Have you recently started to notice that your goldfish are losing their scales? Maybe this has been a one-off occurrence or something you’ve gradually noticed over time but either way, it can certainly be an alarming sight for most fish keepers.
You’ll likely want to know what has caused this but also whether or not your goldfish can regrow their scales back again?
Goldfish can regrow scales that have been lost as a result of nipping, infection, stress, or some other unusual cause. To help your goldfish grow its scales back you should provide plenty of hiding spots in the tank to allow them an area to hide away and recover.
In this article, I will cover why your goldfish could be losing scales, whether or not they will grow back and how you can best help the process.
See Also:
How Do Goldfish Lose Their Scales
Firstly, you might be shocked to realize that your goldfish has lost some of its scales. This can certainly come as a surprise to most fish owners and is the equivalent of realizing a pet bird is missing feathers, both are indications that something could be wrong.
I know your first thought could immediately be whether your goldfish is sick and is losing scales due to an illness, just as a fish that has lost its color and become pale will usually indicate an illness or infection. As this would be a major concern, you should first check that your goldfish appears healthy and well.
According to Petsmart, you should check that your goldfish is not displaying any of the following signs of illness:
- Tattered fins or tail
- Swelling (particularly around the abdomen)
- A loss of color
- Any signs of spots or sores on the skin
- Loss of appetite
If the loss of scales is the result of an infection, it would be best to seek medical attention to ensure the goldfish receives proper treatment as it will need to be diagnosed and then prescribed with the proper dose of medication.
An infection is usually the least common cause of a goldfish losing scales yet because of the potential issues, this is the cause that you need to rule out first.
Do Goldfish Shed Scales
Before reading any further, you might be wondering whether or not goldfish shed their scales for a particular reason and whether it’s a natural process.
Unfortunately, goldfish do not shed their scales for any natural reason and if you have noticed that your goldfish is missing scales, it’s likely due to an issue with the goldfish itself or something that is occurring in the tank causing it to lose its scales.
I’ll therefore cover some of the more common reasons why your goldfish might be losing its scales.
Other Causes of Lost Scales in Goldfish
The most common causes for a goldfish losing its scales are actually the result of nipping by other fish or your goldfish scratching itself on sharp objects in the tank.
This is by far the most common reason for goldfish losing scales. Fish nipping is usually targeted at fins but due to the larger size of goldfish, it’s relatively easy for them to be the target of nipping, especially if they are not aggressive/territorial goldfish.
Secondly, a sharp object in your tank could also be the cause of lost scales. This is an easy solution though as you simply need to look through all objects in your tank and feel for any sharp edges.
You’ll often be surprised as ornamental pieces can become damaged over time and the rocky cave that your goldfish likes to hide in could actually be damaging its scales each time it passes through!
Finally, it’s important to know that your goldfish can lose scales through stress or rough handling. On a Q&A over at be.chewy.com, it’s mentioned that your goldfish can lose scales as a result of rough handling.
Now goldfish are not something that owners should be handling at all if possible, they are not like dogs or cats and you should only handle them if it’s needed in an emergency situation. The same rules should be given to any children in the house.
If you know that your fish are being handled with any sort of regularity then this could be a major concern as to why your goldfish is losing scales and this sort of action should be stopped immediately.
Can Goldfish Regrow Scales
Fortunately, if your goldfish has lost scales for any reason it’s not an irreversible incident. Goldfish can easily regrow their scales much in the same way that a human will repair their skin naturally after a cut.
If you take a moment to watch the video below, you’ll see that this fish owner has a goldfish that has lost its scales and with no intervention, these scales have naturally grown back (though they have strangely grown back a different color which I will cover later).
This does, however, rely on the tank conditions and health of your goldfish. I mentioned it earlier in relation to causes of scale loss but any sort of infection, stress, nipping, or banging will need to first be addressed before your goldfish can start to regrow its scales.
If these issues persist and are not dealt with, not only will your goldfish not be in an ideal environment to regrow its scales but it could actually lose more scales!
Therefore, when you are identifying any reason why your goldfish might be losing scales, it’s crucial that you look to remove or treat these causes as early as possible so that your goldfish can start the recovery and regrowth process.
How to Help Goldfish Regrow Scales
Provided your goldfish are kept in a healthy environment with clean water and a nutritious diet, their scales will regrow normally without the need for an owner’s intervention.
As we are loving owners though, it’s only natural to wonder how we can possibly help speed up the regrowth process and if we can do anything at all to help?
The short answer is yes, you can help your goldfish to regrow scales depending on your individual scenario. Firstly, you’ll need to do what I’ve just mentioned and keep the tank water in good condition whilst also ensuring that they are eating a proper diet.
Offer hiding spots that are free from sharp edges so that your goldfish can hide away while it recovers. This is perhaps one of the most important things that you can implement as the people over at all pond solutions state that it will reduce the stress levels of the goldfish whilst also preventing other fish from nipping at it further.
It’s a very simple solution but extra plants, a rocky cave, ornaments, pots, or some other form of hiding place will let your goldfish hide away when it’s feeling vulnerable and give it some reprieve if it is the case that other fish are nipping at its scales.
How Long Does It Take Goldfish to Regrow Scales
Goldfish will typically regrow scales in 1 – 3 months depending on how many scales they have lost, if it was the result of an infection or injury (which will also need time to heal and recover before scales will regrow), and if they are in a clean and healthy living environment.
It’s important to note that as goldfish scales regrow, they may not grow to be a vibrant color and will appear to be pale whilst growing back. In quite a lot of cases, the scales may never grow back to replicate the color that the rest of the scales have.
They could be a slightly paler color and even completely clear in some cases and this is perfectly normal. When humans repair their skin after a deep cut, it will usually leave a scar and the regrowth of goldfish scales will be similar so the color of the scales should never be a concern.
The key thing to keep an eye on is that the scales are actually regrowing and if your goldfish is not showing signs that its scales are regrowing after a few weeks (a month maximum) it might be time to seek a medical opinion from a registered vet.
Final Thoughts
A goldfish that is losing its scales is not a natural occurrence and should be a cause for concern. If you notice your goldfish has lost scales (and is continuing to lose scales) then you will first need to look for the cause of the issue.
Ensure the tank water is clean, that the goldfish has a nutrient-rich diet covering all of their needs, that it doesn’t have an infection, that there is nothing sharp that your goldfish can catch its scales on, and also that your other goldfish (or other fish) are not nipping at their scales.
Once you have eliminated all of these external factors, your goldfish should have no trouble regrowing their scales in a month or two.
