Why Would Goldfish in a Fish Tank Stop Eating?

Goldfish owners must maintain the health of the goldfish tank. Poor conditions can cause the fish to become sick, which can lead to the goldfish not eating. Anything that causes a decline in the fish's health can cut eating. However, other factors can also play a role in the goldfish's reduced appetite, such as fear.

  1. Pollution

    • The fish pollute the water, especially whether the filter is dirty. Test the water. The water might not have the right amounts of ammonia or nitrates. The pH might not be at the right range. Poor conditions can cause stress for the goldfish, causing the fish to not eat. Owners can test the nutrient content in the aquarium using simple test kits designed specifically for that purpose. Because goldfish create so much pollution from their own defecation, aquarium owners need to use box filters and must regularly clean and renew the filter media. Dead goldfish in the tank can reduce the quality of the tank, causing the fish to not eat. Sediment and organic matter accumulating at the bottom of the tank can also reduce the quality of the aquarium.

    Food Quality

    • The goldfish might not like the food. The food might be old or lack nutrients, so consider adding different food. Goldfish need much food to survive and they defecate a lot, which can ruin the quality of the tank. People should not feed goldfish food with much animal content, which can cause health problems. New diets can cause goldfish to stop eating, especially when the new food is less healthy than the old diet. Goldfish will eat more when they have enough space to grow. When they do not have enough space, they won't eat as much and will suffer from bent fins. They also are more vulnerable to pathogens.

    Overall Environment

    • Goldfish prefer cool water in the 60s and 70s. Goldfish temperatures should not change suddenly or the goldfish will become over-stressed. Goldfish will not eat when something frightens them, such as a child playing in the water, a face placed against the glass or a nearby cat.

    Pathogens

    • Changing the water can remove much of the harmful pathogens in the tank. One kind of parasite, ichthyophthirius multifiliis, commonly called ich, attaches itself to goldfish and can fall off and reproduce in the gravel beneath, keeping the tank infected. Salt treatments and raising the water temperature will kill off the ich. Ich will give the fish an overall feeling of sickness, which causes them to lose their appetites. This ich can also kill the goldfish. Goldfish can also get constipated. The food passing through the digestive tract can get lodged in the digestive system.