Goldfish are active swimmers whom you can train to swim at about 0.86mph. Your goldfish being lethargic and swimming slowly in the tank raises several questions in the mind of a goldfish keeper. So why is your goldfish swimming slowly? Let us find out:
Stress plays a significant role in making your goldfish swim slowly in the tank. However, unfavorable housing conditions and overcrowded tanks also make your goldfish lethargic and swim slowly in the tank. Consider providing good water conditions and high-grade food to keep your goldfish active.
The below article will discuss all the reasons behind your goldfish swimming slow in the tank. In addition, we will also discuss the ways to keep your goldfish active and healthy.
Contents
My goldfish swimming slow
There can be various reasons, like stress behind your goldfish swimming slow in the tank.
Goldfish are active swimmers, and if you discover them swimming slow in the tank, it also indicates poor housing conditions.
Inadequate housing conditions can lead to significant health issues like swim bladder disease in your goldfish, making them lethargic and swimming slow in the tank.
What are the reasons behind my goldfish swimming slow?
Here are some common reasons behind your goldfish swimming slow in the tank:
- Poor Quality Food
- Inadequate Water Parameters
- Stress
- Aggressive tankmates
- Overcrowded Tank
- Your goldfish is about to lay eggs.
- Illness
- Poor water Quality
- Boredom
Poor Quality Food
Poor Quality Food can play a significant role in making your goldfish swim slow in the tank.
Low-grade food can also make your goldfish suffer from significant health issues like constipation, eventually leading to severe digestive problems in your fish.
Poor quality food can also make your goldfish lethargic, making them swim slow in the tank.Â
Also read: What Do Goldfish Eat?
Inadequate Water Parameters
Inadequate water parameters can also make your goldfish swim slow in the tank.
Sudden changes in the water temperature can lead to shock in your goldfish, making them swim slow in the tank.
Also read: What Is The Ideal Water Temperature For Goldfish?
Stress
Stress can also play a significant role in making your goldfish swim slow in the tank.
There can be numerous reasons behind stress in your goldfish, like lack of hiding spots in the tank.
Extreme stress can also make your goldfish pass away.Â
Also read: Are My Goldfish Stressed?
Aggressive Tankmates
Aggressive Tankmates like betta can also make your goldfish swim slow in the tank.
Adding aggressive tankmates in the tank can cause stress in your goldfish making your fish lethargic and swim slow in the tank.
Aggressive tankmates like betta can also cause severe injuries to your goldfish.Â
Also read: Can Goldfish Live With Angelfish?
Overcrowded Tank
An overcrowded tank can also make your goldfish swim slow in the tank. Goldfish are active swimmers who require ample space in their tank for their proper growth and development.
An overcrowded tank can cause stress in your goldfish, making your goldfish swim slow in the tank.
Your goldfish is about to lay eggs.
You can also discover your goldfish swimming slow in the tank while they are about to lay eggs.
It is usual for your female goldfish to swim slow when they are about to lay eggs.Â
Also read: Can Goldfish Get Pregnant?
Illness
Your goldfish swimming slow in the tank indicates illness in your goldfish.
Certain diseases like swim bladder disease can make your goldfish lethargic and swim slow in the tank.
Also read: Why Can’t My Goldfish Swim?
Poor Water Quality
Poor Water Quality can make your goldfish swim slow in the tank.
Contaminated water can also lead to severe health issues like constipation in your goldfish.
Lousy water quality can also make your goldfish stress making them swim slow in the tank.Â
Also read: Can Goldfish Survive In Dirty Water?
Boredom
Boredom can also make your goldfish swim slow in the tank. There can be many reasons, like lack of hiding spots, that can make your goldfish lethargic and swimming slow in the tank.
Necessary actions required to make your goldfish active?
Here are the ways to keep your goldfish active in the tank:
- Avoid Overcrowding
- Provide Adequate Water Parameters
- Provide good water quality
- Provide a healthy environment in the tank
- Provide High-Grade Food
- Avoid Aggressive Tankmates
Avoid Overcrowding
You should avoid overstocking your goldfish tank to keep your goldfish active and healthy.
Overcrowding the tank can lead to significant issues to your goldfish, like stress, and can also affect the growth of your fish.Â
Therefore it will be advisable to provide a good size tank to your goldfish for their proper growth and development.
Provide Adequate Water Parameters
You should always provide adequate water parameters to your goldfish for your fish’s proper growth and development.
Inadequate water parameters can lead to severe health issues for your goldfish, eventually leading to the passing away of your fish.
| Particulars | Goldfish |
|---|---|
| Water Ph Level | 7.5 |
| Water Temperature | 68-74°F |
| Nitrate Levels | 0-40ppm |
| Ammonia Levels | 0-0.25ppm |
Therefore, we advise you to keep your goldfish active and healthy.
Provide Good Water Quality
You should always provide good water quality to your goldfish to keep them active and develop proper growth.
Contaminated water can lead to a spike in the ammonia levels in the tank, making the tank’s water highly acidic, eventually affecting the gills of your goldfish.
Affected gills further can make your goldfish suffer from a lot of pain, making them swim slow in the tank.
Goldfish are messy fishes that produce a lot of waste, making the tank’s water contaminated in no time. So, to maintain the water quality of your tank, it would be advisable to add a water filter.
The water filter helps maintain the tank’s water quality by eliminating all the toxic chemicals.
Provide a healthy environment in the tank
You should provide a healthy environment in the tank to keep your goldfish active and healthy.
You can provide a healthy environment in your goldfish tank by creating hiding spots in the tank.
Adding hiding spots in the tank also helps create a playful environment in the tank.
Also read: What To Do If My Goldfish Is Stressed?
Provide High-Grade Food
You should provide high-grade food to your goldfish to keep your goldfish active.
Low-grade food can make your goldfish constipated and lead to severe health issues, eventually leading to the passing away of your fish.
| Goldfish Diet | Serving Quantity | No. Of Times |
|---|---|---|
| Blanched Peas | Half a Pea | 2-3 times a week |
| Veggie Pellets | A pinch | 2-3 times a day |
| Leafy Greens (Kale, Lettuce and Spinach) | A piece of leaf | 3-4 times a week |
| Mosquito Larvae | 10-15 | 2-3 times a week |
| Bloodworms | A pinch | 1-2 times a week |
| Tubifex Worms | A pinch | 1 times a week |
| Brine Shrimp | A pinch | 1-2 times a week |
Avoid Aggressive Tankmates
To provide healthy life, you should avoid placing your goldfish with aggressive tankmates like betta.
Pairing your goldfish with aggressive tankmates can lead to severe aggression in the tank making your goldfish stressed and lethargic.
It would be best to pair your goldfish with compatible tankmates like a guppy for the well-being of your goldfish.
Also read: Can Goldfish Live With Guppy?
Conclusion:
- There can be numerous reasons behind your goldfish swimming slow in the tank, like stress, aggressive tankmates, and an overcrowded tank.
- Your goldfish swimming slow in the tank also indicates illness in your fish.
- You should always provide a stress-free environment in the tank to keep your goldfish active and healthy.
- It would help to avoid overcrowding and add aggressive tankmates to your goldfish tank to keep your goldfish active.
Reference: ResearchGate ResearchGate