Can goldfish swim backwards?

[lb99]

I scored a few goldfish for our pond the other day, after being acclimatised and realeased, they all fucked off into the nooks and crannies in the rocks, and are very rarely sighted. are they likely to get stuck if they go into a gap they cant turn around in? why are they hiding, is this normal?

[98tls]

Yes they can.Dont have a pic of them doing it but have observed them doing such a thing.

[Skyryder]

Yes fish can swim backward they use the fins just behind the gills and sort do the backstroke.

I was once fly fishing and saw a young trout keep missing my fly die to the eddies in the current.
The water was gin clear and as the flow floated towards me,I was in midstream and could clearly see the movement of its fins as missed and remanouverd for a take on my fly. A once in lifetime observation. No idea 'bout gold fish.


Skyryder

[speights_bud]

Speaking of goldfish, been thinkin about gettin some (landlord says no cats/dogs :( ) what sort of coin for the basic tank + couple of fish?

[Ixion]

I scored a few goldfish for our pond the other day, after being acclimatised and realeased, they all fucked off into the nooks and crannies in the rocks, and are very rarely sighted. are they likely to get stuck if they go into a gap they cant turn around in? why are they hiding, is this normal?

Almost anything is going to run and hide if it see you peering at it. Sensible fish, I'd say. Get your missus/girlfriend/boyfriend/goat to watch them, that would probably be less traumatic for them.

[lb99]

Almost anything is going to run and hide if it see you peering at it. Sensible fish, I'd say. Get your missus/girlfriend/boyfriend/goat to watch them, that would probably be less traumatic for them.

cynical? unbeleivably so, crackpot? undoubtably :Pokey:

[klingon]

Yep, they can swim backwards a bit (not as well as they can swim forwards obviously). That was an excellent description, Skyryder. Those are their pectoral fins they were using for the backstroke.


Speaking of goldfish, been thinkin about gettin some (landlord says no cats/dogs :( ) what sort of coin for the basic tank + couple of fish?

I would strongly suggest you go for tropical fish rather than goldfish for a small tank. Goldfish are notoriously messy (meaning you have to change the water often) and they will eat up any plants you put in there. Tropicals cost only a little more to set up in the first place eg. $15 -$20 for a heater. But they are a lot more colourful and a lot less demanding in my experience.

I have a tank with a variety of tropical fish in it and will happily help you out with advice. Or you could talk to the good folks at www.fnzas.org.nz

[98tls]

On the subject of ponds etc,under the water lilies be observed lots of clear jelly like things,are they fish eggs or water snail eggs?

[speights_bud]

Yep, they can swim backwards a bit (not as well as they can swim forwards obviously). That was an excellent description, Skyryder. Those are their pectoral fins they were using for the backstroke.



I would strongly suggest you go for tropical fish rather than goldfish for a small tank. Goldfish are notoriously messy (meaning you have to change the water often) and they will eat up any plants you put in there. Tropicals cost only a little more to set up in the first place eg. $15 -$20 for a heater. But they are a lot more colourful and a lot less demanding in my experience.

I have a tank with a variety of tropical fish in it and will happily help you out with advice. Or you could talk to the good folks at www.fnzas.org.nz

Thanks :2thumbsup i'll flick you a PM if i get lost :cool:

[Coyote]

This is the oddest topic I've seen on Kiwibiker, yet there's been serious responses.

Well done.

[Headbanger]

I would imagine goldfish to be expert swimmers.

Doubt there species would have lasted very long if they had a habit of hiding in spots they couldn't back out of.......

[lb99]

I would imagine goldfish to be expert swimmers.

Doubt there species would have lasted very long if they had a habit of hiding in spots they couldn't back out of.......

yeah, strange that they don't come out much though, maybe its like the new kitten hiding behind the sofa for a day or so when you first get them....
I hope they dont get sucked into the waterfall pump :doh:

maybe they need some time to get used to running water

[speights_bud]

yeah, strange that they don't come out much though, maybe its like the new kitten hiding behind the sofa for a day or so when you first get them....
I hope they dont get sucked into the waterfall pump :doh:

maybe they need some time to get used to running water

Maybe they are trying to jam the waterfall pump so the tank will gunk up! then they'll get out of the tank when you clean it and escape into the BIG BLUE!!! Just like on Finding NEMO!!!... Dammit i need to get a life...:stupid:

[klingon]

Funnily enough, sometimes fish do swim into tight spots they can't back out of. The problem isn't so much with the swimming action - it's their scales. If they swim into a really tight spot, their scales can jam them in there and they can't back out! :confused:

But yeah, generally a fish knows its limitations and won't get stuck so don't get too worried lb99. They will take a while to settle down and become more comfortable in their new home, then you might see more of them. Good to hear you have water lillies for them to hide under - they will feel more secure that way.

Oh and the jelly-things are likely to be snail eggs. I wouldn't worry about them, either.

[lb99]

Maybe they are trying to jam the waterfall pump so the tank will gunk up! then they'll get out of the tank when you clean it and escape into the BIG BLUE!!! Just like on Finding NEMO!!!... Dammit i need to get a life...:stupid:

:no: is the whole world conspiring against me?:

speaking of the big blue, my 3yo daughter set her fish "free" into the swimming pool not so long ago, cause " he asked me to".
you think they are hard to catch in a tank, you should try catching them in a swimming pool.
the chlorine didn't seem to do any harm though, but this is the one I rescued from a puddle of seriously dodgy water (read: sewage) after the flooding this year, if it can handle that it can handle anything

[martybabe]

yeah, strange that they don't come out much though, maybe its like the new kitten hiding behind the sofa for a day or so when you first get them....


That's exactly it mate, even though they're dumb as, acclimatising isn't just about Temperature equalisation.They will react to different water PH and or mineral chemical content. It is very normal for them to hide at first and it's quite common for the odd idiot fish to starve to death because it's to scared/stressed to come out even for food.

Don't disturb them by looking for them stress is a major killer, the best thing you can do is throw a little food in at the same time every day, most of them will come looking for food at that time after a week or two.

In answer to your question, yes they can and do swim backwards, don't stress them, leave their dumb asses to acclimatise and you'll be sweet.

[speights_bud]

if it can handle that it can handle anything

You has TUFF Fush! should breed 'em you should:niceone:

[lb99]

You has TUFF Fush! should breed 'em you should:niceone:

that one is, I was pumping the groundwater away from a flooded septic tank, watching all the crap get sucked into the pump, and seen this little fish getting swept to his doom, so I rescued him and put him in a fish bowl for my youngest daughter, she loves it dearly.
I don't even know for sure what kind of fish it is, but its a feral fucker thats for sure, it took it a while to get used to not jumping out of the bowl, but once it realilsed it couldn't breathe air it was sweet

[Subike]

I had a solar powered night light in the center of my pond, we use to sit out in the dark on warm summer nights and watch the fish catch the night flies that were attracted to the light.
Some of the fish had been in the pond for several years and were use to us sitting on the bench next to the pond. They would come and gather in front of us at night just on dusk as that was the time we fed them. It could become quite a frenzie when the food first hit the water, quite fun to watch them fight over the food.
And yes, I quite often noted the fish swimming backwards, but the fun was watching them jump out of the water to catch small flies at night under the light.

[lb99]

use to us sitting on the bench next to the pond.

these ones I scored were so tame that I just scooped em up from their old home (a bathtub) with my hands, I didn't even need to chase them.

[Okey Dokey]

I like the sound of your "Tuffy" fish; jumping out of the bowl, catching him in the pool. Who says fish are boring pets? He sounds more active than my fat cat.

[Marmoot]

I scored a few goldfish for our pond the other day, after being acclimatised and realeased, they all fucked off into the nooks and crannies in the rocks, and are very rarely sighted. are they likely to get stuck if they go into a gap they cant turn around in? why are they hiding, is this normal?

Only the ones that come with reverse gear. What goldfish model did you buy and what year were they?

They may get lost if your pond is complex. That's why in the parks authorities normally put the map beside the lake with a giant "You Are Here" dot. I suggest you do the same.

And why wouldn't you want your fish to hide? You're some kind of Big Brother fetish?

[Usarka]

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[kevfromcoro]

You think the things would get bored stiff
swiming around in a small bowl
they dont seem to
mind you
i have never seen a depresed goldfish
think they can go backwards
but not to fast

[Usarka]

we are the goldfish of the kb pond

.

[klingon]

Only the ones that come with reverse gear. What goldfish model did you buy and what year were they?

They may get lost if your pond is complex. That's why in the parks authorities normally put the map beside the lake with a giant "You Are Here" dot. I suggest you do the same.

And why wouldn't you want your fish to hide? You're some kind of Big Brother fetish?

And did you get faired or naked fish? Personally I think you should get naked fish to start with, so they don't do too much damage if they get stuck. You can move on to faired fish after you've had a bit more experience. (You'll want to move up anyway when you can trade in your fish for ones with a higher cc rating.)

[klingon]

we are the goldfish of the kb pond

.

:mellow: That's quite profound really.

The people who read this thread (especially the ones who keep coming back to it) must have a high tolerance for random trivia in their lives.

[sunhuntin]

On the subject of ponds etc,under the water lilies be observed lots of clear jelly like things,are they fish eggs or water snail eggs?

thats snail eggs. they are in a tube like a sausage? fish eggs are slimy and not in a tube. youll notice if your fish are breeding as they go into the weed and theres always heaps of splashing. sometimes, they get so excited they end up on top of the weed and can get stuck. weve never had one die in this way, but we have had to rescue one or two.

dad has a fish pond... a dream come true. since we put the fish in in 2005, they have been breeding several times a year. means fun chasing the babies and putting them in seperate tanks so the adults dont eat them. hes got lillies and other weed, snails and at least one frog. the goldfish hes got are HUGE! some real big suckers in there. he has a fountain that gets turned on over the weekend to help aerate the water. think hes got like 20 fish? and thats not counting the babies.