Goldfish chasing each other, problem

[musaboru]

Hi guys.
I finally found a lionhead at a pet store about 30 miles away. :hitting:
Anyway, I have a black moor that likes to chase my other fish which is a ryukin. After a while he didn't do it as much. Now after I put my lionfish in with them, the black moor which is almost twice the size never stopped chasing my lionhead.
Is this normal because its like mating season? I was afraid that my lionhead might be harmed so I took out the black moor and placed him in a different home. Can goldfish seriously injure each other from all that chasing? And should I let them stay together and do their thing? Or is my moor just an aggresive one? The lionhead doesn't even look like its full of eggs.

 

[Lupin]

Hi Musaboru,

It is very unusual to hear a goldfish chasing another fish like that but not unheard of. Are you sure the black moor hasn't developed tubercles (white pimples) on the gill covers and front pectoral fins? This might indicate the black moor is a male and in spawning conditions already. How big exactly are the black moor, ryukin and lionhead? How big is the tank? Usually, chasing may indicate spawning behavior. If they are aiming for the anus area, then it's either spawning conditions or simply poop with undigested food portions that the chaser is trying to eat. When I introduce my new goldies, nobody bothers chasing each other at all. They quickly acknowledge the new group member and simply mind their own business regardless of their sizes.

Lupes

 

[Flaringshutter]

I agree with Lupin that 1)we need a little more info on the tank, and 2) that this behavior is usually a sign of spawning. Whether it is simply aggression or spawning behavior, adding some soft silk plants to the tank to give the chasee a place to hide from the chaser can make a big difference.

 

[musaboru]

The Black moor is about the size of a plum, maybe a bit bigger than your average plum. The others are about the size of a large strawberry. Its actually a wine barrel pond that I have and there is lots of soft plants in there like Cabomba. I didn't notice anything on the moor, its kinda difficult to see it. I guess I will keep them separate then just to be safe. It was scary how aggressive it was towards the lionhead and I don't wanna risk its safety by putting the moor back in with them. Funny thing now is that the ryukin with a swimming problem wants to chase the lionhead now but its not as aggressive as the moor was. I think one of my goldfish might have learned something from those penguins on the news. XD

Thanks for the info on the signs to look for when they are ready to mate. I will look out for that.

 

[Lupin]

That's very unusual of the moor to be very aggressive. I have not seen goldies to readily mate at that size. Usually, the ones I have seen already showing breeding conditions are 4 inches in length and over. Good call on separating them though. Whether it was spawning or not, I would still not let the black moor seize the opportunity to constantly harass another fish.

 

[stumble]

black moor

My black moor was my beacon for spawning time. When he started chasing the spawning shortly followed.