Freshwater fishes have many habits that will lead to significant problems. In my aquarium, Goldfish digging in sand was a major problem. When I reach near aquarium the goldfish digs in the sand every time.
Goldfish will start digging in the sand to make their nest for resting or dig a burrow for hiding. If your aquariums have a lot of fish with aggression the goldfish may dig a burrow for hide. Otherwise, they will dig in the sand to make a place for resting.
In this article, I will provide some answers to the question that fish-keeping beginners ask every time. Many beginners have doubts while starting a fish keeping and they may face a lot of problems too.
Keep your fish healthy and wealthy. Make them happy in every movement and care for them as pets.
Why is my goldfish digging in sand?
You may see that goldfish digging in the sand or around the aquatic plants to see the bottom. This behavior is known as goldfish foraging. The fishes will move rocks and sand that fight their mouth for checking food for goldfish or algae growing.
Another chance for digging in the sand for resting or hiding from aggressive fishes. If you see the goldfish digging a burrow for hiding, separate the fish to another tank for avoiding casualty.
Is sand safe for goldfish?
Sand is the best substrate for goldfish because the majority of goldfish will not eat sand. If they eat sand, it will not be stuck to their mouth. Not only that sand has a lot of benefits too.
A lot of plants can be grown faster with the help of sand. You can use live plants in the aquarium with sand. Gravel can be too hard for goldfish, the goldfish may eat and start choking due to the large size gravel.
What happens if goldfish eat sand?
If you see the goldfish eating sand, move the goldfish to a separate tank for maintaining health. The Goldfish eat sand when they feel hungry, they are searching for food such as algae under the bottom.
Sometimes the sand will be harmful to goldfish because the sand will get trapped in their gills. This can lead to inflammation and very hard to breathe. Sand can also cause health problems such as digestion.
How do I stop my goldfish from digging?
How To stop Goldfish from Digging
We cannot stop the goldfish from digging sand because they need to make nests for resting and burrows of hiding. In order to stop goldfish from digging, You need to feed them correctly according to schedule and make sure that every fish get enough food.
The other way to reduce goldfish from digging is by creating caves and live plants. They can hide in small caves and live plants will help to grow small algae for goldfish. So they will not dig for algae in the bottom.
Can goldfish live without gravel?
Goldfish can live without gravel because it was not considered a basic need. But they can feel happy when you give them a good aquatic environment. You can use sand instead of gravel for protecting the goldfish’s health for increasing the lifespan of goldfish.
Many fish owners will not use gravel because it can stuck in their mouths while digging. Instead, they use sand for creating burrows for hiding and resting.
Do goldfish like bare bottom tanks?
Bare-bottom fish tanks are not suitable for goldfish. Not only goldfish, every fish.
Many fish owners are leaving bare-bottom tanks because beneficial bacteria will not grow in bare-bottom tanks. The fishes feel stressed in the bare bottom tank because they like a good aquatic environment setup.
I don’t recommend using bare-bottom tanks for fish, use substrates like sand or rocks for creating a natural aquatic environment in the tank.
What kind of sand is best for goldfish?
There are different types of sand available in the market. But you need to choose the best one for your fish. The goldfish like aragonite sand and some live plants for a living. Aragonite sand will increase the carbonate hardness of the tank which helps to raise the pH level. The aragonite sand will maintain the water quality and water flow movement in the tank.
But you need to mix aragonite with another substrate, otherwise, the goldfish may eat small sizes.
Why do goldfish eat sand and spit them out?
You can see the goldfish digging using their mouth and splitting the gravel or sand out for finding small microorganisms and algae. Many new fish owners think of goldfish eating the sand and choking. So they will remove the sand and make bare-bottom tanks for goldfish.
Usually, the goldfish dig the sand for creating a place for resting or burrows for hiding. But sometimes they may feel hungry and start digging in the sand and splitting the gravel for searching algae and microorganisms. Different types of goldfish need different aquatic environments for living, some may like sand but others may like gravels.
Is sand or gravel better for a fish tank?
In my opinion, Gravel is better for goldfish because it will maintain the water quality while hiding wastes under the bottom without showing. So It was easy to maintain the water quality and increase the water flow movement.
It can prevent the growth of amoebas and non-beneficial bacteria in the substrate. I recommend using both sand and gravel for your tank. Because the down sand layer will enhance the growth of live plants and gravels will hide the wastes.
