Oranda goldfish not eating?

[car_leen]

We recently got the fish I've been wanting for months! A gold oranda. We got him on on Saturday. He hasn't really been eating though. We bought the pellets the lfs told us to feed him, haven't seen him eat them. I also tried feeding him a banana & peas. No such luck. I'm getting worried about him, he doesn't seem to be getting comfortable. He also jumps and freaks out, running into our filter every time we try to watch him. Was wondering if maybe we should get another oranda to help him be more at ease. & also what else should I do to get him to eat?

 

[car_leen]

Here he is

 

[jlk]

Hi! Can you tell us some more about his setup? Tank size? Filtration? Stocking? Exact parameters and what you are using to test (liquid or strips)? Did you cycle the tank before adding him? Have you added ANY type of chemicals (ie, bottled bacteria, salt, water conditioner, ph treatments, meds, etc)? If so, what have you used specifically? How did you acclimate him to his new environment? What type of food have you been trying to feed (exact type/brand)?

First start by keeping the lights off. I would not be concerned with him not eating right now as he is likely quite stressed by the move. Make sure the water is in pristine conditions. You can try feeding him some fresh foods such as defrosted bloodworms or brine shrimp (frozen type, not freeze dried) as most fish will take interest in these. Once we have some more information, we can offer further suggestions as there may be other issues that are affecting his appetite.

 

[car_leen]

Thank you so much for the reply jlk. And sorry for the late response. Squishy (my son named him lol) is in a 55 g. We're planning to move to a house within the next year and plan on making a pond for him.

Since I posted this, I purchased a red cap oranda, & Squishy seems to be doing 100% better! He isn't skiddish anymore, he even let's me hand feed him.

I do 50% water changes once a week. Do you think that is efficient enough for them?

Also was wondering what else I can feed them? They eat these pellets that the lfs sold to us. They love it. I also feed them brine shrimp every other day, & peas once a week.


One more thing, how can I sex them? I tried googling but I just can't seem to figure it out!

Thanks in advance!

Here's Squishy with his new friend
Boba.

 

[jlk]

Thank you so much for the reply jlk. And sorry for the late response. Squishy (my son named him lol) is in a 55 g. We're planning to move to a house within the next year and plan on making a pond for him.

Since I posted this, I purchased a red cap oranda, & Squishy seems to be doing 100% better! He isn't skiddish anymore, he even let's me hand feed him.

I do 50% water changes once a week. Do you think that is efficient enough for them?

Also was wondering what else I can feed them? They eat these pellets that the lfs sold to us. They love it. I also feed them brine shrimp every other day, & peas once a week.

One more thing, how can I sex them? I tried googling but I just can't seem to figure it out!

Thanks in advance!

Here's Squishy with his new friend
Boba.

Your wc schedule may be fine but keep a close eye on your toxin levels as well as your ph stability. If there is any amount of ammonia and/or nitrite, wcs must be performed to keep these in check. Nitrates ideally should by kept at or below 20ppm but under 10ppm is preferable especially with wen or delicate goldfish. If you find a single wc is not keeping things in check, just simply add another wc to your schedule.

What type of pellets (brand, floating or sinking) are you presently feeding? Brine shrimp and bloodworms (especially) are great for wen growth. If you can manage to get some daily varied veggies into their diet,this will be very beneficial as will some occasional fruits.

Unfortunately, sexing goldfish can be difficult even in the best of circumstances. And thanks to hormone use by some commercial breeders, even 'telltale' signs can be a bit misleading.

As these guys are new, they need some time and good food. You need to watch for breeding behaviors such as chasing and bumping and see who is doing what. Males (sexually mature)are the easiest to ID- their tummies tend to be a bit less rounded and firm, they develop breeding stars or tubercles on their gill plates and pectoral fins (white/raised bumps) and they will have a concave vent. Females tend to be more round and will appear a bit lopsided when viewed from above. Their tummies will feel a bit squishy/soft and they will have a convex vent. Note that all of this really only applies to sexually mature fish.

Hope this helps some! Please ask any questions!!