Does a goldfish have to suck the pebbles from the bottom of the tank into its mouth then out again?

Question

Does a goldfish have to suck the pebbles from the bottom of the tank into its mouth then out again? What if the stones are too big and don't fit in the fishes mouth? Is it just something they do because they are bored? Also, what percentage of "Carnival" Goldifsh surivive the first, lets say, 3-6 months after being won and once a pet??? Thanks!

Answer 1

It actually isn't good for the goldfish to suck the pebbles. If your rocks are too big for that, then thats a good thing. When I was a child I had a gold fish from the carnival survive for many many years. If you treat them properly, goldfish can live longer than some dogs.

Answer 2

Goldfish are cleaner fish, they clean anything they can find, just like a carp would do in the lake.  So they are cleaning the stones when they do that.  there is nothing to worry about as far as stone size. they don't choke on them.

As for how long a carnival fish can live, it varies, I've had them die in a week, and I've also had one survive to live almost 5 years.  So it depends on the health of the fish in the first place I'd say.

As long as you keep your fish's tank or bowl clean with fresh water and don't over feed it, it should remain healthy for a long time.  Gold fish are very hearty.

We have friends with an outdoor pond, and they have goldfish in it.  Not only have they grown huge in there, but they have lived there year round through the winter and still are alive today...

Answer 3

they only do this because they are looking for food.

carnival goldfish can live up to 30 years and get 6-8 inches long if taken care of properly ( and by properly  i mean in a large tank with a filter thats being maintained properly)

but since most people dont, they tend not to live past 6 months.

Answer 4

it might be sucking on the pebbles because they have some leftover food on them

and about 4% of carnival fish survive more then 3 months after being sold

Answer 5

They usually do that because they are looking for food. If the stone is too big for the fish to get back out the fish could get sick and not be able to eat. If the stones are too big in general it's fine. If your fish is bored get it plants and decorations to play with. We made a tunnel out of mini Japanese tori and our goldfish loves to swim through it. I would say not a very high percent survive because most people don't know how to take care of them. But for those who do know how to take care of goldfish they can live 10+ years.

Answer 6

Goldfish always look for food and they are good scavengers.  Yes it will live long than that with a big tank ang a good filter and frequent partial water changes and you a in the right track just don't be fooled by them they always look hungry just feed them once to a max of 3 time if your filter can handle.  Overfeeding will lead to death of your goldfish.

Answer 7

its dangerous... i had a goldfish that sucked rocks and it would always get them stuck in its mouth...

Answer 8

Pretty normal - there is usually a bit of algae or other tasty stuff on those pebbles. So they pick them up, give them a chew and spit them out again. They are allways looking out for a bit of leftover food and it's a way to fill in their day I guess. Larger rocks, they cant pick them up, but they will still, pick at them.

Averge life span for a carnival goldfish - I guess about a week. But thats just because they are taken home and stuffed in a fish bowl or uncycled tank. If it's put in a decent tank or pond and makes it through the first 2 weeks there is no reason it cant live for 20 years and grow to a foot long. It's just a common goldfish and probably a lot hardier than the expensive 'fancy' mutant ones.

Ian

Answer 9

mine do it too, i think its because  they are eating leftover food off the bottom or cleaning the rocks