Why do goldfish come to the top of the water and gasp for air I thought fish could breathe under water.?

Question

I love animals no matter how big or small so this is not a weird question I am just concerned. They seem depressed or sad should I say.

Answer 1

Goldfish need 10 gallons of cycled, filtered water per 3 inches of fish. In a small tank they use up all the oxygen in the water quickly. Toxins such as ammonia and nitrites also build up in the water. When the goldfish gasps at the top its telling you that there is no oxygen left in the water and that there are toxins in the water burning their insides chemically. You need to change the water and get a bigger, filtered tank and a water testing kit.

Answer 2

They are gasping for air because the water is dirty...therefore there is not enough oxygen in the water for them to survive. What size tank is this? Goldfish produce a lot of waste and one goldfish should have at least 20 gallons to himself. You should do 50% water changes each week, while vacuuming the gravel at the same time with a gravel vac. As long as your tank is not overstocked, this should keep your water nice and clean for them. If you have more than 1 goldfish per 20 gallons of water, it would be best to take the extra fish back to the store.

Answer 3

i imagine there is too a lot ammonia. i might want to get a clean fish tank more effective, that could want to be sensible the fish because there likely isn't adequate room for them. you'll opt to purchase a clean filter out so the water do not change into cloudy. you may want to sparkling out 25% of the water a week, after issues are again to regularly yet now you may want to do 50% water replace. I have had goldfish and used this thoery. once you pass to purchase your new fish tank attempt to pass to a puppy keep so that you'll be able to ask the save keeper for help and suggestion. he will maximum likely say the ammonia is starting to be more suitable because the micro organism that damage it up have become stuck interior the filter out or the gravel.

Answer 4

Contrary to popular belief these fish do not breathe under water ,they must surface for oxygen. However if they are all at the surface at same time gasping , it is probably because the water is dirty and you need to clean the aquarium and possibly install a larger filter, especially if the problem was brought on by overcrowding.

Answer 5

Your fish are suffocating. Goldfish get their air out of the water. They are gasping for air from the surface because there isnt enough in the water for them. You need a filter and air pump immediately, or your fish will suffocate slowly and painfully. Bettas on the other hand can breathe from the surface and dont require an air source in the tank.

Answer 6

it could be a sign you need to change the water more often. goldfish deplete the oxygen in a tank rapidly. if you keep him in a small tank i would practically guarantee this is the case unless
you changed his water a couple hours ago. One way to help is with plants. any mossy/fuzzy looking plant is good at adding oxygen to the water. water changes are your best bet though.

Answer 7

Goldfish are top feeders they search for food that floats on the top of the water so what appears as gasping is really sucking in water to find food

Answer 8

either you have a build up of toxins in your tank and need to clean and sort it or you dont have enough air pumping into it.get a bigger pump if this is the case.they will look depressed they are suffocating slowly!

Answer 9

That's a sure sign of oxygen deprivation due to fouled water----goldfish are dirty and require lots of cleaning-----they are worth it---------clean their house and give them treated water

Answer 10

I didn't know that they do that. How do you know that they are gasping for air? Maybe they just swim to the surface and they look like they are gasping just because they ran out of water(at the surface) to swim in. Hmmmmm