Goldfish have long been domesticated as aquarium pets. They come in all sorts of variations, from small to large, orange to spotted.
Goldfish are actually a type of carp, so the colors they exhibit are not their natural ones.
The yellows, golden, browns, and reds are all found through selective breeding. So imagine that one day you notice your very yellow goldfish is actually turning white!
Does it mean it’s sick?
Some people get worried right away when they see that their goldfish have changed color.
It’s always better to be on the side of caution, but there are a few normal reasons your fish might’ve changed color.
Table of Contents
Why is My Goldfish Turning White?
Growing Up
It may just be that your goldfish is growing up! As your fish ages, it might change colors several times before it lands on its true color. This change won’t happen overnight, so it’s a little difficult to track.
Changes in your fish’s color are predictable by looking towards their parents’ colors. If the fish’s parents have white colors in their skin, it’s likely that your fish is mimicking those colors.
If this is the case, you should see a change in their color within the first year of having the fish.
Even if your fish doesn’t seem to have whiteness in their genes, it’s still very possible to see it in them. Selective breeding has made it so white, golden, and yellow are most common in goldfish.
If your goldfish turns white for this reason, then you have nothing to worry about!
A white goldfish is still a healthy goldfish as long as it’s still eating and swimming properly. Keep track of your fish’s eating habits to understand what’s normal for them to eat and what’s not.
Change in Surrounding Light
It’s not a well-known fact, but goldfish actually have a pigment in their skin that gives them their shiny color. This pigment reacts more to the sunlight in some fish.
Think of it like getting a tan. The more you’re exposed to the sun, the more likely you are to have a darker skin tone. This is the same thing with some goldfish.
If your fish are normally exposed to a good amount of light, and that light has increased, they might turn whiter. The longer your fish are exposed to that extra sunlight, the whiter they become. This is what gives them change in their skin.
You can know if this is the reason why your fish are turning white if you’ve changed their tank’s position. A new area with more sunlight or just opening up the windows more often can give this change. It doesn’t have to be direct sunlight to cause this effect.
Just moving your fish back to a more normal exposure should solve the problem. That doesn’t’ mean to completely isolate them from the sun, but keep it to the normal amount as before. This should bring them back to their normal color within a few months.
Change in Environment
Goldfish are sensitive creatures because they react to minute changes in their environment. Even the smallest change can cause something like a difference in their color.
Changes in their environment include adding in a new piece of decoration to their tank or adding a new fish. Even small changes in the water temperature and pH value can change their color.
You can figure out if they’re changing because of this by keeping track of any changes you make to their tank. Adding a new fish friend or changing the filter type is all it takes to get them started.
If you believe your fish has changed because of pH levels, you need to check the levels with a pH stick.
This can tell you exactly how much the levels have changed and what you need to do to keep it constant. Keeping the water at a safe pH level is the best way to keep your fish healthy and looking like themselves.
If you’ve just added a new fish or decoration, your fish may take some time to adjust. This may take a few months before your fish goes back to its normal color. But, there’s nothing to worry about on your end as far as your fish’s health goes.
Sickness
The time when you should actually be worried about your fish changing colors is when it’s sick. As it was mentioned, fish are very sensitive to changes. Sickness is definitely something that can cause it to change its colors.
The good news is that if your fish has turned white due to illness, you can confirm this by watching their behavior. A healthy fish swims around the tank swiftly and can go from the top of the tank to the bottom without problems.
A sick fish takes longer to swim up and down the aquarium. A sick fish also doesn’t eat as much as it normally does. It may even eat a little and spit some of its food out.
Sick fish also tend to just float aimlessly in their tank. Changes in eating and swimming habits are the biggest signs of illness. If you see these signs in your fish along with them turning white, you should see a vet.
Your vet can determine exactly why your fish is sick. He can also inform you of what steps you can take to bring your fish back to good health. Once you do that, your fish’s color is likely to return.
See also:
Why is My Goldfish Turning Black?
My dish has white on his head do I need to be concerned about it
My dishes are white. My cups and saucers too ????
not funny
If it’s a new white spot, you may want to look into hole-in-head and make sure it’s not that. If it’s not new, it may just be your fish’s colouring. One of my goldfish is named “White head” (I know, real original) because of a big white splotch on his otherwish very red body.
My gold fish died during the night, one of them went from gold to white? I’m very sad as I’ve only had these fish for 3 weeks, my tank is an bio orb tank could this be something that has killed them ?
How big is the tank? Goldfish need a lot of space because they produce a lot of waste. If there are many fish in one tank, even more space is needed. It’s also important to test the water to make sure the chemicals are balanced.
3 weeks is about the time it takes for the natural biological cycle to start. At 3 weeks, the ammonia level is probably peaking. Sadly, it’s really hard on the fish. On the upside, the beneficial bacteria (nitrosominas) are beginning to flourish. Back down again. Those bacteria are also harmful at high levels.(sorry) I would cut way back on feedings and test the water. If you do a partial of worse yet full water change, it will prolong the “cycle”. If your fish make it to about 5 weeks, it would be about time to test the nitrites. If they are low, than you will have completed the biological cycle necessary to establish almost any tank or pond.
Feed the fish sparingly, slowly building up to 5 min to consume all food. Once all that has happened, regular small water changes WITH DECHLORINATED WATER should maintain decent water quality and good health. It IS important to check the water regularly. Even with a fish bowl, it’s possible to keep the water balanced depending on the bio load, but the same rules apply. Only partial water changes or the bio-activity will be affected. Hope this helps explain why you lost a fish at 3 weeks.
My two goldfish (Mari and Juana) have been with me now for one year and they have just started to change color. Initially I was concerned about this as I have kept fish for years and never encountered this phenomenon in the past, both are healthy and now look even better in their new livery !!
My fish half of colour changes into white from orange …it mostly sitting or sleeping over stones…what its mean?
Fish could be stressed make sure to my stress coat to put in water just don’t put to much because then it could die
I thought i was doing good (as one fish was very sluggish and the water a bit cloudy) wife was overfeeding them. I filtered all the water (with a water filter for drinking water , Britax type) , BUT after doing this and replacing half the water the next day my beautiful white and gold fish turned black and white overnight none of the other fish have altered state or color , the fish is swimming better and more active but the sudden change in color got me worried ? was it stress was it my fault ? still trying to find out.
Please Help!!!! My fish drowned. I don’t know what to do. PLEASE HELP ME
You need to dry your fish. Personally I use a microwave. Throw it in for 30 sec once it drowns and you can save your fish.
NEVER microwave your fish!
Your right.. Steamed is always best.
Don’t buy a lungfish next time! Try a betta or another fish with a labyrinth gland. Maybe a gourami. Lol
What’s with the stupid comments people have made about plates and cups m then one at bottom throwing it in a microwave t dry your fish what the fuck !!!this is a site to see if your goldfish is I’ll.?not to take the piss even adults just need to grow up the fuck up never mind my 2 goldfish.wow
This is a topic about a fish turning white, comments about fish drowning are obvious trolling attempts and are subsequently being trolled in turn.
There is an illness called ‘Finrot’ that seems to leave cottonwool like growths on the fish and these can be mistaken for a change in color. That being said the fish may also have other symptoms like going off their food and so on.
Needless to say if it is just a change in color your fish will be fine… just pasty white… they’re probably from Ireland 😉 .
I agree totally Rebecca i came on because overnight literal my white and gold fish has turned black and white :O I filtered the water (using a well known drinking water filter Britax) I filtered half of the original water as well so all the water was reduced from 7.7ph to 6.5 thinking that was ok ? wrong it changed color overnight (No silly jokes please) I since found out it was my fault 🙁 all my 3 fish are swimming better and look good) but just that one fish changed color .
But back to your comment Rebecca i was looking for advise and saw a load of crap why can’t the administrators of this site remove and ban silly comments ?
Yes these funny replies are trying to dismiss the trolling comments. However, remember there are very stupid people who actually follow stupid (all be it comedic suggestions). These are REAL animals people are playing around with, they actual pain if not cared for appropriately.
If your fish are changing color, why not pop into your local pet shop, or aquatic store and ask for some free professional advice. Note, when they say you might need a bigger tank, its not just sales speak, its often true.