1.My goldfish (had him for 13 months) sometimes while resting sometimes balances on his head at the side of the tank. Does this indicate something is wrong? He isnt injured and swims fine so it isnt swim bladder. 2. Does anyone know if goldfish can get lonely? (might be a stupid question). As he has been on his own for a month now but will be buying another fish soon as long as my fish is okay. Thanks for any replies
Goldfish resting
Our Siamese fighter sort of goes head down in a plant when we turn the tank light off....it's his preferred position. None of the other fish do it though...they tend to lay on the bottom of the tank. Maybe it's just a thing some go, like poeple people sleep on the backs/sides or whatever.
I wouldn't worry about him head standing, some fish do. I have a few clown loaches who go into the corner of the tank and end up laying on their sides asleep. I wouldn't say fish get lonely as such, some fish are solitary, others do better in a small shoal, but there's no harm getting him a mate as long as the tank is big enough. 13 months is quite young for a goldfish they live for years,my sis has one and he's ten years old 
Originally Posted by Croctacus:
“Our Siamese fighter sort of goes head down in a plant when we turn the tank light off....it's his preferred position. None of the other fish do it though...they tend to lay on the bottom of the tank. Maybe it's just a thing some go, like poeple people sleep on the backs/sides or whatever.”
“Our Siamese fighter sort of goes head down in a plant when we turn the tank light off....it's his preferred position. None of the other fish do it though...they tend to lay on the bottom of the tank. Maybe it's just a thing some go, like poeple people sleep on the backs/sides or whatever.”
Now that's funny, we have three goldfish at home - Splish, Splash and Splosh and Splash often justs sits on the bottom of the tank. We did wonder if there was anything wrong with him, but he's done it for ages so assume that he just likes resting, sometimes all three of them like to sit side by side behind their weed. I suppose fish need to rest as well.....
Just a little note - be careful when you get a new goldfish to add to an existing tank. I've had terrible experiences in the past with this. Introducing new fish (especially from overstocked pet shops) can bring diseases to your existing tank, and prove fatal to the fish you already have. I would suggest isolating/quarantining the new goldfish for a while to check whether it develops any kind of sickness before adding it as a friend for your existing pet.
And as for whether or not goldfish get lonely, years ago I bought a goldfish of mine a friend to keep it company, and for an unknown reason, it started bullying the first one by head butting it around the tank! He was such an aggressive little thing that he had to be housed alone in the end! He most certainly did not like the company of other fish!
Good luck with your new pet though!
And as for whether or not goldfish get lonely, years ago I bought a goldfish of mine a friend to keep it company, and for an unknown reason, it started bullying the first one by head butting it around the tank! He was such an aggressive little thing that he had to be housed alone in the end! He most certainly did not like the company of other fish!
Good luck with your new pet though!
goldfish are social, so yes they need at least 1 other goldfish in there to thrive. they do interact with each other.
the head standing and resting on the bottom i wouldnt say is normal, it is usually an indication of water quality issues. how large is the tank, what filtration, and what type of goldfish do you have (single tail streamlined common or comet type, or fat body twin tailed fancy type) all goldfish grow very large and quite fats, most should get to around 6 inches within a year or so. expect at least 6-8 inches in a fancy, and a foot or more for a common. the saying a fish grows to the size of its tank is wrong, well its right in the fact that they wont grow to full potential but its also called stunting and it seriously damages the fish and will lead to an early death as its organs fail. not a nice way to go.
hope this helps
the head standing and resting on the bottom i wouldnt say is normal, it is usually an indication of water quality issues. how large is the tank, what filtration, and what type of goldfish do you have (single tail streamlined common or comet type, or fat body twin tailed fancy type) all goldfish grow very large and quite fats, most should get to around 6 inches within a year or so. expect at least 6-8 inches in a fancy, and a foot or more for a common. the saying a fish grows to the size of its tank is wrong, well its right in the fact that they wont grow to full potential but its also called stunting and it seriously damages the fish and will lead to an early death as its organs fail. not a nice way to go.
hope this helps
Just to add - goldfish are social, but probably not as essentially so as, say, golden orfe or neon tetra. But do make sure it is stimulated - plenty of plants, rocks and even 'toys' - which for a fish could just mean pebbles it can pick up and move about. A ping-pong ball on the surface can provide interest for them too.
Also feed them live food occasionally - they will get to chase it about as they would in nature, and will get benefit from nutrients dry food doesn't have.
Finally, just to re-iterate other posters above, make sure the tank is actually able to support 2 fish before getting another.
Also feed them live food occasionally - they will get to chase it about as they would in nature, and will get benefit from nutrients dry food doesn't have.
Finally, just to re-iterate other posters above, make sure the tank is actually able to support 2 fish before getting another.
