Why do goldfish hide from me?

To protect themselves, fish will instinctively hide when they are uncertain, frightened, stressed or uncomfortable. Having a safe place to retreat provides comfort and security, and greatly improves a fish's chance of surviving in the wild.
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Why can't I see my goldfish?

Fish can also become skittish and hide after water changes. Any change to their environment - like the water quality, pH level, or oxygen level - can cause them to stress, and when they stress, they may retreat to their favorite hiding spots.
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How long do goldfish hide for?

Generally, this behavior will only last a few days, but can be prolonged if the fish is constantly stressed and has no “safe space” to retreat to. Funnily enough, one of the better ways for a new fish to grow in confidence is to make sure they have a place to hide!
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Why is my goldfish hiding and not eating?

Like any creature, a goldfish not eating can be expressing taste preferences or that he's tired of eating the same thing over and over. Fresh romaine lettuce, spinach, or kale kept in the tank in a vegetable clip can offer your fish forage like he'd find in the wild.
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Do goldfish like places to hide?

Once you have your plants (live or fake), you can choose some decorations for hiding places. Regular plastic ones are great because they provide hiding spots for your goldfish and don't change the pH of the water like driftwood does.
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Why Fish Hide and What To Do About It



How can you tell if a goldfish is stressed?

Strange Swimming: When fish are stressed, they often develop odd swimming patterns. If your fish is swimming frantically without going anywhere, crashing at the bottom of his tank, rubbing himself on gravel or rocks, or locking his fins at his side, he may be experiencing significant stress.
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Do goldfish recognize their owners?

Pet goldfish can distinguish between humans, and often recognise the human that regularly feeds them. Pet goldfish can also seem quite scared of new people, but become more comfortable with their owners over time as they realise they aren't a threat.
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How do you earn a fish's trust?

Talk to your fish, spend time around it, and always be the one who feeds it. In time, it will come to trust you. Just don't make the mistake of trying to touch the fish because this will frighten it.
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Why is my goldfish hiding in a corner?

When your goldfish is sick, they may back up into a corner to make themselves feel safer. They do this because they feel vulnerable, so they're trying to cover their backs. It's best to check your fish for any signs of disease to make sure this isn't what's causing the behavior.
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How long does it take for goldfish to settle in?

Let your aquarium "settle" for at least 48 hours before buying your first fish. This will give you time to make sure the temperature is set and make adjustments to decorations, etc.
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What do goldfish like in their tank?

Goldfish like plants, variety in their food, a large, clean tank with a stress-free environment, lots of oxygen in their tank, nice cold soft water, other Goldfish as mates and some decorations in their tank.
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Do goldfish hide when pregnant?

To tell if a goldfish is pregnant, see if its belly looks larger than usual, which is a sign that it's about to spawn. If your goldfish is moving slowly or hiding near shelters or plants a lot, this could be a sign that it's pregnant.
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Is it normal for fish to hide?

Hiding Fish: Hiding is completely natural behavior for most fish, especially when they are first introduced to their new aquarium. Just make sure you keep your fish comfortable and healthy, and he should start coming out of hiding more readily.
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Why do goldfish vanish?

You may have observed that a small goldfish swimming in a spherical fishbowl can suddenly disappear. Why does this happen? The effect is due to total internal reflection. In this paper we find the locations of the fish and the observer's eye for which the fish cannot be seen.
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What does a fish do when it's dying?

Weakness or listlessness. Loss of balance or buoyancy control, floating upside down, or 'sitting' on the tank floor (most fish are normally only slightly negatively-buoyant and it takes little effort to maintain position in the water column) Erratic/spiral swimming or shimmying.
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How can I play with my goldfish?

You can actually interact with your goldfish by teaching them to swim through hoops and push balls around. You can also feed them with your fingers. Playing with your goldfish is a fun and engaging way to enjoy owning a pet fish.
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Can fish hear you talk?

However, yes, they can hear your voice.

They just know someone is speaking. They can associate sounds with action, though. For example, if you are to say your betta fish's name – let us call him George – each time you sprinkle food in his aquarium, he will eventually associate the sound of “George” with food.
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How do you get my fish to like me?

With patience and a little persistence, you can teach him to do things like follow your finger, eat from your hand, swim through a hoop, play soccer, and even jump out of the water or come up to be petted. Fish food is the best reinforcement for desired behavior.
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Why are my fish hiding from me?

To protect themselves, fish will instinctively hide when they are uncertain, frightened, stressed or uncomfortable. Having a safe place to retreat provides comfort and security, and greatly improves a fish's chance of surviving in the wild.
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How do I know if my fish are happy?

Generally speaking, following are some of the ways you can tell if your fish are happy.
  1. They swim back and forth freely and energetically around the tank.
  2. Quite like humans, happy fish might have a vibrant glow to their skin. ...
  3. They do not appear fearful of the other fish in the tank. ...
  4. They are breathing normally.
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Why is my fish shy?

Many fish do not feel comfortable unless they have a place or two of their own where they can hide whenever they feel threatened. Providing more hiding places that are always available will often cause timid fish to stay out in view more of the time. Once they feel safe, fish like to look around too!
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Do goldfish get excited to see you?

Goldfish are certainly smarter than you think. Some have been observed to perceive and remember well enough to distinguish between people. They often notice the person who feeds them each day, and will get excited when they see them.
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How do fish show affection?

Researchers have found that fish recognize each other and gather information by eavesdropping. They're capable of remembering past social interactions that they've had with other fish, and they show affection by rubbing against each other. Dr.
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Do goldfish get lonely?

However, we can say that it is very unlikely that goldfish get lonely. What is this? Goldfish are just not the same as humans – they're not social animals in the same way that we are, and they don't have the same capacity to get bored or long for companionship.
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