Fish have an aggressive side that tends to get the best of them sometimes. If you’ve ever seen a group of goldfish swimming around a tank, you’ll know what I mean. Fish that are not used to being in a group will often rush at each other, bumping into each other and trying to bite off chunks of flesh from their challengers. It’s not pretty.
Aggression is part of the game for fish, and it’s an important part of their social development. But sometimes, that aggression can take a toll on your fish tank, especially if you’ve kept them in isolation for too long or if you’ve unintentionally encouraged them to be aggressive through poor water quality or food shortage. In this article, we’ll discuss the best ways to reduce aggressiveness in your tank so that your fish can get along and live a comfortable, happy life in your tank!
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The Classic Way
If you’ve ever tried to keep goldfish, you’ll know that their aggressive behavior makes them very difficult to handle. Even when kept in small groups, they still tend to dominate their tank space, often chasing and biting at any living thing that comes within range. But there is an easy way to deal with this issue, and that is by regularly exposing them to a larger group of fish of a different species. So long as there are still enough larger fish for the number of smaller ones, the smaller ones will accept them and become less aggressive.
Raise The Water Level
Having a few larger fish in your tank will not only help to reduce the aggressiveness of your small fry, it will also allow you to raise the overall water level to a comfortable level, which is vital for keeping your aquarium clean and healthy. An easy way to do this is through the use of a gravel vacuum which will suck up all the gunk at the bottom of your tank and eventually bring it to the surface. This will not only remove all the unpleasant debris at the bottom of the tank, it will also give your fish some much-needed movement room.
The Temperature
Fish are cold-blooded so keeping them at room temperature is not going to be beneficial for their well-being in any way. If possible, reduce the temperature of your tank by placing it next to a heater or giving it an underwater heater. These heat sources will help to regulate the body temperature of your fish, keeping them happy and healthy.
Growth Hormones
These are important substances that help to regulate the growth of your fish and keep them friendly and peaceful. They do this by controlling the rate of cell reproduction in your fish, making them grow at a calm and steady rate. In the wild, fish that are not kept at proper body sizes tend to behave aggressively because they are either unable or unwilling to fight for food and space with other fish. But placing your fish in an enclosure with other fish of the same species and giving them the proper hormone injections will help them to overcome their aggressive instincts.
The above suggestions are the classic ways to reduce aggression in your fish tank. While they may be effective, sometimes they can be a bit tricky to implement, especially if you are a beginner. If you’d like a simpler solution, then why not try an all-purpose liquid diet? Not only are these the best for your fish, but you’ll find that your aquarium life will become much simpler too! Let’s talk more about that in the next section.
Simplicity
Comfort is very important to consider when creating an aquatic environment for your pet fish. Fish that are kept in poorly designed tanks or suffer from stressful living conditions are more prone to aggressive behavior, which can lead to dangerous situations or even death for your little finned friends. So make sure that your tank is large enough for you to comfortably sit back and watch your fish swim about, adding additional decorations like plants and gravel only when necessary.
A Special Diet
Goldfish are very particular about the foods that they eat. They will only eat live food, so you’ll need to keep fresh food on hand at all times. Keeping fresh vegetables and algae available in the tank will ensure that your fish are getting the nutrients that they need to stay healthy and active. Some goldfish are even known to prefer their food to be cut up into small pieces so that they can more easily digest it.
Avoid discarding any of the food that you’ve provided for your fish, as this could potentially lead to health problems for your pet. Keep any uneaten food available in the tank for the remainder of the goldfish’s life – this will help to ensure that they stay healthy and content.
More Than Meets The Eye
Your pet fish are not just small fish in a bowl – they are living, feeling creatures that deserve all the care and attention that you can give them. Be careful not to underestimate their intelligence and natural urges to seek harmony and safety – keep all this in mind when keeping your tank clean and the smaller fishies happy!