Pecking Order

In message , Bill Stock
writes
Do Goldfish have a social hierarchy/Scooling?

I recently moved five GF from a 55 to a 75. I had cycled the new filter in
the old tank for a few weeks and moved a bit of gravel to the new tank. But
I wanted to be sure I did not have any ammonia/nitrate spikes, so I moved
the two small fish (2") first and waited a couple of days. They were pretty
much petrified in the new tank, hanging out at the bottom, not eating,
sticking together like glue. Next I moved my only fancy GF (5") and it was
pretty much the same story, although it did not hang out with the fry mates
as much. Today I moved the big fish, one about 6+ and another at 8+, they
were actually less stressed than the smaller fish. I was surprised that it
was easier to move the big fish than the smaller ones. Although Panfry (8+)
seems to have a slight tilt to him in the new tank.

But the strange thing is that the small fish seem more relaxed, now that the
big fish are back in the tank with them. Panfry is not waiting days to be
fed, he was up begging for food within hours. The others seem to be eating
more now too. So is this my imagination or does the School matter?

Sounds pretty much like my experience of moving three goldfish one by
one from a small to a larger tank. Also, for the first while after
moving the last one they all stuck together like glue.
--
sophie