Subunkins

[GammaT]

Hi, I have an outdoor raised pond of 400Litres capacity. I have a number of smallish goldfish and 2 shubunkins. Both were the same size as the other goldfish and where one is gently growing alongside the others 1 shubunkin is now twice the size of the others. Is this a gender thing? Or are they supposed to grow faster than ordinary common goldfish and there is something wrong with the smaller one?

 

[FishGuest5123]

It may be age or genetics. I have 2 comets and a Shubunkin in my pond. One of the comets is much larger but he’s a little older. Just a couple of months older can even make a difference. The other 2 are growing though and will probably eventually catch up. You said you had 2 goldfish and a Shubunkin. The Shubunkin is actually a goldfish too. Make sure the larger one isn’t getting all of the food. Mine is the pond pig. Good luck!

 

[seangee]

Its normal - some grow faster than others. When I started my pond I put in 3 fish. The largest of these today is almost twice the length of the smallest.

There is a slightly scary ending to this tale. They are 15 years old, the little one is 18 inches long and the big one a whopping 32 inches. I have a total of 12 fish in a 7000 litre pond and I am probably overstocked. Please be aware that 400 litres is pretty small in goldfish terms. Your fish will probably double in size every year (at least for the first few years). They are also hardy so there is no reason why you should lose many (if indeed any). Just so you are aware 400 litres isn't a forever home for "a number of goldfish".