I became more worried if I could repeat the same feat for the subsequent years. Breeding Ranchu for 10 consecutive years do make me more confident, but it also taught me to be humble, for the Ranchu never fails to impart a nasty lesson if one become lax and complacent.
Spawn C as video on 12th March
Every Ranchu spawning season, all the Ranchu breeders in Japan, even the very experienced Ranchu Masters, starts with a clean slate. Ranchu breeding is like live sculpturing, every stage of a BBR's development requires meticulous attention; one wrong cut and the artwork may be fouled beyond repair. Besides having good skills and bloodline, there are factors that the breeders can't control, like the weather and whether their best seed fishes will spawn successfully every year.
After the BBR stage, the young Ranchu's structure are more stable but how they turn out would still very much depends on the owner. It is emphasized by some Japanese Ranchu Masters that to make good Ranchu, 30% is nature (bloodline) and 70% is nurture (owner's skill). Experience hobbyists would not jump to conclusions about the quality of their Ranchu as it changes everyday. A plain looking fish will develop beautifully if given good care; similarly, acquiring a prize winning fish does not mean it would win in every competition as it will deteriorate in the wrong hands.
Some of spawn C taken on 17 March, always amazed by
their rate of growth and change
Different Ranchu bloodlines also have their merits and demerits and different breeders have their preferences and styles. There is another consensus in the Japanese Ranchu circle : "got the head but not the tail; got the tail but not the head". Nature's Law of Conservation is about balances and trade-offs and no respectable Ranchu keeper can claim that they have the best bloodline or Ranchus. The art of Ranchu is also about the virtue of respect. As a breeder myself, I have a tacit respect for all serious Ranchu breeders because I feel for the blood and sweat in making every Ranchu. Though there are Ranchu politics in every part of the world and different clubs and groups may have certain degrees of contention, the orthodox Ranchu etiquette expects good finesse and mutual respect among Ranchu hobbyists in public.
Some of Spawn E, cousin line of Spawn C
One of the bigger fish in spawn C,
head and torso are OK to me but
having a simpler tail configuration.
My BBRs are changing to their adult colour now. Their head wen and funtan have shown signs of development at this stage. A Ranchu that has not develop head growth after colour change will be more challenging to build on good head growth in later part of its life. On the other hand, if head growth is not controlled and excessive, they become "big heads" and grown out of proportion, sometimes when the head (wen) grew too big, it covers the eyes and "blinded" the Ranchu - definitely a big minus for its aesthetics and decorum.
Going through my recordings in this blog, not every year is smooth sailing. Even when we are most prepared, things could happen otherwise as life has always been unpredictable - not everyday is Sunday :)
Let's all focus on good finesse and just let our fishes do the talking.
A spark of insanity to create a completely new variety of Goldfish in Singapore was how it all got started. What followed next is years of planning and staying focus to make my dream comes true. It is more work in our climate to breed Goldfish because the tropical climate is not the natural habitat of the Goldfish. If for some reasons that the seed fishes couldn't spawn for that year or are wiped out by some diseases outbreak, everything would be back to square one again.
By 2010, I have incorporate all the exotic features from three different varieties of Goldfish into one strain of Goldfish, however, there is still much work to fine tune the features in order to create the desired configuration of my dream fish.
With no available literature pertaining to Goldfish breeding in the tropical climate, the pain and anguish learning from scratch and making all the mistakes these years can be very discouraging sometimes. The push factor to holding on to this mentally and physically taxing journey is the tremendous joy of seeing my dream fish
coming slowly to life.
In this blog post, may I share with you a video clip of my blood and sweat, powered by my fanatical Goldfish dream.
Shades of gray whenever I go.
The more I find out the less that I know.
Black and white is how it should be
But shades of gray are the colours I see.
~ Billy Joel
Few years ago, an enthusiastic newbie in the Goldfish hobby asked me about the finer points of Goldfish appreciation. He was trying to compile a holy grail guideline on how to select a good specimen of any variety of Goldfish. I tried to explain to him that although there is a general guideline of what constituents a good specimen of Goldfish, delving into the finer points involves the "feel factor" and years of constant exposure to Goldfish. These experiences and feelings could not be expressed easily with words. Unfortunately (or fortunately), he gave up his quest for the "mother-of-all-Goldfish-selection-guideline", thinking that I did not want to share my views. Today, I learned my lesson well and would readily reiterate this evergreen slogan to most novices eager for a quick answer: "if you like the fish, than it is a good fish". In the context of most people acquiring a Goldfish for personal appreciation, why need bother about what others think if you truly like the fish? :)
Life is not really so straight forward that we can always quantify anything as absolute good or bad. No doubt there are basic rules governing any form of standards, Art is a realm void of this clear boundary especially when it comes to the finer details. Ironically, it is the kaleidoscope of shades of gray between black and white that make our lives so much more colourful and interesting, albeit frustrating at times.
Unlike most other ornamental fishes where similar varieties exhibit highly uniform traits and thus show standards could rigidly spell out the expectations of a good specimen, it is not as easy when it comes to Goldfish. The Goldfish's colouration, body structure, tail length, body proportion with respect to its finnages varies across different varieties and even within close siblings. Moreover, the ever evolving new varieties and hybrids with varied compositions of fanciful features further complicate things.
In my humble opinion of a good fish, the basic traits showing the breed's specific characteristics must first be satisfied. For example, an Oranda should have wen growth and a Ryukin should have back hump. The other major factor is how its features harmonise as a whole. Let's take the analogy of ladies and their hairdos - not all ladies are suited for long hairdos - their hairdos should match with the shape of the face, dressing, body height, etc. It would be myopic to stereotype that any lady would look her best with a long hairdo just as it would to conclude that any Ranchu with a beautiful head of wen is a good show grade fish.
The field of aesthetics is also very subjective and full of exceptions - contrast and complements could highlight or compensate certain visual perspectives. With the right combination, it could enhance the subject's innate beauty and charisma. For example, the longish body (shunned by most modern Goldfish hobbyists) of some classical Goldfish varieties is complemented by long wavy droopy tails emanating a fairy-like grace. However, even if we have a comprehensive set of judging criteria and experience judges, there will still be some minor areas biased by personal aesthetic values and preferences. A good show would mitigate this by having more judges to steer the outcome towards majority views.
Ranking chart in AJRS showing that opinions of experience judges are not necessary always unanimous. Horizontal rows are the names of the Ranchu owners, vertical rows are the judges' names and their respective ranking 1 (best) to 6 of the fishes. The smaller the total score, the higher the ranking of the fish. If there is a tie, the Chief Judge will decide the ranking.
We are very fortunate to live in the Internet era where Science and Technology are so advance that information travels across the world within seconds. However, the field of Science has zero tolerance for ambiguity and some of us have become accustomed to quantify everything rigidly in just black or white.
Goldfish appreciation is more of an Art than a Science; the fancy breeds man creates for ornamental pleasure should have more avenue for imagination and creativity. As we embrace Science and Technology, lets also take some respite in Art and ponder over how we can appreciate life's many imperfections :)
Pictures:
1) My stable lines of black and white Dragon Eyes Pearlscales.
2) A very high grade Calico Dragon Eyes Butterfly showing good balance features and a unique colouration. The top view Dragon Eye Butterfly in the same picture is also a fantastic specimen.
3) Dragon Eyes, Butterfly or Pearlscale? How to appreciate this new variety?
4) A nice Ranchu excellent for personal appreciation but not likely any chance in shows due to a tail flaw.
5) A score chart showing even the very experience judges in Japan's All Japan Ranchu Show (AJRS) are not unanimous in their ranking of Ranchu in the final round. Final Ranking is based on the majority vote.
A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject.
~ Winston Churchill
Welcome to my goldfish blog! My name is Wee Yap and I am an avid goldfish hobbyist from Singapore.
Come on in to Goldfish Artquatics where I will share my diary of goldfish adventures. Feel my passion in my artwork and follow my journey to breed the Japanese Top View Ranchu and my dream to create an all-new goldfish variety!
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