Goldfish Depression???????

[Goosey]

Hi Everyone,
Have joined this forum looking for some support from knowledgable fish owners out there. I'm starting to pull my hair out a bit.

I currently have a 60L tank set up with two goldfish (Goldie a 6 yr old comet and a much newer member of the tank, Shui the Shubunkin that is about 5/6cm and a member of the tank for about 3 months). I used to have a third goldfish - Red also a comet that I had owned for about 6 years. Red died suddenly and inexplicably over night. I suspect that Red may have choked on some gravel substrate. The morning of Red's death I double checked the amonia, the nitrite and Ph levels in the tank. Amonia and Nitrites were zero and the PH neutral.

I had added some sucking catfish to the tank (Tom, Dick and Harry) having relied on some information that I had found on the internet that said they were nice placid fish that worked well with goldfish. The information was from an Aquarium so I had presumed it was reliable. Pulled them out of the tank and into a tank of their own when Harry the Bully started going for the Goldfish fins. Tough fish catfish. I put them into a brank spanking new tank which hadn't been cycled and they cruised through the establishment without any problems even when the Amonia levels went sky high!

Since then the mood in the tank seems to have been a bit up and down. Goldie has taken to spending what I consider to be inordinate amounts on time hovering just above the substrate, and Shui has taken to following Goldie around nudging and bumping Goldie - but doesn't have the white spots on the gill area that would indicate that he is horny and ready to mate.

I have been doing partial water changes and checking the water quality regularly and have had no problems with the water quality.

Apart from Red's demise (and the brief introduction and removal of the catfish) nothing has changed in the tank.

Both Goldie and Shui are displaying well and eating well, just the swimming habits of hanging around the bottom of the tank is wrong. This is not typical behaviour for my goldfish.

Am I missing something here or is Goldie just being depressed over the death of a long term tank companion?

Apologies for the long and rambling post. Attached pic shows Red, Goldie and Shui in happier days.

 

[Sharpchick]

I don't think it's depression. But a 60 liter tank (15 US gallons) is way too small for a comet and a shubunkin.

 

[Alyxx]

You say you checked the ammonia, nitrites and ph, but what are your nitrates?

 

[Goosey]

I have heard lots of different opinions on tank size. 30 litres per goldfish, or 30 litres for the first and then an extra 10 per goldfish after that being the most common.

Have checked water quality regularly and never had problems. The fish have been quite happy and healthy.

The sudden change in Goldies behaviour is what I am trying to find a reason for. If the tank was being overcrowded then Red's death should have been a stress relief. Behaviour in the tank was normal prior to Red's death.

 

[Alyxx]

The general rule most often quoted around here is 20-30 gallons for the first, and 10 more for every goldfish after the first. Key word being gallons, not liters.

 

[shellieca]

I understand you've had them or at least two (red & Goldie I think you said) for 6 yrs in the tank you currently have, if so its possible they're growth stunted. My understanding, which could be completely wrong, is that the exterior body stops growing but the internal organs continue growing which will cause their early death. Goldfish from my understanding can live for decades if kept in proper conditions (tank size, water conditions, diet). I believe I have read on here about Goldie's showing signs of depression so it is possible, IMO, the loss of a long term companion has had an effect.

 

[jlk]

Goldfish can get 'depressed' but I have only seen this when a fish is removed from his tankmates and isolated from all other fish. As goldies are social creatures, being alone is not much fun. However, I do not believe this is the case with your fish as there is another fish in the tank. The new fish picking on the older fish is indicative of the older fish being unwell. As others have already mentioned, a 60l/15g tank is a very small tank for multiple goldfish, especially ones that are better suited to a pond environment and I suspect your older fish being unwell is environmentally influenced result of living in a small tank.