"Playing Dead"?

[Liz05]

I have two lionhead goldfish in their own tank. One of them seems to have a newfound fascination with pretending he's dead. I walked in the room the other day, and nearly freaked because he was floating a the top, motionless... I went over and very gently, poked him. Off he went, swimming energetically, acting totally normal. I've seen him do this two or three times, but I really think hes totally fine. He's still breathing when he does it, and he swishes his little fin on the side while he's up there. Then he just swims away, when he notices me noticing. Does anyone else's fishies do this?

 

[snowbirdmo62]

If your fish seems to be healthy, and eating right, I would just assume that he is just being lazy..LOL! Also, how often do you feed your fish? Sometimes over-feeding can cause sluggishness, or maybe just low oxygen in your tank. I don't know what size tank you have, but you might try getting a small airstone, fish really perk up when you add on of those sometimes! Hard to tell sometimes, some fish are just sluggish, maybe he is lonely?

 

[Liz05]

I feed them about once a day, sometimes a treat in addition to that. They have an airstone. And theres two of them, a boy and a girl! (I think) LOL maybe he is just lazy.

 

[ryan]

I have two lionhead goldfish in their own tank. One of them seems to have a newfound fascination with pretending he's dead. I walked in the room the other day, and nearly freaked because he was floating a the top, motionless... I went over and very gently, poked him. Off he went, swimming energetically, acting totally normal. I've seen him do this two or three times, but I really think hes totally fine. He's still breathing when he does it, and he swishes his little fin on the side while he's up there. Then he just swims away, when he notices me noticing. Does anyone else's fishies do this?

i hav exactly the same problem with my vieltail. every monring he is floating on the top almost motionless and sometimes even upside down. but once the lights are on and he wakes up he is fine swimming around like normal. so I hav taken it to be something he likes to do and just let him.