Is this normal? I have 3 fish and one pleco. They almost seem aggressive and when I first bought them they didn't act like carnivores. I feed them once a day, but they follow you around the room and jump their faces above the water like their starving or something. What could be causing this behavoir and what should I do about it?
2006-12-10 13:49:41 · 5 answers · asked by +daveL 2 in Pets ➔ Fish
this is normal, while I would agree with zoe normal that they are not getting enough air I don't think that's the case here. what you describe sounds more like they just want food. my parent's goldfish do this. the start suckign the top of the water looking for food anytime anyone is in the room. just ignore them and continue feeding them normally, they aren't going to starve. goldfish are just little piggies. while most golfish do neeed LOTS of room that's not always the case. if you keep the water pristine you can keep them in much smaller things, however that does not mean they are happy in bowls. I have a goldfsih I got from a fair in 1997, he was kept in a two gallon bowl by himself until three years ago when I got another one. then there were two in a two gallon tank. they did quite fine. this year I won another and got a ten gallon tank, but all three were in the two gallon tank and were quite healthy. I know it was cramped but we had to get the tank and cycle it. now all three are in the ten gallon tank and completely healthy and happy. it is cruel to keep one goldfish in a bowl, but when we first got the first fish we dind't realize that, and event he second one, they always were healthy and seemed happy so we never thought anything of it.
so as long as you have a bubbler in with him I don't think it's because they aren't getting enough air. they're just little piggies. try giving them treat, goldfish can eat all kinds of things from peas to oranges, check out this site: http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/Goldfishs%20Diet.html
2006-12-10 14:51:02 · answer #1 · answered by Kylie Anne 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Goldfish are deep bodied and very messy. Basically, they eat and poop eat and poop. They produce more waste than some other types of fish and need more oxygen in their water. If you don't have an air pump with an air stone that is powerful enough, you may want to lower your water level. If the water level is lower, your filter will splash when the water is returned to your tank. If it is splashing, it will put more oxygen into the water. If you put them in the tank together without cycling first, probably they are irritated by the ammount of ammonia in the water, do a 50% water change and that should help to make them feel better. Research cycling a fish tank on yahoo, that will help you out a lot. Try and remember that you want a minimum of 10 gallons for each one of your goldfish, they get huge if taken care of properly.
2016-03-29 02:35:25 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is caused by a lack of oxygen in the water (they are gasping at the surface for air) and a buildup of ammonia in the water (ammonia is toxic, and it burns them, so they try to jump out).
What size tank are they in? Goldfish and plecos are the biggest waste producers when it comes to fish! They are poop machines and they churn out ammonia.
3 goldfish and a pleco should be in a tank at least 50 gallons.
Look into upgrading your tank. In the meantime, do frequent water changes, 2-3 times per day to reduce ammonia. Get an air pump to increase oxygen.
2006-12-10 13:54:18 · answer #3 · answered by Zoe 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Apparently the water is not well oxygenated and they are gasping for air. Do u have a filter or an air pump which produces bubles in the water? Fish tend to swim in the surface if there is low oxygen....
2006-12-10 14:27:41 · answer #4 · answered by Nostromo 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
they have been pocessed...
2006-12-10 13:53:00 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋