Goldfish are peaceful fishes that do not prefer aggression in their tank. But, they can turn aggressive if placed under inadequate tank conditions. So, do your goldfish fight with each other? How to prevent your goldfish from fighting? Let us find out.
Despite being calm fishes, goldfish fight each other when placed in an overcrowded tank or paired with unsuitable tankmates. Other factors like poor water conditions can also make them fight. Provide good water conditions and pair them with compatible tankmates to prevent your fish from fighting.
The below article will discuss the reasons and preventions for your goldfish fighting with each other.
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Goldfish fighting with each other
Goldfish are peaceful fish that does not prefer aggression in their tank. However, some inadequate living conditions like an overcrowded tank can make your goldfish aggressive and fight with each other.
Many other factors like poor water conditions, improper feeding schedule, and unsuitable tankmates also make your goldfish aggressive and fight with each other in the tank.
In addition, some goldfish have an aggressive personality that can be a threat to the other fishes in the tank.
Therefore, if you discover your goldfish fighting in the tank, you should immediately take measures to stop them as it can lead to significant physical injuries in your fish.
Also read: Are Goldfish Aggressive?
What are the reasons behind goldfish fighting with each other?
Here are the reasons behind your goldfish fighting with each other
- Poor water conditions
- Overcrowded tank
- Unsuitable tankmates
- Inadequate feeding
- Sick goldfish in the tank.
- Personality
Poor water conditions
Poor water conditions can stress your goldfish, making them aggressive and fight with each other.
Goldfish are freshwater fishes that require good water conditions to thrive.
Inadequate water conditions can also lead to oxygen deficiency in your tank, making your fish gasp for air at the top of the tank’s water surface.
Poor water conditions in the tank can also spike the ammonia level, making your goldfish weak and prone to several diseases and parasites.
Also read: Can Goldfish Live In Dirty Water?
Overcrowded tank
Placing our goldfish in an overcrowded tank can make your fish territorial and fight with each other.
Goldfish require ample space in the tank for their proper growth and development.
An overcrowded tank can also lead to stress in your goldfish, weakening their immune system and making them vulnerable to several diseases and parasites.
Also read: What Happens When You Overstock Goldfish Tank?
Unsuitable tankmates
Placing your goldfish with unsuitable tankmates can also make your goldfish aggressive and fight with each other.
For example: Placing your slim-bodied goldfish with fancy can lead to aggression in the tank.
It is because slim-bodied goldfish are faster than the fancies that can make them compete for food and fight with each other.
As fancy goldfish are sensitive, placing them with common goldfish can lead to excessive stress in your goldfish, weakening their immune system and making them prone to several diseases.
Also read: Can Common Goldfish Live With Fancy Goldfish?
Inadequate feeding
Not providing enough food to your goldfish can make them compete for food, eventually fighting with each other.
Lack of food can also lead to several other issues like malnutrition in your goldfish.
Goldfish are omnivore species that require both meat and plant matter diet for their healthy growth and development.
Sick goldfish in the tank
If there is a sick goldfish in the tank, the other fish can attack the injured fish, thinking of it as a predator due to a change in appearance.
It will be more difficult for the injured fish to recover in such a case, eventually leading to stress and passing away.
Personality
Some goldfish have an aggressive personality that can threaten the other fishes in the tank.
If none of the above are the reason behind your goldfish fighting with each other, they have an aggressive personality.
In such a case, it would be advisable to place the aggressive goldfish in a separate tank or return it to the pet store from where you have purchased the fish.
Are my goldfish mating or fighting?
Sometimes you may be confused about whether your goldfish is fighting or mating.
When goldfish mate with each other, they chase each other. The male goldfish then rub himself up against the female goldfish to make her release the eggs.
If your female goldfish appears broader than usual and gets chased by the males, then it is normal as it is how they mate.
But, if your female goldfish is not carrying eggs and getting chased by the males, it is a sign of aggression that can result in a fight between the fishes.
It would be best if you took immediate measures to stop your goldfish from fighting as it can lead to severe injuries in your fish.
Also read: Can Goldfish Get Pregnant?
Can goldfish kill each other?
Your goldfish cannot kill each other directly, but fights between the fishes can lead to extreme stress and physical injuries to your fish.
It will further make your goldfish weak and vulnerable to several diseases and parasites, eventually leading to the passing away of your fish.
Therefore, you should take immediate action if you discover your goldfish fighting for the well-being of your fish.
Also read: Are Goldfish Fin Nippers?
How can you stop your goldfish from fighting?
Here are the ways to stop your goldfish from fighting
- Avoid Overcrowding your tank.
- Provide an adequate amount of food
- Provide good water conditions
- Pair your goldfish with suitable tankmates
- Provide a stress-free environment for your goldfish.
Avoid Overcrowding your tank.
Goldfish require ample space in the tank for their proper growth and development.
An overcrowded tank can make your goldfish territorial and fight with each other. So, you should provide a big size tank for your goldfish to stop such goldfish behavior
Suppose you have a 10-gallon tank in your house, so here are the number of goldfish you can keep in a 10-gallon tank.
| Types of Goldfish | In a 10-Gallon Tank |
|---|---|
| Comet Goldfish | 1-2 small Goldfish |
| Common Goldfish | 1-2 small Goldfish |
| Shubunkin Goldfish | 1 small goldfish |
| Sarasa Goldfish | 1-2 small goldfish |
| Fantail Goldfish | 1-2 small goldfish |
Provide an adequate amount of food
Goldfish are omnivore species that require meat and green veggies for their proper growth and development.
Not providing sufficient food to your goldfish can make your goldfish compete for food and fight with each other.
In addition, providing a lack of food to your goldfish can also make them weak and vulnerable to several diseases and parasites.
Therefore, you should always provide high-quality food in a moderate quantity to ensure the healthy growth of your goldfish.
Here are some best food options for your goldfish.
| Goldfish Diet | Serving Quantity | No. of times | Advisable for proper growth of your fish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veggie Pellets | One pinch | 2 times a day | HIKARI SINKING FISH FOOD |
| Blood Worms | One pinch | 1-2 times a week | HIKARI FREEZE DRIED BLOODWORMS |
| Tubifex Worms | One pinch | 1 times a week | HIKARI FREEZE DRIED TUBIFEX WORMS |
| Brine Shrimp | One pinch | 1-2 times a week | HIKARI BRINE SHRIMP CUBES |
| Mosquito Larvae | 12-15 | 2-3 times a week | Feed Live |
| Blanched zucchini | One small slice | 3-4 times a week | Feed Fresh |
| Blanched Cucumber | 1-2 small slice | 3-4 times a week | Feed Fresh |
Also read: What Do Goldfish Eat?
Ensure to provide the quantity your goldfish can consume in under 2 minutes to avoid overfeeding.
Therefore, always provide good quality food in a moderate quantity to stop your goldfish from fighting with each other.
Also read: Can Goldfish Die From Overfeeding?
Provide good water conditions
Inadequate water conditions in the tank can lead to stress in your goldfish, making them fight with their tankmates.
Contaminated water can also lead to a spike in the ammonia level and cause significant health issues like ammonia poisoning in your goldfish.
You should perform a 30% water change weekly to maintain the tank’s water quality.
You can add a filter to the tank as it helps to eliminate the harmful bacteria from the tank and keep the water clean.
We advise you to buy Fluval High-Performance Aquarium Filter as it helps to maintain the tank’s water quality.
You can buy it from Amazon Fluval High Performance Aquarium Filter.
Also read: Do Goldfish Need Filters?
It would be best to keep checking the tank’s ammonia level, as a spike in ammonia can lead to severe health issues in your goldfish.
| Particulars | Goldfish |
|---|---|
| Ammonia Level | 0-0.25ppm |
| Nitrite Level | 0ppm |
| Nitrate Level | Below 40ppm |
| Water Temperature | 68-74°F |
| Ph level | 7.5 |
| TDS Level | 170-250ppm |
| Hardness (GH) | 150ppm |
Also read: Ammonia Poisoning In Goldfish
You can check the tank’s ammonia level with the help of the API test kit, as it provides accurate results.
You can purchase it from Amazon API TEST KIT.
Therefore, always provide good water conditions in your fish tank to stop such behavior in your goldfish.
Pair your goldfish with suitable tankmates.
It would be best always to pair your goldfish with suitable tankmates to prevent such issues.
Pairing your goldfish with unsuitable tankmates can lead to aggression in your goldfish, eventually making them fight with each other.
Here are some best tankmates for your goldfish
- Guppy
- Zebra Danios
- Giant Danios
- Rosy Barbs
- Snails
Also read: Can Goldfish Live With Guppy?
Provide stress-free environment to your goldfish
You should provide a stress-free environment to your goldfish to prevent such goldfish behavior.
Here are the ways to provide a stress-free environment for your goldfish.
- Provide adequate water temperature (68-74°F) in the tank.
- Add lots of hiding spots in the tank.
- Avoid placing your goldfish with aggressive tankmates.
- Provide high-quality food to your goldfish.
- Avoid overcrowding your goldfish tank.
- Provide a balance of light and dark periods in the tank to avoid stress in your goldfish.
- Perform a 30% weekly water change in the tank.
- Ensure to treat the freshwater with the help of a water conditioner before adding it directly to your tank.
- Avoid overfeeding your goldfish by providing the amount your goldfish can consume in under 2 minutes.
Also read: What To Do If My Goldfish Is Stressed?
How to take care of the injured goldfish?
Here are the ways to take care of the injured goldfish
- Place the wounded goldfish in a hospital tank.
- Treat them with proper antibacterial and antibiotics medication.
- Maintain adequate water condition in the tank.
- If the injury is severe, consult your marine vet for appropriate treatment.
Conclusion:
- Goldfish are peaceful fishes that do not prefer aggression in their tank.
- Your goldfish fighting indicates inadequate living conditions like an overcrowded tank or lack of food.
- However, other factors like unsuitable tankmates or personality can make your goldfish.
- Your goldfish cannot kill each other, but fighting between fishes can lead to extreme aggression and physical injuries to your fish.
- You can prevent your goldfish from fighting by providing a stress-free environment, good water conditions, and pairing your goldfish with suitable tankmates.
Reference: ScienceDirect