Goldfish Bullying

[awilson360]

Hi guys,

Today I am not very happy. My two fancy's which I have had for 6+ weeks now are being a bit silly! The Black Moor (smallest of the two) keeps getting chased all over the place by my Red&White Oranda. They are both fairly young. Oranda about 2 inch body and Black Moor 1.5 inch body. They are in a 25g+ tank on there own and I am at a loss of what to do to stop this. I can tell its stressing out the Black Moor and I don't want him to die young because of the Oranda.

Do you think I should seperate them by splitting the tank in two until they are both a bit bigger. I can see my little Black Moors tail getting slightly more frayed day by day.

AW

 

[haowin]

hey, maybe just a dominance thing. But it should be harmless. When does it happen?, wheni had GF my oranda would chase the other GF's that 'stole' its food.

 

[awilson360]

hey, maybe just a dominance thing. But it should be harmless. When does it happen?, wheni had GF my oranda would chase the other GF's that 'stole' its food.

Well I changed their food to sinking pellets today instead of floating so they aren't taking air in whilst eating and I think my Oranda was surprised when the Black Moor was the first to find the food amongst all the gravel and he was chasing him about for several seconds at a time and then when the BM came back to him he did it again.

Maybe they are just getting used to feeding from the gravel?

Thanks,
AW

 

[haowin]

WIth the sinking pellets, supposidly they're more pollutant than floating flakes, ive tried the sinking pellets, but when i used it, it'd just float at the surface for a while which contradicted using them in the first place, lol, but I just presoak the flakes in a cap i get from medicine bottles using tank water, and pour it in, works like a treat.
Yea looks like the orandas not happy when the BM wants some food .
Does the chasing happen other than when its feeding time?
If you try the presoaked method, tease them a bit to the surface, and try feeding them specifically i.e. pour the presoaked flakes infront of them in turn or something, so they both have food and dont associate its food with the other fish.

 

[liz2]

WIth the sinking pellets, supposidly they're more pollutant than floating flakes, ive tried the sinking pellets, but when i used it, it'd just float at the surface for a while which contradicted using them in the first place, lol, but I just presoak the flakes in a cap i get from medicine bottles using tank water, and pour it in, works like a treat.
Yea looks like the orandas not happy when the BM wants some food .
Does the chasing happen other than when its feeding time?
If you try the presoaked method, tease them a bit to the surface, and try feeding them specifically i.e. pour the presoaked flakes infront of them in turn or something, so they both have food and dont associate its food with the other fish.

are you sure the one who is being bullied isnt coming down with some illness? often when other fish bully one it is because the sick fish is losing his slime coat and they are feeding of it. I have just had to take one of my fish out of the tank he has been quiet but the 2 others had him pinned behind the filter..just a thought