I am thinking of putting together a website offering British Fancy Goldfish varieties. Do you think there would be any call for this type of venture.

All the fish on the site would be recognised in the Nationwide Standards (the judging manual for fancy goldfish in the UK). All fish will be English bred and therefore free from any of the nasty diseases associated with imported fish.

Full information on types and origins of each strain along with sections on breeding and correct husbandry of the fish would also be available, links to specialist Goldfish Clubs and also lists of Open Shows with dates and venues and help with establishing a specific strain of fish.

The Goldfish is one of the hardiest fish available and in my view the UK varieties are some of the most challenging types of fish to breed to match the standards. The fancy Goldfish hobby is in danger of dying out with most of the 'older hobbyists' now in their 70's and 80's, It might be a way of promoting the hobby and getting some of the younger generation involved in breeding.

sounds like an excellent idea to me Chris, put me on ya mailing list

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WHO'S YA DADDY

Second that!

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Kat

Yes, great idea!

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Lucia

We will give you a link. It is an area that needs an improved presence on the web. You could include links to the regional specialist clubs.

Sounds great, now why didnt I think of that

How would it differ from the existing websites, Goldfish society, Bristol Aquarists Society etc

I am all for UK bred fish, hardier to water chemistry, disease free (well almost).

The goldfish is the most popular pet in UK (based on the number of households owning them). It is therefore only right that the 'purist hobby' is kept going.

It would be a shame to lose certain strains and a lifetime of commitment from the breeders.

hi been keeping fancy gold fish on and off for 20 years it will be nice to get some good quality fish now tommy sutton is giving up this year .i think you would be on to a very good thing

I have been playing with the idea for around 3 years, I am torn between offering fish for sale from the site at very reasonable prices (I am not aiming to make a profit from this) or putting contact name and number along with types of fish the breeder has available along with actual photos of the fish on offer.

Each type of fish will have a full descriptive history of the breed along with the judging standards for the type.

I will endeavour to have a list of common diseases listed along with recommended treatments gleaned from some of the older breeders with a wealth of knowledge. (Being British bred a lot of the common ailments are not applicable to the fish). Breeding instruction will take up a lot of space, this will include the ideal size tanks and water chemistry, the list is endless.

Finally links to the major Goldfish Societies and a list of meeting times and dates and an up-to-date list of Open Shows will also be included, a forum for people to discuss breeding projects and possibly I think this might be a first an online goldfish show!!!

Well I have taken the plunge and started putting the site together. It will be around 2 weeks before it is up and running properly. Does any-one have any specific ideas for pages they would like to see on the site, let me know and I will include them if possible.

Working away at the site at the moment... it has started to come together, as I am building the site in my spare time it should be ready in around 20 years time!!!!
I am putting it together bit by bit and want it to look professional and to be informative, with luck it should be up and running in around a months time. Sourcing the fish is the tough bit, I am going up to the Sunderland show on Sunday and hopefully will return with some quality youngsters to plonk onto the site, (London Shubs). One lucky forum member has had a sneak preview and seemed impressed so far and I have only just scratched the surface. I am hoping to be able to have a forum on the site and have had one person who is willing to moderate this for me (it will probably cost me half a dozen pairs of fish, but it will be well worth it when it all comes together).