Can a goldfish get lonely? Serious answers only please?
Help! I got 3 goldfish under questionable circumstances. I think I got old fish, within 3 months, 2 died. Now I have one fish left and I'm afraid he's lonely. I tried asking at Petsmart and they were trying to sell me new fish for my tank (I felt like the fact I still have one left was being ignored).
Any advise would be greatly appreciated
2007-03-19T16:47:38Z
First, we test the water every week and change the water every week.
Second, it's a 5.5 gal tank. I was told they only needed about 2 gal per fish. I can't afford space for anything larger.
Anonymous2007-03-19T16:33:08Z
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It is unlikely that fish get lonely or bored, however, animals do benefit from having a more challenging lifestyle. Fish must be compatible with each other and goldfish should be of a similar size when introduced to each other.
Shoaling fishes like minnows need to live in a shoal. They can feel under threat of predation if they do not have the security of living in a group.
I'm getting the same problem as well. I gor Misha (my goldfish) last week and I feel like he's lonely because all he does is mouth/kiss his reflection. I researched that goldfish like to stay in packs (or something like groups) so maybe you should get another fish. But you'll have to make sure the new fish goes through all the necessary procedures.
Watch the behaviour of the old fish and record it and maybe then take action and do what you think is most approproate. Good luck :)
How do you know he is lonely anyway? These symptoms that made you think this are most likely illness...Goldfish can be perfectly healthy (happy) alone.
How big of a tank are they in? Have you ever tested the water? If two of them died i am guessing there is an issue with the water quality. Goldfish can live for 20+ years if kept properly in a large enough tank. They would have to be very, very old fish to just die of natural causes...and the fact that they both went tells me this is not the case.
Don't go to Pet smart...go to a fish store. Yes all businesses want sales...but you are more likely to get solid advice from someone who has been running a store for many years. Many of the people I have seen at those large stores in the fish section are absolutely clueless.
Do a water change for now....about 15-20% or so. Then get a sample of the tanks water and bring it in to a fish store and they will usually test if for you at no charge. While you are there pick up just some basic testing strips so you can monitor the levels.
Edit: A 5.5 gallon tank is way too small for one goldfish let alone three. They probably got way stressed out.
Yes, Goldfish are very social. They do miss tankmates. And they do have memories that last for months. Mine can tell me apart from strangers. They swim up to the top of the tank when I enter the room and swim around excitedly - hoping for food, no doubt - but hide under plants when strangers are in the room. When I had a fish that died, my other fish all swam slower for a few days and ate less.
You need to figure out why your fish died. Do you have a large enough tank? Goldfish need 20 gallons each - cleaned and filtered well. Feed them once or twice a day only with shrimp pellets - once a week with whole baby shrimp to help with digestion.