Fish Behavior Help?

Question

Well I have 2 fish, they're like Big Exotic goldfish. Well, anyways, I have other fish too but this question is about them 2. Before, they were inseperable but in a romantic way. They even used to kiss haha. Well anyway, now I notice that the male is acting aggressive. He's chasing her around and won't let her go where she wants, and he won't let her eat. Is this mating? Or what should I do?

Answer 1

The previous "kissing" behavior was probably also aggression. It's likely you do in fact have a male and a female, and the male is looking to mate. Or he could just be an aggressive fish.

Also, check your water quality--dirty water can make fish more aggressive.

Answer 2

Difficult to answer without knowing the exact species you have - are these a variety of goldfish, or just something "like" a goldfish?

If what you have are a type of cichlid http://www.wetwebmedia.com/CichlidPIX/ParrotCichlidAQvert.jpg or kissing gourami: http://www.erdingtonaquatics.com/tropfish/gourami5.jpg this type of lip-locking may be a sign of aggression.

This can also happen with goldfish if one fish is larger than the other, and yes, it can be mating behavior for them. It doesn't guarantee mating will take place, since if there are only two fish in the tank, a male will chanse and harass another male if no female is present.

I'd also have to ask how you determined the gender of the fish - for goldfish, if that's what you have, the only way to determine genders is the presence of breeding tubercles or vent shape when the fish are in breeding condition: http://www.bristol-aquarists.org.uk/goldfish/info/sexing-fs.htm Just to use size, coloration, or features which may just differentialte varieties doesn't necessarily mean that you have a male and female.

If you have one of the cichlids or gourami, fin shape would be more reliable as a way to separate the genders. You may very well have two males, with the larger one maturing faster and becoming territorially aggressive to the smaller.

If you could post a photo of your fish, or provide the exact species, we could give a more definite answer. You might also try asking where you bought them, About all that can be suggested otherwise is to use a tank divider to separate the fish, or at least use lots of plants and other hiding spots so they aren't constantly in sight of each other and where the one being picked on can hide and rest. Or, you might need to return one of the fish.

Answer 3

well a part of goldfish mating includes the male pushing the female round, trying to get her to release her eggs. as fara s the allowing her to eat goes, i do not know. however, fish are not exactly the most intelligent animals, so dont look too hard into the emotional/psycological ramnifications of this.

Answer 4

He's trying to mate with her. It's normal.