a gold fish question?

Question

i have a gold fish in a bowl,,the guy at the store said it was cool...gold fish can live without bubbles...but all day long it is swimming at the top getting...i guess...air...when i put a cup or two in the bowl it is okay for a while...then it starts doing it again....is that the reason they say it's okay...because it will go et it's oxygen from the top...i feel really sorry for it...i am scared one day it will be tired from having to stay swimming at the top and die....or....do they somehow get oxgen from other matters...i stomped please help...i am considering just buying a small tank anyways...just want to make sure i am not over reacting...

he has a plant...to sleep under...he is a 1 1/2 in.fan tail...he has a two gallon bowl

cups of fresh water....

Answer 1

GOLDFISH CANNOT LIVE IN BOWLS!!!!
Baby-juvenile fancy goldfish need 10 gallons PER fish. (fantails, orandas, black moors, ect)
Baby-juvenile long bodied goldfish need 20 gallons PER fish. (comets, commons, shubunkins)
Adult goldfish need 50 gallons PER fish as they grow 12-14 inches and excrete ALOT of ammonia.
Your poor goldfish is suffocating and having his gills burned by the ammonia he is excreteing.

They need ALOT of dissolved oxygen in the water because goldfish have primitive gills. You need to get him in an aquarium of atleast 10 gallons or more with a filter that is meant for an aquarium 1 step higher then what you put him in. (for example if you get him a 10 gallon tank, you need a filter that is made for a 20 gallon tank.
Also id go back to that petstore and hand the guy printouts from the goldfish sites that im gonna list here that says goldfish cannot live in bowls and if he refuses to listen go to the manager and if he refuses to listen tell him that you are going to boycot his store.

http://www.goldfishparadise.com/care/care.php

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=16&cat=1922&articleid=2650

http://www.mu.edu/~buxtoni/puregold/home.html

http://www.goldfishinfo.com/setup1.htm

http://www.fishpondinfo.com/gfish.htm


info on cycling an aquarium- http://fins.actwin.com/mirror/begin.html

Answer 2

You should get it at least a 10 gallon starter tank with filter and aeration! It will be healthier and live longer! The bowl is exactly why some people think that goldfish don't live very long! You'd be surprised at how long they can live! The good news is....your type of goldfish does not get really big! If you can, try a 20 - 30 gallon tank! It will be worth it if you want your fish to live very very long!

Answer 3

well.. how big is the gold fish?.. when the fish comes to the top it means it is seeking oxygen.. its a normal phenomena.. if the fish doesnt stay too long on the surface continuosly.. how long? .. well, say for more than 15 mins.. it should take oxygen and dive to the depths.. i have no idea abt. the size of the bowl u own, but, i feel it will be easy to slip in an air pump tube.. gold fish releases a lot of waste and hence, the dissloved oxygen content in the bowl depletes, not sufficient for it to breathe.. u can add an air pump.. take care.. get back if needed.. :)

Answer 4

As a life long goldfish keeper I must discourage the use of a bowl.Get him a five to ten gallon tank with a good filter.Bowls are not good for these fish.If you feel that you want to keep him in the bowl just make sure that the water is fresh everyday.

Answer 5

If there arent any plants in there with him of course he's going to swim at the top the entire time... so buy a plant to go in there with him... and yes just like any other living thing... fish have instincts to go get what they need for survival!! (i don't understand what you mean about putting cups in the bowl) (if you are putting cups of air inside the bowl... I am laffing at you)

Answer 6

GOLDFISH ALSO NEED BUBBLES!! in fact they need more since coldwater fish need more oxygen than tropical fish(there's more oxygen in cold water than in warm water). plus, no fish should live in bowl, they have too little surface area. Get a tank, and remember to by a pump(the ones that sit on the tank edge since it filters and oxygenates(not a word but yeah) at the same time. they are also very affordable). plants also help a little since they release oxygen during the day(but they also absorb oxygen like fishes during the nite)

Answer 7

Your goldfish IS gasping for air...poor little thing.

You need to have a larger surface area on the top. Aquariums are flat sided, so they provide more air space than the typical goldfish bowls, which are small at the top.

Another thing U can do is to buy a small air pump and air hose. They are cheap, and available at the pet store. This would solve the problem

Good luck to U and your little friend. : )

Answer 8

make sure your water in the tank or bowl is fresh (every day if the bowl is small ) otherwise fish do indeed go to the surface for 'air' but one thing you shouldn't do is overfeed the fish , this could lead to other problems that may be related to the fish forever going to the top of the tank

Answer 9

Goldfish always go to the top of the bowel it is natural. They have gills so they can breath in water . Goldfish don't need bubbles ,but you can put an air filter in the bowel if it makes you fill better.

Answer 10

Your goldfish is fine. I've had a few and I currently have a Beta. As long as you change the water every couple of days, your fish will do fine. They all seem to like to skim the surface of the water.