Why is my goldfish hitting the tank?

What it could mean: If you've noticed that your fish seems to be rubbing or banging against things in their aquarium frequently, they could be displaying what's known as “flashing,” or “itchy fish.” As the name implies, a fish that's constantly banging up against things in their aquarium could actually be trying to ...
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Why is my goldfish darting around the tank?

Fish swimming erratically:

This could have been a form of play for your fish. If this swimming behaviour persists, it could be due to poor water quality. Some causes of this poor water quality can be incorrect pH levels, ammonia build-up, high amounts of nitrates or nitrites, or temperature changes.
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How do 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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Why is my fish banging on glass?

Tapping on fish tank glass scares fish simply because it bewilders and disorients them. They have no idea what's going on, and all of a sudden they hear an overwhelming tapping sound that's completely puzzling to them.
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Why is my goldfish swimming like crazy?

Your goldfish might be suffering from internal parasites or poor water quality. Erratically swimming or swimming upside down – Erratic swimming is a sign of buoyancy problems. Trouble swimming could be caused by swim bladder disease, dropsy, or improper feeding (and sometimes feeding peas will help).
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Goldfish Behavior | What Do These Goldfish Behaviors Mean?



Why is my goldfish glass surfing?

“Glass surfing” is when a fish – such as betta fish, gouramis, and cichlids – repeatedly swims up and down along the tank walls. It could be caused by stress, boredom, defense of territory, and other reasons.
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Why are my fish going crazy in the tank?

When the water quality in your tank drops below acceptable levels, your fish are likely to become stressed and they may react to that stress by exhibiting abnormal behaviors such as swimming quickly or erratically around the tank.
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How do you reduce stress in fish?

Ways to Reduce Fish Stress
  1. Change water frequently to keep nitrate and ammonia levels low. ...
  2. Check water temperature for consistency regularly to prevent stressful fluctuations.
  3. Provide an optimal filtration system like the Fluval Underwater Filter that captures debris and bacteria while ensuring proper oxygenation.
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Why is my fish bouncing?

Causes of Flashing in Freshwater Fish

The most common cause of flashing is a parasitic infestation. The most common parasites in freshwater tanks that cause flashing are monogenean trematodes (also known as flukes), and the protozoa Trichodina, Ichthyophthirius, Costia (Ichthyobodo) and Chilodonella.
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What are some signs of ammonia stress in a tank?

The signs of ammonia stress are usually pretty easy to detect, especially if you are paying attention to your fish regularly.
  • Lethargy.
  • Loss of appetite.
  • Hovering at the bottom of the tank (especially for surface dwelling fish)
  • Gasping at the surface.
  • Inflamed gills.
  • Red streaks or inflammation in the fins.
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How do I get more oxygen in my fish tank?

Increasing water movement is the quickest way to increase oxygen (O2) levels in a fish tank, as it allows more O2 to dissolve and carbon dioxide (CO2) to be released. This can be easily done using an air pump, performing large water changes, manually stirring the water, or placing a fan near the aquarium.
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Are my fish fighting or playing?

There will be visible signs if a fish has been attacked in the tank. Such signs include marks on its body and nips on its fins. A fish that is injured will shy away from the other fish to give itself time to heal. Territorial fish are likely to be aggressive toward fish of their own species that are of the same sex.
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What is glass surfing?

Glass surfing could be summed up as the frantic behavior of a bearded dragon attempting to climb the glass of their tank. This behavior (a.k.a glass dancing) is usually repetitive in the sense that a beardie will continue to attempt to climb the glass over and over.
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Why is my fish shaking while swimming?

Shimmying is a symptom rather than a single disease, and an indication that a fish no longer has proper control of its nerves and muscles. It occurs when fish are under severe stress, most often because of environmental problems. The classic scenario is when mollies are kept in soft or acidic water conditions.
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How long does fish stress last?

Long-term Stress

Throughout the period of adaptation, the fish still prioritizes reacting to the new environment and remains stressed, so its immune system suffers and it is prone to disease. Adaptation normally lasts from four to six weeks.
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Can goldfish get depressed?

It turns out that not only can our gilled friends become depressed, but some scientists consider fish to be a promising animal model for developing anti-depressants.
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How often should you feed goldfish?

Feed 2-3 times daily. It is important to avoid overfeeding goldfish as this can cause indigestion and/or contaminate the tank. In terms of the amount to feed, a good rule of thumb is to only feed an amount that the goldfish can consume in under two minutes or only feed as much as the size of the goldfish's eye.
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How active should goldfish be?

Being alive and not floating in the water is a good, first sign but you should also be looking for the following: Your goldfish should be swimming constantly and not floating, bobbing or sinking. They should eat regularly and eliminate their waste frequently. Provide some variety in your fish's diet.
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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 are my fish swimming in one corner?

If the temperature is too high or too low, then your goldfish may move to one of the bottom corners of the tank. Up to a certain point, warm water rises, so your goldfish may swim to one of the bottom corners to where it's cooler.
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How do you know if your oxygen level is low in fish tank?

When oxygen is critically low, fish will gasp at the surface of the water where oxygen levels are highest. You also may notice them hanging out where the filter tumbles water back into the tank. Other signs include fast breathing, lethargic behavior or swimming off-balance.
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How do you know if your fish tank has enough oxygen?

The most telling sign that your fish need more oxygen is if you see them gasping at the surface -- they will also tend to hang out back by the filter output. This area of your tank tends to possess the highest oxygen concentration as it is near the most disturbed surface.
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Do goldfish need an air pump?

Yes, Goldfish needs air. Though it's commonly known that goldfish need water to survive, they're also dependent on fresh air. That's because a goldfish's internal organs rely on oxygen to function properly.
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