Goldfish losing its scale indicates several issues in your fish that require immediate attention for their well-being. So, why is your goldfish losing its scales? Is it normal? Let us find out.
Physical damage caused by the sharp tank decors or aggressive tankmates is why your goldfish is losing its scales. However, improper diet and infections also contribute to goldfish missing scales. Add aquarium salt(1tbsp for 5 gallons) and provide good tank conditions for the regrowth of scales.
The below article will discuss the reasons and treatment for your goldfish losing its scales.

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My goldfish is losing scales
There can be many reasons like ammonia poisoning, inadequate water conditions, injured by the sharp aquarium decors, or poor diet that can make your goldfish lose its scales.
Your goldfish losing their scales is an indication that your fish is suffering from significant issues that need to be taken care of for their well-being.
You can spot your goldfish missing scales in good lightning. If you notice any dull spots in your fish’s body, that may be the area where your fish is losing its scales.
However, it will be advisable not to handle your goldfish to look out for the missing scales as it can lead to unnecessary stress in your fish.
Is it normal for your goldfish to lose scales?
Your goldfish losing its scales is not ordinary, as it points out through some significant issues like ammonia poisoning or injury in your fish.
Your goldfish losing its scale can also be a sign of poor diet or age.
However, if your goldfish is losing its scale due to age, it is normal as it does not indicate any health issues in your fish.
However, if your fish is losing its scales due to other reasons, it is a matter of concern that requires immediate attention.
What are the reasons behind your goldfish losing its scales?
Here are the reasons behind your goldfish losing its scales
- Poor water conditions
- Improper diet
- Injury
- Illness
- Aging
Poor water conditions
Poor water conditions in the tank play a significant role in your goldfish losing its scales.
Contaminated water can lead to ammonia buildup in the tank, causing ammonia poisoning to your goldfish.
Ammonia poisoning can also be due to infrequent water changes, eliminating beneficial bacteria from the tank, and overstocking your goldfish.
Ammonia poisoning can further burn the skin of your goldfish, making your fish lose its scales.
Contaminated water can also lead to the loss of the immune system in your goldfish, making them sick and prone to several diseases and parasites.
Also read: Can Goldfish Live In Dirty Water?
Improper diet
Providing an improper diet to your goldfish can make your fish lose its scales.
Goldfish are omnivore species that require both meat and plant matter diet for their healthy growth and development.
They require a 40% protein diet for their healthy growth. A nutritional deficit in your fish diet can affect the development of your goldfish, making them lose their scale.

Injury
Injuries can also make your goldfish lose its scales.
Your goldfish can get an injury in the following cases:
- Sharp aquarium decors in the tank
- Aggressive tankmates.
Your goldfish can get injured within their environment if any sharp decors or ornaments are present in the tank. It usually happens during the breeding season.
Goldfish get aggressive when they breed as the male goldfish pushes the female around the tank’s corner to encourage her to lay eggs.
On the other hand, pairing your goldfish with aggressive tankmates can also lead to fin nipping and bullying, eventually causing severe physical damage to your goldfish and making your fish lose its scales.
However, it is hard to find out the actual cause of injury in your goldfish. So, it will be best to provide adequate supportive treatment until your fish’s scales grow back.
Also read: Can Goldfish Live With Angelfish?

Illness
Your goldfish losing its scales can be a sign of serious illness. It can be due to stress or physical injury.
However, fungal, bacterial, and parasitic infections can also lead to such issues in your goldfish.
For example, parasitic infections like ich can lead to white spots in your goldfish body and gills making your fish lose its scales.
If you discover that your goldfish is losing its scale due to illness, it will be advisable to consult your marine vet immediately to ensure its well-being.
Also read: How To Treat Goldfish Ich?
Aging
Aging can also be a reason behind your goldfish losing its scale.
However, your fish losing its scale due to aging does not indicate any health issues.
Therefore, if your fish is losing a lot of scales at once, it indicates health issues in your goldfish.
Can your goldfish scales grow back?
Your goldfish scales will grow back over time. However, the new scales may have a different color than before.
We advise you to keep your goldfish safe during the regrowth process to prevent infection from the unprotected areas without scales.
How do I treat my goldfish with missing scales?
If all the goldfish in your tank face the same issue, it indicates inadequate tank conditions. So the first step your should take is to check your tank’s ammonia level.

Check your tank’s water condition
Poor quality water can lead to ammonia spikes in the tank. Ammonia buildup can further lead to ammonia poisoning in your goldfish, eventually burning the skin of your goldfish and making them lose their scale.
Particulars | Goldfish |
---|---|
Ammonia Level | 0-0.25ppm |
Nitrite Level | 0ppm |
Nitrate Level | Below 40ppm |
Water Temperature | 68-74°F |
Ph Level | 7.5 |
Also read: Ammonia Poisoning In Goldfish
We advise you to check the tank’s ammonia level with API TEST KIT as it provides accurate results.
You can buy it from Amazon API TEST KIT.
If there are high ammonia levels in the tank, you should immediately perform a 50% water change to drop the ammonia level below 1 ppm.
The freshwater added to the tank should be similar to the aquarium as a significant difference in the temperature can lead to stress in your fish.
In addition, it would be advisable to stop feeding your goldfish for several days in such a situation.
Add a sound water filter to your goldfish tank to maintain the tank’s water quality and eliminate the harmful toxins from the water.
We advise you to purchase Fluval High Performance Aquarium filter to maintain your tank’s water quality.
You can buy it from Amazon Fluval High Performance Aquarium Filter
High nitrite levels in your goldfish tank is caused due to the breakdown of ammonia by bacteria in the filter.
In your goldfish tank, the leading cause of nitrite is damaged biological filters and overstocking.
You should always maintain the tank’s water temperature as inadequate water temperature can also contribute to the missing scales of your goldfish.
Inadequate water temperature can lead to dropsy, making your goldfish scales stick out like pinecones.
So, check the water temperature of your goldfish tank. The ideal water temperature of your goldfish tank should be between 68-74°F.
A drop in the pH level can make the tank’s water highly acidic, eventually burning the skin of your goldfish, making your fish lose its scale.
So, check the pH level of your water. If the pH level of your water is high, then you can lower it in the following ways:
- Add Peat Moss bag to the filter
- Add natural driftwood to your goldfish tank
- Add RO water to your goldfish tank.
Therefore, provide good water conditions to your goldfish for the regrowth of your fish’s missing scales.
Also read: What Is The Ideal Water Temperature For Goldfish?

Provide Proper Diet
Goldfish are omnivore species that require both meat and plant matter diet for their healthy growth and development.
Providing an improper diet can lead to nutritional deficiencies in your goldfish, eventually making your goldfish lose its scales.
Provide good quality nutritious food to your goldfish to ensure the regrowth of the missing scales in your fish.
Here are the best options for your goldfish.
Goldfish Diet | Serving Quantity | No. of times | Advisable for the proper development of goldfish |
---|---|---|---|
Blood Worms | One small pinch | 1-2 times a week | HIKARI FREEZE DRIED BLOODWORMS |
Tubifex Worms | One small pinch | 1 times a week | HIKARI FREEZE DRIED TUBIFEX WORMS |
Brine Shrimp | One small pinch | 1-2 times a week | HIKARI BRINE SHRIMP CUBES |
Veggie Pellets | One small pinch | 2 times a day | HIKARI SINKING FISH FOOD |
Leafy Greens | A piece of leaf | 3-4 times a week | Leaf Lettuce is an ideal option. |
Boiled Peas | Half a pea | 3-4 times a week | Feed Fresh |
Blanched Zucchini | One small slice | 3-4 times a week | Feed Fresh |
Also read: What Do Goldfish Eat?
Provide the amount your goldfish can consume in under two minutes to avoid overfeeding.
Add Aquarium Salt
Adding aquarium salt to your goldfish tank also helps regrowth the missing scales in your fish.
Your goldfish’s slime coat will be able to recover more easily when you add aquarium salt to the water.
However, do not add too much aquarium salt to the water, as it can worsen the situation for your fish.
Adding too much aquarium salt to the water can lead to dehydration and many other significant health issues in your fish.
We advise adding one tablespoon of aquarium salt per 5 gallons of water.
We advise using API Aquarium Salt for better results.
You can buy it from Amazon API AQUARIUM SALT
Monitor your goldfish carefully after adding aquarium salt to the tank. You will discover your fish’s scales grown back fully in a few weeks. However, in some cases, it may take more time than usual.
Consult Your Vet
If the above treatments show no positive impact on your goldfish, you should consult your marine vet for the well-being of your fish.
A vet will examine the situation and may provide some antibiotics treatment that will help regrowth your fish’s scales.
Conclusion:
- Many reasons like ammonia poisoning, physical damage caused by tankmates, or poor diet can lead to missing scales in your goldfish.
- Your goldfish losing its scale is normal and does not indicates any health conditions in your goldfish.
- However, your goldfish losing scales due to other reasons is not normal and requires immediate action for the well-being of your fish.
- Even if your fish lost a lot of scales, regrowth of the scales is possible with adequate treatment.
- Always provide good water conditions and a proper diet to your goldfish to ensure their healthy growth and development.
Reference: NCBI