My friend owns two small fish which he keeps in a small fish bowl. There are no decorations...just the bowl, some foggy water, and the fish. Anyway, I noticed the fish both at the top of the bowl - not on their sides, they are perfectly alive. I watched them rapidly open and close their mouths - like they were sucking in, almost gasping, right at the surface so their mouths actually poked slightly above the surface when they "gasped". Is it possible that there isn't enough pure oxygen in the water so they are resorting to getting air at the top of the bowl?? does this make sense? I would imagine that fish might need to get air, and I would figure they'd go straight to the source - that is, the top of the tank where there is air. so, am I just a little bit imaginative or does this make sense? I tried explaining this to my friend, but he's convinced i'm crazy. So tell me, am I? I'd appreciate any help, and hopefully someone who knows a lot about fish can give me some words of wisdom.
2007-01-29 18:18:31 · 10 answers · asked by jamoncita 5 in Pets ➔ Fish
i just wanted to say - don't report my friend to any animal cruelty agencies or anything. he cleans the bowl regularly and feeds the fish regularly, it's just the water is beginning to get dirty again.
ALSO - what i'm getting at in my question is whether or not the fish are actually breathing the air from the top of the bowl. I mean, if fish technically "breathe" through the gills...how can they be breathing with their mouths? Is there some way their bodies process the oxygen that way, and if so, how? thanks for all the help!
i sincerely apologize for being so redundant, and also for the added details! i feel like one of those horrible question askers that i, personally, always get frustrated with. sorry! and thanks again.
2007-01-29 19:47:47 · update #1
That is definitely what the poor fish are doing. Or they are hungry and need food. There was an inaccurate post here about fish not breathing. Fish do not have lungs but they absolutely need oxygen to survive. Water has oxygen in it, it is one of the components that makes H2O. Fish don't have lungs like us but they have gills. This is where the oxygen is filtered through to keep them alive. If there is not enough oxygen in the water, they can get some from the surface. The fish can survive in a tank like this, but that's obviously not the best and healthiest way to keep them alive. Imagine living in a dirty, empty enclosed room with stale, thin air and having food tossed at you every now and then. It's not healthy and it's depressing. Believe it or not, the atmosphere does affect fish greatly. I have a fish that gets so happy after we clean his bowl! He starts swimming around all excited and looks more lively. Get your friend some rocks or pebbles to throw in the tank. You can also get carbon dioxide rocks that expel oxygen into the water if the bowl is too small for a filter. Also, if your friend is too lazy, they can change 25%of the water once a week, it's not necessary to remove all the water and some algae is healthy for them. It's good to build an eco system and living organisms in the water as long as it's not too dirty or it can create fungus and kill the fish (looks like they're already on their way there)
2007-01-29 18:41:30 · answer #1 · answered by Rock, Paper, Scissors 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
If the fish is a betta they have an organ called a labyrinth, which allows them to breathe surface air. Water temp has more to do with how much oxygen water can hold, the colder the water the more oxygen it can potentially hold. The fish breathes dissolved oxygen (O2) in the water using thier gills ( they do not break apart the water molecule H2O...as suggested by an earlier post). In such a small system, that oxygen will be depleated rapidly, unless there is an air stone, or some other method of agitation. An algae bloom will temporarily spike oxygen, but as soon as that algae starts to die & decompose, the oxygen levels plummet. Ammonia is excreted by the fish as waste, and needs to be removed from such a small system with daily water changes. (about 15-20 %)
2007-01-30 06:23:38 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Wow! thats a shame a nice tank like that doesnt have a lid. Betta are great jumpers and just cause the tank is not small does not mean the betta wont jump out and land on the floor. I have had my betta jump out of a 10 gallon with no lid so dont let folks fool you into thinking such nonsense of the betta not jumpin out cause its 2 gallons which is still a small tank. You could take a plastic shoe box lid, cut it to size,poke holes in it and that would do it. The tank is gorgeous but still need a lid.
2016-03-29 09:19:12 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
More than likely your fish will go to the top to die. I think goldfish can get some oxygen from the top of the water, but the only fish that can live in dirty water for any length of time is the siamese fighting fish (betas) as they are originally from stagnant water canals. Best to just change 1/4 of your water every 10 days, and to have it aerated at all times.
2007-01-29 18:28:23 · answer #4 · answered by kaapride bulldogs poms exotics 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You are correct about the water not having enough oxygen in it. Fish do not have lungs. They cannot breathe air and get their oxygen from the water throught their gills. Tell your friend that he is being cruel and need to give the fish some fresh clean water. How would he like it if all he had to breathe in was his own waste?
2007-01-29 18:26:14 · answer #5 · answered by Wijssegger 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
They are gasping for oxygen. Abowl is too small.The fish need water changes. They are luiving in their own sewer.A small tank with a filter and air pump with weekly partial water changes is a must.
2007-01-29 19:40:42 · answer #6 · answered by DAGIM 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't think so since fish have no lungs to filter the oxygen straight up from the air. Have you seen what happen to a fish out of the water? They die.
2007-01-29 18:22:50 · answer #7 · answered by Javy 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Fish excrete ammonia, and it turns to nitrites. These chemicals are toxic. In a filtered tank the chemicals are taken care of by beneficial bacteria in the filter. Do you know what happens daily to fish who live in bowl water? They get chemical burns inside their body and on the outside. How'd you like to sit in a vat of burning chemicals daily until you die? He probably cleans the bowl just enough times that the fishs' lives are being elongated in this hell.
2007-01-30 01:29:20 · answer #8 · answered by bzzflygirl 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I think that the fish must be 'beta fish'....Their natural habitat is about a 12-20 inch square territory in river water. They have the strange habit of 'gulping' air in order to build nests...however, sounds like your friends fish are something different...ask him kindly to take the fish to a local pet store and get some advice...
2007-01-29 18:25:05 · answer #9 · answered by C Shannon 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
YES
The muck in the water reduces the amount of oxygen it can hold
2007-01-29 18:21:13 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋