How to Calm Down Angry Fish?
December 18, 2011 10:33 AM   Subscribe

Fish owners: I have some goldfish in a tank. They're all healthy, and well-fed, and have plenty, and I mean plenty, of water (since some of them died). However they are aggressive to each other sometimes. More inside.

So I have 4 goldfish, each about the size of my palm, so around 5-7 inches long each. I keep them in a 100 gallon tank. Some of the fish I sold and some have died, so I'm pretty sure 100 gallons is good enough for 4 fish. Whenever I stick my hand in to adjust some of the plants inside, they always nip me and ram my hand with their bodies. When I look at them through the glass, they'll try to ram themselves into me and end up hitting the glass. They have messed-up jaws now, but it still doesn't stop them from biting my hand. They don't bite each other, but they used to harass some of my other fish (suckermouth catfish would always get pushed around for example). Seems like a gang mentality here (which I didn't even think was possible in fish).

Anyways, I need some advice, whether if there's anything I could do to stop these fish from being so mean or whether I need to buy anything else or not.
posted by Angel of Khaos to Pets & Animals (5 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
What's the water temperature in the tank? Also, how many hours a day do they get light? Finding a way to drop the water temperature a little if it's high should help, as well as reducing the amount of light they get per day.
Is it actually all 4 being aggressive or just one or two? Sometimes males can be aggressive in the presence of females.
posted by d13t_p3ps1 at 11:20 AM on December 18, 2011


You can also put partitions in between the fish as long as you maintain the air/water circulation throughout the tank. This may not be the most aesthetically-pleasing option, however.

Other things to try might be slightly lower water temperature and more places to hide. Clay flower pots turned on their sides make good hiding places for larger fish.
posted by Ostara at 11:43 AM on December 18, 2011


Best answer: Starve 'em and freeze 'em, they'll lose their edge right quick.
posted by rhizome at 12:21 PM on December 18, 2011 [2 favorites]


Best answer: It's nature red in tooth and claw in there. Watch a tank of even the most peaceful tropical fish and you'll soon see a rigid order of domination and abuse, depending mostly on size. These are animals that have evolved to stay alive by grabbing what's available. The instinct doesn't go away because you feed them.

Watch a bunch of kids in the playground during recess. They're not (or not just) running around having fun. They're constantly jockeying for status, avoiding the bigger and more aggressive kids and pushing around the weaker ones.

Learn to watch your fish as if you were watching a battle. And if you think fish are brutal, watch a flock of pigeons, or, worse, seagulls, or worst of all a meeting of corporate executives.
posted by KRS at 12:50 PM on December 18, 2011 [2 favorites]


Response by poster: @jamaro
They don't bump, they swim full speed and then commence to nip and bite like my hand was bloody and they were piranha.

@rhizome
Lol, sounds a bit harsh, but I'll try starving them for a day.

@KRS
That's what I was thinking, but in fish? I never knew that something of the sort could even happen.

@ d13t_p3ps1
They're all male, and all show a form of aggression, but are peaceful when left alone.

@Ostara
I actually do have a lot of artificial coral that gives them places to hide.

I used to keep the lights off during the night, but I started to leave them on during the night since the summer. Maybe the light is the problem? I'll go back to turning it off every night. The temperature can be lowered. I'll also starve them for a day (or maybe just feed them less, starving them sounds cruel). Thanks for the help, guys! Just needed some different perspective on this situation is all.
posted by Angel of Khaos at 3:18 PM on December 18, 2011


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