Fantail Behaviour

[drufly]

Ok i know its not tropical but the cold water section is what it says cold, No1 ever answers in it.

i have 1 fantail an an oranda, not sure what sex tho. The oranda is nearly twice the size, but the fantail keeps chasing the other with its nose nudging right at the end of the tail where it splits in 2.

Is this just playfull or is there something else going on.

 

[drufly]

Nobody wana try this one lol

 

[Jazzzz]

mine never do this sorry.

Tall plants how big is the tank

 

[drufly]

No live plants, 2 plastic just. They are in a 60ltr atm( only young) until i move house then they will go to a 125ltr

 

[Jazzzz]

try some tall live plants that will break up eyesight but at the same time give them something to munch on and distract them.

unfortunatly they will be eaten quickly mine are big nearly fullygrown normal + fantail and they will eat maybe 2 bunched plants a day

 

[OldMan47]

For goldfish resistance, anubias and java fern are reputed to resist vegetarian fish better than most plants. It seems they don't taste good to them. Even my rainbow cichlids, that cleared the top of a 120 gallon tank of duckweed in 2 weeks are not really killing my java ferns. The ferns are looking a bit ragged but that is after 3 months.

 

[Honeythorn]

They could simply be establishing a pecking order. Even though the other one is smaller he is more assertive, and will peck at the slower larger fish until he gets his way. Adding more plants (real or false it doesn't much matter , although real look much nicer and will provide a bit of oxygen and use up some nitrates) and perhaps a few rocks to give each fish their own area may help . As long as the fins of the large fish aren't torn or nibbled, and he is eating and swimming fine then I wouldn't worry too much. Just keep an eye on them.

 

[aquila]

Chasing with the nose up the bum is goldfish speak for 'I would like to make babies with you'.

My male goldfish do this to my female goldfish quite regularly, especially right after a water change when the water temperature is different as this induces spawning behaviour. Does the chasing fish have small white nodules on his gill plates and on the leading edge of the fins?

 

[Dorkhedeos]

I think they want to spawn.

 

[patthecat12]

my goldfish do this all the time, and the biggest goldfish (called gary) has white splodges of colour on the gills.
but the smallest goldfish thats not old enough to breed is the one that chases the other goldfish around as you described (have 3)