The Veiltail goldfish, one of the rarest and beautiful of the fancy goldfish family, is known for its long, trailing tail and fins. Learn about this graceful type of goldfish.
Veiltail Goldfish Overview
The Veiltail has a compact body shape like a fantail but somewhat rounder, with a deep belly and slightly arched back. The body should be, ideally, as deep as it is long, and the fins flowing and graceful. Large anal fins indicate that the fish should develop a beautiful tail as it matures. The tail of this goldfish breed should be at least twice the length of the body, fully divided from tip to caudal peduncle with no distinct lobes. It is square in shape and drapes elegantly behind the fish as it swims. The dorsal fin of this variety is remarkably tall, like the sail of a boat – ideally as tall as the body is deep, with no folding to one side or another. This high dorsal fin adds to the angelic presence of this beautiful fish.
Is My Fish a Veiltail Goldfish?
Many Fantail, Ryukin, and Oranda owners mistakenly believe that their goldfish is a Veiltail when they see the length of the tail increase with age. These fish may boast superb finnage with proper tank room and time, even trailing their fins along the substrate as they swim. However, true Veiltails are their own breed and do not belong to any other category. A so-called veil tailed Fantail is nothing more than a Fantail with a genetically long tail. A goldfish that has headgrowth, a humped back, or the typical body shape of a Fantail is probably not a Veiltail goldfish.
Breed History
Believed to have originated in Japan, this goldfish breed was first bred in the United States in Philadelphia during the late 1800s. They became known as the Philadelphia Veiltail during the 1920s, and later they were also called the Broadtail, however, Broadtail actually has shorter, squared fins. The breed was near extinction in the United States until hard-working enthusiasts revived it, and continue to preserve the traits of the first strains. The breed has been modified, with certain varieties including a dark, velvety telescope-eye from Europe and additional color varieties from China.
Image Credit: Jan Smith, Flickr
Special Veiltail Care
Caring for Veiltails means paying close attention to the fins, which are particularly susceptible to tears and nibblings from interested tankmates. Keep the fins in good condition by ensuring proper water quality, feeding a well-balanced diet, and keeping only fish-safe decorations in the tank to prevent damage. This will help you to aggressively protect against fin rot, which could permanently ruin the gorgeous fins of your Veiltail.
Housing
Veiltails can reach 6 to 8 inches in length and will need a tank size that can accommodate this. A 10 gallon is possible, but a 20 gallon is ideal for one fancy goldfish. When housing Veiltails, remember that the trailing tail of the veiltail is easily torn and will need decorations in the tank that are not the least bit sharp. Injuries to the tail can lead to bacterial infections, so you will want to keep the water clean at all times by doing weekly water changes. Because of their delicacy, it is not recommended to keep them in ponds.
Temperament
Veiltails are known for being relatively docile and easy-going. Their slow-moving tenancies make them one of the less energetic breeds, and many owners describe their fish as being sweet-natured and gentle. They are not likely to bully other fish in the tank, so they do well in communities if the other fish are not aggressive either.
Are Veiltail Goldfish Good Tank Mates?
The Veiltail goldfish is slow-moving, especially as the fins grow longer. For this reason, more aggressive goldfish should not be housed with it to ensure it gets enough to eat and lives a peaceful life. Compatible friends of a veiltail are fantails, butterfly tails, and other delicate breeds. The more aggressive Ryukin goldfish and single tail goldfish such as the common and comet will likely out-compete them for food and may bully them for being slower than themselves.
What to Feed Your Veiltail Goldfish
Veiltails, because of their compact bodies, are susceptible to swim bladder disorder. Feeding veggies in the diet can help their digestion and overall health. They will do well on a diet of sinking pellets and foods that are fresh. Prepared foods such as flakes are better as an alternative rather than a diet staple.
Featured Image: Bkrhodesva, Wikimedia Commons
Do you know where I can get veil tails? I can’t find them anywhere, locally or online. I know they’re rare, but surely someone just breed them, unless they’re extinct?
You might want to talk to a goldfish supplier to have them special order them for you, they’re rare but not extinct 🙂
Bettagirl, I bought my veiltails from a breeder named Gary Hater. He lives in the Midwest and is a member (if not an admin) of the Facebook group: Goldfish Keepers, and is easily found through the site’s search bar. They are rare and hard to find, but he breeds them for hobby. His email is: [email protected]. It took me a year to find him, but am so happy I did! I got two little bronze/chocolate veils from him and his prices are super reasonable as this is his hobby, not his livelihood. He’s also more willing to make a sale at a lower if he knows that you’ll care for the fish as well as he would.
Thank you so much for that source. I would love to contribute to attempts at bring anything close to the Philadephia veiltail back to existence. I have decent results but nothing close to the illustrations on Inness books
I used to raise Vailtails 30 years ago in old refrigerator liners simply because the inside was porcelain and non-abrasive.
Now I have a 12′ diameter smooth pond approximately 20 inches deep in my yard. My father and I raised fish in about 30 tanks. Every year we would put fish in a 900 gallon swimming pool for the summer and they loved it.The pond does have a waterfall that comes on for about 3 hours a day. We live in Slidell Louisiana.
I’m interested in getting back into strictly Vailtails.
Any advice on where can I buy them and getting started again?
Check with Gary Hater, he breeds them and ships them. [email protected] I think he only sells juveniles. If you want bigger ones you might have to look at imports. Some importers may special order them for you so you have to check with them. Dandy Orandas gets them occasionally, usually the ones I’ve seen are part veiltail part another breed of goldfish to give them unique features.
I am an ex chairman of the now defunct Aquarium Society of NSW.
The Philadelphia Veiltail was exported to England many years ago and perhaps the best people to talk to may be the Goldfish Society of Great Britain.
I imported Calico,Metallic and Black Moor Veiltails from England to Australia in the the 1980s and am possibly the only known breeder of Veils in Australia.
Broadtail Veils are difficult to locate but fish with a limited degree of scalloping in the tail are acceptable.Tisburys were the people I bought my Veils from,I don’t know if they are still going
Thanks for sharing, Geoff! Fascinating about the Veiltail presence in Australia.
i’ve got two albino veiltail from pets at home