Aggressive Behavior In Goldfish

HI all,

We have a 500 gallon pond, finished in August. We added 2 koi and then added 3 comets and 1 fantail a couple weeks later. The fantail is larger than the comets, and the comets have always followed it around. Over the past couple days 2 of the comets are chasing the fantail, very aggressively getting under it and flanking it - they almost appear to be attached on either side of it. The fantail is going on top of the marginal plants in very shallow water to get away from the comets. The remaining comet does not engage and the koi follow and watch.

Everyone seems to be very healthy, although the violent chasing has got to be taking a toll.

Is this mating behavior? Should we separate the fantail? Is the size of the fantail incompatible with the other pond fish?

Thanks for any advice.

 

Are they ramming into the fantail or nipping at the fantail?
Is the fantail trying to avoid the comets 24/7?

 

They don't seem to be nipping - they are ramming. I just noticed a white patch on the fantail's back fin so I pulled him out. Now the fish expert where we purchased the fish says it sounds like mating behavior, and to put it back in.

 

They don't seem to be nipping - they are ramming. I just noticed a white patch on the fantail's back fin so I pulled him out. Now the fish expert where we purchased the fish says it sounds like mating behavior, and to put it back in.

Nipping is mating behaviour should be it nipping at the goldfish, but if it is ramming into the fantail, then its aggression.

 

FishFish 221, thanks so much!

 

Fan tails shouldn't be with commons anyways. They'll get out competed for food.

 

Yes, I've been reading that...we should have done our own research and not listened to the pond place. This particular fantail is our most social fish, is way larger than most of the other fish and gets most of the food. None of these behaviors likely ingratiate him with the other fish. The site won't let me upload a video [imovie not supported]
, but here's a pic.

 

Is that a "fancie" Fantail or a Wakin? (I think they're called that. Can you get a better picture? Wakins are a commons body with a double tail.

 

I think he's a fancy fantail. The comets that are bothering him are all double tailed. Here are some pix of him.

 

Ok ok, yeah that's a fancy.