Goldfish are a cute species. However, some fish keepers claim they can see their tank mates as food. So do goldfish eat each other or other fish?
We will explain the fish’s behaviors in detail. Let’s follow our post and learn everything about this stunning pet!
Contents
Do Goldfish Eat Each Other Or Other Fish?
These fish are not naturally aggressive; however, they may consider other small things as their food and eat them then. Their victims include any tiny species and sometimes other goldfish.
Other goldfish
A combative character is always there in every goldfish. A sick or injured goldfish is a sign of vulnerability to them.
To prevent any other catastrophe from affecting other group members, they will thus come together and eliminate that weakfish.
Other little species can fit in a baby goldfish’s mouth. This little animal will see them as food and consume them.
Yet, you can’t see it as violent behavior. The fish doesn’t even act intentionally.
Eating tank mates is common among omnivorous animals. They will eat other tiny mates even if you give them enough food.
The fish may see their tank mates as food
Baby goldfish
Do goldfish eat their babies? Unfortunately, yes. Since they lay hundreds of eggs, goldfish are prone to eat their offspring.
This species lacks maternal feelings. Hence, they can’t recognize their babies. If the babies stay in the same tank, they might consume them.
In addition, some studies have shown that goldfish tend to consume the eggs and larvae generated by other aquatic species in the tank aside from their eggs and babies.
However, goldfish are not the only fish species that consume their eggs. You can observe this trait in many other animals.
Shrimp
Shrimp are small, making them a perfect meal for goldfish. Hence, do not keep these species in the same aquarium because you will put your little pets at risk.
Snails
When they reach the perfect size, snails can be fantastic goldfish buddies. A goldfish could swallow any snail that can fit in its mouth.
Snails will suffer more as goldfish may eat their eggs too. However, it can be good if you want to limit the snail population.
Snails have the ideal size for goldfish mouth
How Do I Stop My Goldfish From Attacking Each Other?
These fish shouldn’t experience the desire to eat their tank mates if you provide them with the ideal habitat.
Since goldfish typically have laid-back characteristics, you may interfere to stop them from killing other species.
Here are some solutions for stopping your pets from becoming aggressive:
Give them more space.
Goldfish become restless and attack their co-inhabitants to make way for their swimming. So, the first tip is to ensure that you give your pets enough space.
Each fish requires about 10 gallons of water to move freely. If you add new pets to the tank, give the old and new ones more water.
As the aquarium becomes overcrowded, your pets will get stuck in trouble.
Fish waste also affects the space as it takes up some room. Moreover, the waste will degrade water quality, evoking fish to act violently.
Keep the water clean.
Water quality is the key to caring for your fish. It guarantees that your pets can feel happy and comfortable in their habitats.
On the other hand, poor living conditions will become a threat to the fish. They may turn aggressive and start attacking their mates.
So how can you prevent this problem? To keep the water clean, establish a schedule of performing water changes regularly.
You don’t need to change it entirely as a partial replacement; about 30% is enough. This video will show you how to change the water correctly:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFi8-bNMXB0
Feed them correctly
Because goldfish do not process their food like other species, ensure they are obtaining the optimum amount of food.
Please note that these animals do not have stomachs. So, the food won’t stay inside their bodies for a long time before going out.
It would be best to feed your pets three times a day and clear what they leave behind within two minutes.
If your pets overeat, they may get sick. However, underfeeding is a worse scenario because they will consider their friends as food.
Feed your pets correctly and adequately
Add plants and decorations to the tank.
Another way to make the aquarium a better place to live in is to add live plants and decorations, such as caves, shells, or tubes.
Goldfish like to munch on aquatic algae and plants. Hence, their favorite live plants are the hard ones, like Anubias, Java Fern, or Ludwigia Repens.
These plants absorb excess nitrate content and water impurities in the aquarium. As a result, they will eventually reduce the nitrogenous bacteria and improve oxygen levels in the tank.
Separate the aggressors
You can only isolate the violent goldfish from the other aquarium inhabitants if you keep more than one goldfish, and one or some of them are more hostile than the rest.
Also, if your aquarium is big enough, you can easily give the aggressor more room by dividing their zones within the same tank with a plexiglass plate.
Choose the right mates.
Goldfish eat anything edible that fits in their mouths. Therefore, opt for calm fish like platies that are bigger than the adult goldfish’s mouth.
If you like an aquarium of little colorful spices, you may like agile and swift fish, such as Celestial pearl danios or White cloud mountain minnows.
If you raise a long-tailed goldfish or another elegant species, you should avoid some little creatures like neon tetras as they are fin nippers.
Conclusion
Goldfish are not predators; however, they may eat anything smaller than their mouth and edible. Knowing this trait, you can devise solutions to avoid your pets’ aggressiveness.
