Stress is a common issue in both humans and fish. But likewise humans, fish cannot express their stress through emotions. So how can we detect stress in fish? What are the signs of stress in your goldfish?
Goldfish show many signs when under stress, like loss of appetite. However, infrequent water changes and overcrowded tanks also play a significant role in making your goldfish stressed. Consider providing adequate water temperature and good water conditions to avoid stress in goldfish.
Let us dive into the article to know about the reasons behind stress in your goldfish. In addition to this, we will also discuss the signs that goldfish give when they are under stress.
Contents
Goldfish in stress
Numerous reasons can make your goldfish stressed, like poor water quality and an overcrowded tank. Goldfish usually prefer to hide when they are under stress.
Stress can lead to significant health issues in your goldfish, like the adrenaline disturbs your fish’s natural osmoregulation (the balance of salt and water in your fish’s body). Stress can also affect the immune system of your goldfish.
What is fish stress?
Fish get stressed when there is something unusual in the environment that can cause significant health issues to your fish. For example, it can be because of the poor quality water or aggressive tankmates. Stress can lead to severe health issues in your fish.
Being under stress for an extended period can make your fish fall sick, making your fish struggle through critical conditions.
You should always ensure to keep your fish happy so that they can live comfortably. It would be advisable to place your fish in a tank with a well filtration system and proper decor as it helps build a stress-free environment for your fish.
Signs that your goldfish is under stress?
If your goldfish is showing the below signs, then they might be under stress.
- Gasping at the surface of the tank
- Lethargy
- Hiding
- Erratic swimming pattern
- Loss of appetite
- Staying still at one spot
- Disease
- Rubbing themselves on rocks or gravels
Gasping at the surface of the tank
Lack of oxygen and poor water quality makes your goldfish gasp at the surface of the tank. If you discover your goldfish gasping at the surface, it indicates that they are suffering from stress due to the tank’s poor condition.
Lethargy
Goldfish are active swimmers, but if you discover no movement from them for a long time, it indicates that they have turned lethargic. Therefore we want you to know that goldfish turn lethargic when they are under stress for some reason.
Hiding
If you discover your goldfish hiding, it indicates stress in your goldfish, which is a matter of concern.
Also read: Why Is My Goldfish Hiding?
Erratic swimming pattern
If you discover your goldfish swimming in an unusual pattern, it indicates stress in your goldfish. It is a matter of concern that requires immediate action.
Loss of appetite
Stress in goldfish makes them lose their appetite. In such a case, you will discover your goldfish avoiding their meal.
Staying still
If you discover your goldfish staying still at one spot for a long time, it indicates stress in your goldfish. Therefore, it is a matter of concern that requires immediate action.
Disease
Numerous diseases can cause stress in your goldfish, like swim bladder disease, bloated stomach, or bent spine. It would be best to take immediate action in such a case as delay can cause significant damage to your goldfish.
Also read: Dropsy In Goldfish
Rubbing themselves against rocks or gravels
If you discover your goldfish rubbing themselves against the aquarium rocks and gravels, it is a sign of stress in your goldfish that requires your immediate concern.
The reason behind your goldfish in stress
There are numerous reasons behind your goldfish suffering through stress. Some of them are below:
- Poor quality Water
- No hiding spots
- Inadequate water temperature
- Overcrowded tank
- Aggressive tankmates
Poor quality water
Poor water quality is one of the most common reasons behind your goldfish stress. Poor quality water can also lead to a drop in the oxygen level, making your goldfish gasp on the surface of the water.
Lack of oxygen can also lead to many significant health issues in your goldfish. In addition, goldfish are messy fish that produce a lot of waste that often pollutes your tank water.
So it will be advisable to provide a well-filtered tank to your goldfish. A canister filter can be an ideal option for your goldfish tank as it is the best filter for a big-sized tank and is easy to clean.
To know more about the benefits of filters in your goldfish tank, you can read my article on Do Goldfish Need Filters
No hiding spots
No hiding spots in your goldfish tank can be a significant reason for your goldfish suffering through stress. Goldfish require hiding spots when they are sick or uncomfortable.
Aquarium rocks, plants, and other ornaments are good options that you can use to create hiding spots for your goldfish.
Also read: Do Goldfish Need Hiding Places?
Inadequate water temperature:
| Particulars | Goldfish |
|---|---|
| Water Temperature | 68-74°F |
| Water Ph level | 7.5 |
Incorrect water temperature can also make your goldfish suffer through stress. The water temperature of a goldfish tank should be between 68-74°F whereas the pH level should be 7.5. The water in your goldfish tank should neither be too hot nor too cold.
Incorrect water temperature can also lead to several health issues in your goldfish, like loss of appetite.
Also read: What Is The Ideal Water Temperature For Goldfish?
Also read: Best PH Level For Goldfish?
Overcrowded tank
Overcrowded tank also plays a significant role in your goldfish suffering through stress. The overcrowded tank provides little to no space for your goldfish to swim properly, affecting the growth of your fish.
It would be advisable to add one gallon of water for every inch of fish. Therefore, you should provide your goldfish with a big size tank that has enough space to swim to help them stay healthy and grow properly.
Aggressive tankmates
Aggressive tankmates are also an important reason for your goldfish suffering through stress. Goldfish are peaceful species that have no aggression and loves to interact with their tankmates.
However, aggressive tankmates can make your goldfish uncomfortable in the tank, leading to many other health issues to your goldfish, like loss of appetite. So aggressive tankmates can also cause harm to your goldfish.
Therefore, it will be advisable not to add aggressive fish to your goldfish tank so that your fish can stay happily in their tank.
Also read: Can Goldfish Live With Guppy?
How to destress your goldfish?
Here are the ways to destress your goldfish:
- You should maintain the tank’s water temperature between 68-74°F.
- The water ph level of your goldfish tank should be 7.5.
- Your goldfish tank should have a well filtration system installed.
- You should not add any aggressive fish to your goldfish tank.
- Make sure your goldfish tank is not overcrowded.
- You should provide hiding spots in your goldfish tank as it helps them to reduce stress.
- There must be an adequate amount of oxygen in your goldfish tank. You can also add an air pump to your goldfish tank to keep your tank well oxygenated.
These are some ways you can follow to destress your goldfish. In addition to this, we want you to know that you should always ensure that your goldfish has no stress as it can lead to significant health issues to your goldfish.
Conclusion:
- Various reasons can lead to stress in your goldfish, like poor quality water or aggressive tankmates.
- Fish can come under stress when there is something unusual in the environment affecting their health.
- Aggressive tankmates can also lead to stress in your goldfish.
- You must make sure that your tank is not overcrowded to avoid stress in your goldfish.
- You must ensure to provide hiding spots in your goldfish tank to prevent stress to your goldfish.
Reference: Academic ResearchGate