# Goldfish problem....



## PoissonsMom (Feb 11, 2014)

Ok, so I recently bought 4 feeder goldfish ($0.28 ea) from Walmart, for my 2yr old's tank..... Within 3 days, the smallest one had died, which I assumed was from natural causes, or even disease I hadn't noticed. A couple weeks later, I noticed that the larger of the remaining 3 was growing very fast, compared to the others, and preventing one of them, a calico, from eating every time I fed them. That poor little fish was very skinny yesterday, and succumbed last nite. The second smaller fish wouldn't go near the larger one, that chased him around and kept charging at him when he was resting. When my son woke up this morning, the smaller fish was floating at the top of the water. On closer inspection, I realized his right pectoral fin and several scales were missing, and he had a hole in his ribcage.... are goldfish normally this aggressive? I have had several goldfish over the years, and they have always been peaceful!


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

How large is the tank holding these goldfish? What are your water parameters? Is the tank fully cycled? What is your water change frequency? 

Goldfish are not normally aggressive. I would say they were boisterous more than aggressive. However, if there are serious issues with space and water quality, this can cause stress which can then manifest in aggression. 

It is most likely that the small fish died and then was eaten by the others.


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## PoissonsMom (Feb 11, 2014)

The smaller of the 2 remaining fish I honestly believe was killed by the larger. They (4) were all about the same size when we got them, but the one had a super growth spurt, dwarfing the rest. The tank is a 5g, with heater, aeration & filtration. I haven't tested the water, but it's the same in all 6 of our tanks, and there's never been problems. The tank is about 3yrs old, and has had several fish in it b4 theses goldfish. I'm not even sure if this guy is the same variety as the others. He reminds me more of a shebunkin or comet, and they were just common goldfish. Even his head is more solid than theirs were, and his frontal region is more rounded than theirs were. Could he maybe be a different type?


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## LittleBettaFish (Oct 2, 2010)

Four goldfish in a five gallon tank. I hate to say it, but it is a very strong possibility that ammonia poisoning was the culprit, or at least played a role in the death of the two fish. 

Unfortunately, your tank is hugely overstocked. These fish have the potential to grow up to and over a foot long if they are a non-fancy type, and are big waste producers even when small. Realistically, they are more suited for a large pond than for a home aquarium. 

If you have test kits on hand that are able to measure ammonia and nitrite, I would test your water. Otherwise, a 5 gallon tank is not even a suitable short-term home for these fish, even if they are only small. If it was me, I would look into re-homing them and choosing a more appropriate fish such as a betta for the 5 gallon tank.


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## Sabina88 (Aug 24, 2013)

I agree with LittleBettaFish.
It is possible to keep long bodied goldfish in a aquarium but the minimum for 1 is 40gallons. I have a comet and a shubunkin (a calico) in a 50 gallon I know they would be happier in a pond but a 50 gallon is the next best thing since I don't have a pond. 
If you have the money I highly recommend getting a 40+ tank, or if not maybe try to rehome him
I wish you good luck with him


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## Lenimph (May 4, 2012)

Yeah it was overstocked...

But at least you didn't put a koi in a bowl like someone at my college did... and of course he gave me attitude when I told him why his fish died.

If you want to keep goldfish in a tank I recommend fancies (fantails and orandas are the hardiest and best for people new to goldfish). You need at least 20 gallons per fish. You can get away with 10 gals per fish with over filtration and more frequent water changes. 

But I consider goldfish expert fish as they do take extra care and effort when kept in tanks, probably more so then most tropical species.


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## PoissonsMom (Feb 11, 2014)

Thx everyone 4 ur input on the goldfish issue we had.... I'm happy to say that I moved the survivor, who my son has named "Bacon", 2 (I know it's small) my old 1.5g tank, which does have filtration & aeration. He is much happier in a smaller environment and has calmed down a lot. I'm guessing cuz there is no competition 4 food & he (she?) is more comfortable. I kno this next question is irrelevant to original topic, but just out of curiosity... Is there a sure way 2 determine gender in common goldfish? I don't care either way what Bacon is, just wondering, lol


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## Sabina88 (Aug 24, 2013)

Unfortunetly its not the easiest thing to differenciate males and females in the goldfish world. The best (kind of) way to tell is when they are sexually mature. Males will show breeding stars which basicly look like white pimples which may appear on the ray of their pectoral fin and/or their operculam (gill covering). If I remember correctly they become mature at around 2-3 years of age. Unfortunetly this isn't 100% accurate. On the rare occasion females will also get them, and sometimes males wont show them or they will have a bunch or only a few. Although not nearly as accurate as breeding tubricals males tend to have a more streamlined body while females are a bit more rounded









On another not though, Bacon has calmed down because there a lot less ammonia in the water and not 3 other fish to share the small space with. I really suggest getting Bacon a bigger home if you can. He wont grow in that size of a tank and will remain that size for the rest of his life. Goldfish will produce a stunting hormone when in that small of a tank which is also why in smaller tanks like that they tend to have a shorter life span. If you plan to keep him in that I suggest 100% daily, as the ammonia will build up really quickly. I suggest that you put him back in the 5 gallon although deffinitny not big enough it will be a lot better for him. As the ammonia wont build up quite as quick. That and he will have more room to swim. But even with the 5 gallon I would suggest a water change maybe every 2-3 days.
Good luck with your fish. 

For some good references I suggest watching solidgold on youtube. Although she mainly deals with fancy goldfish she has really good information about goldfish and you can learn a lot. http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7azsssU_6geqrRmi-iuGLQ


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