Before you decide to have goldfish as pet at home, make sure you know that goldfish have a reputation for having short life and dying easily. There are some conditions that will bring a perfectly healthy goldfish to death overnight.
So, if you wish to have goldfish as pet at home, make sure you can handle this possibility. Get yourself familiar with these common diseases of goldfish.
The problem of sudden death in goldfish is not always the condition but it is also caused by another factor, such as the fish was compromised since the first day they brought it home. So, it is related to the responsibility of the owner to take care of them.
No wonder, many people get frustrated to pet goldfish and leave the hobby as they feel guilty for this matter. That’s why, as a responsible owner, you need to know the common causes of sudden death in goldfish so you can prevent them from happening to your goldfish. Here they are, the explained causes of sudden death in goldfish.
- Poor Quality of Water
Water in the aquarium is the source of life for your goldfish. If it has poor quality, then it will be number one killer of your goldfish. Goldfish need their water parameters to be within a certain range. When you add water to the aquarium, it is usually just fine.
However, when you start feeding your fish and the fish start to produce waste, then the problem starts. The waste and uneaten food will build up ammonia.
Ammonia is super toxic for fish. It is able to burn the fish and cause black smudges, damaged gills, and cause the fins to look streaked with blood. Then, the fish will die slowly or suddenly, depending on the fish’s strength.
Ammonia in water cannot be seen or smelled. You need to test the water to discover the presence of ammonia. Besides ammonia, there are some problems leading to poor quality of water such as the presence of nitrite or a pH crash.
The solution of this problem is regularly change the water in the tank and have some water filter. Make sure you also follow these fish tank care tips for beginners.
- Being Attacked
If this happens, then there might be come visible signs, such as torn fins or bleeding. This happens due to bullying or aggression which happens among fish before the death of a fish. There are some causes of aggression or bullying among fish, such as competition over resources and territories.
To prevent this condition, make sure you separate the “aggressive” tank inhabitants from the rest of the tank. Make sure your goldfish only stay with the appropriate mates.
- Internal Parasites
Internal parasites are hard to spot and mostly don’t cause any symptoms until your goldfish is extremely sick. Parasites weaken the immune system and as a result they allow infections. They also take energy away from the body functions and even damage internal organs.
The best way to prevent this is quarantine new fish and treat them before they are moving to the main tank with other fish. There are also some antiparasitic medications and treatments available to treat infections.
- Extreme Temperature
Do you know that your fish can be killed due to rapid changes in the aquarium’s temperature? This mostly happens due to malfunction in a heater. As a result, it “cooks” the tank, makes it becoming overheated and kill the fish.
Though it won’t surely kill all the fish, but the loss of some fish should be investigated. Make sure your tank’s temperature is in a safe range by using an aquarium thermometer.
- Dropsy
Dropsy is a condition which is caused by internal illnesses that lead to body fluid collecting in the abdomen. The belly swells and scales turn outward. Fish which exhibiting symptoms of dropsy are already gravely ill and once the dropsy has set in, the mortality rate will be high.
Dropsy is usually treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics or antibacterial agents. Dropsy is also listed as one of the common fish diseases and their symptoms. Be aware of it!
- Breeding Behaviour
Breeding behaviour can be very stressful for goldfish, especially the female. Male goldfish will chase a female continuously and relentlessly until she releases her eggs. This condition may happen for days and even weeks. As a result, it may lead to some injuries, such as scale loss and fin injuries.
The stress of the behaviour can kill a fish, but even if it doesn’t, it will lower the fish immune system. When the immune system is low, then dangerous infections may get a foothold.
If you notice the males chasing the female and it causes stress and exhaustion, you can separate them into different tanks until they cool off. Alternatively, you can also use breeding boxes or tank dividers to keep the females safe.
Goldfish can get stressed too! Read more about it in signs your goldfish is stressed. Make sure you also do these following tips on how to keep your fish healthy. Happy fish will make their owner happy too!