Do fish eat other fish scales?

[outdoork9lady]

I have 2 small ponds.

My "starter" pond with 53 gallons and 5 healthy comet/feeders that have grown to 4-5" (I had 7 but lost 2 to ich over the winter). Please excuse my ignorance on their breed, I bought them out of the feeder tank when very small. My first pond, to learn from, thus the name. Heathy water, healthy fish.

My second pond is near 90 gallons, 1 upper about 30 and it feeds down to 60 gallons. My upper current houses 2 healthy butterfly Koi, the lower, 7 shubunkin and 1 Koi (another story). Healthy water, lots of work, due to over crowding.

Decided to begin experimenting with bringing over 2 shubunkins to the starter pond. I brought one mellow, flowing beauty and one active and friendly. The active one, I noticed some scales missing, but no lesions. I noticed that upon entry, the feeders immediately went up to both, but seemed to "latch on" to the active one. They appeared to push it around and swim next to it a lot, then I went out there a couple of hours later to double check on them. The mellow one is hiding (these are bigger, with long flowing fins to boot), the active one was still being "chased and escorted" as well as, had a couple of fish actually looking like they were picking at its side, as if to eat its scales??!?

I put my hands in the water, allowing a bit of food to float up, one at a time. My active shubunkin came straight over to eat from my hand and swam around me. 2 of the feeders also came over.

I will continue to observe. I will also take out the active one if this is not a mating dance, but one of territorial issues. I am thinking of putting in another one, to even the score for a day or two. Removing a couple of the feeders if necessary. I have another wine barrel water feature, type, I could set up quickly enough for a couple of feeders if need be.

 

[fishin4cars]

Welcome aboard, Very rare for goldfish of any type to be what you would call aggressive. Now mating can get to the point of scale loss. What is your water temp.? Goldfish aren't going to be breeding if the water temp is below 70 degrees F. Usually even needs to be warmer than that. Moving fish to new water can trigger spawning if conditions are right. I would think this is probably what you observing.

 

[outdoork9lady]

Thank you, I will let things settle and check on them tomorrow.

I want to begin building a larger pond with better water falls and rocky hiding spots. Right now about 250-400 gallons, stool considered small, but so is my yard (a couple of options to consider which is why the gallon difference). That new pond will be for my 3 butterfly Koi and possibly a couple of shubunkins. I have learned the process of starting ponds before putting fish in them, I have had a few lessons in good filters vs lots of back braking work to keep the water at a quality level. Filters are easier and less stressful to the fish. I have also learned about how quickly the fish can grow, causing an overstock and back to backbreaking work, at keeping the pressurized filters clean.

My water quality is pretty consistently healthy. I have watched the ponds to see which one will be the best location for healthier water living. The Koi ponds have better water quality in PH, Nitrite, and ammonia readings. My phosphates seem to always be 5.0 no matter the plant life to absorb it (water hyacinths). The starter, though having a bout with ich, has had less water work, but just as consistent in the good quality, there the plants seem healthier and the phosphate is at high 1.0, but usually lower. PH can run up to 8.0 for unknown reasons, but sits at 6.5-7.0 for the most part.

I will post pictures at a later time. Thank you again for your quick response, it helped me a lot.

 

[addy1]

to our group!

My crazy fish are chasing, it must be pretend, the water is in the high 50's.

 

[outdoork9lady]

What a great read on water chemistry! Thank you! Of course I went straight to the Ammonia section and read the PH to Ammonia and water temp....I well within the safe zone. My Nitrite stays consistently at zero, I have not had it go to purple yet. My PH is consistently at 6.5-7.0, and that darned phosphate will not go below 5.0 for some reason...I did something that changed the chemistry a few months or so ago, and I cannot put my finger on it. My ammonia has been consistently zero to .25 and so when I got a deep green and I couldn't figure it out....I was a bit crazy. I must admit I didn't check my water for 2 weeks (I went thru major and urgent, back surgery a few weeks ago, so have had family members come by and help me with the filters). Found out that it was a floating plant that had begun to die, and all the dirt had dropped down into the pump, covering the bio-balls (what I call them) and had also filled my aerator filters pump, which of course had then begun to suck in all the debris. With a grabber, I was able to pull out the pump and aerator, clean them, then I went over to the pump and against all doctor's orders (no one has come by this week to help), cleaned the lines with a major water change. The Ammonia level dropped to .5 and I just know that my spitter filter box under the water fall in the upper section where the Koi are, is probably just as filled, but I cannot get to that.

So I will keep an eye on the water, test every 2 days and pull out the major pump again to see if it has grabbed more of the silt in it. What else can I do at this time? My filter finally went pretty clear, not as clear as I like it, but I also didn't want to continue to stress the fish. Which is what led me to take out a couple of the Shubunkins, in hopes to at least begin to lesson the population until I can get to the box. I tried to take out the fattest fish.

 

[outdoork9lady]

The fish have finally settled in. The water temp is 65-67 F

Saturday my neighbor kids come to help with the pond maintenance.

 

[addy1]

Neat, bet the kids enjoy it too!

 

[outdoork9lady]

They are excited to help and earn some pocket money. I want to make it fun and educational. They were a bit awed that the fish were friendly and came when called for a meal. The turtles in my aquarium were fun to pet and talk about, size differences, color, that they can only eat under water, etc. the female is closing in on 9" the male is about 4". Wish I had the space for a true turtle pond, outside. The father thinks teaching them how to test the water quality will be fun too.

 

[capewind]

They are excited to help and earn some pocket money. I want to make it fun and educational. They were a bit awed that the fish were friendly and came when called for a meal. The turtles in my aquarium were fun to pet and talk about, size differences, color, that they can only eat under water, etc. the female is closing in on 9" the male is about 4". Wish I had the space for a true turtle pond, outside. The father thinks teaching them how to test the water quality will be fun too.

That is so awesome! So much to learn, and it is always just a foundation for MORE learning.