Why does my goldfish change colour?

I just had an enquiry about why this person’s pet goldfish changed colour.

The short answer is that their skin colour is under genetic and hormonal control and it is normal.

The colour change is usually from a black/bronze to orange, to white. The colour change usually starts from the abdomen/flanks and spreads to the extremities. When this happens, the colours at the extremities usually become more intense. Fish normally start changing colour from 3-6 months of age or even later. So, the bronze goldfish you originally bought could become a gold goldfish, or even a white goldfish!

On another note, some people may have goldfish with pale colouration and notice that when they are placed in their outdoor pond, their colour becomes brighter. This is the effect of the sunlight and other natural foods that become available to the fish in outdoor situations.

Just be aware that excessive slime making the fish dull in colour, dark/black patches in unusual parts of the body, blisters and ulcers are signs of disease and prompt veterinary attention would be needed to obtain a correct diagnosis and treatment to remedy the situation.
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