why are my fish doing this?

Question

i got some goldfish from a carnival and all of them keep going to the top of the tank and sucking up water and air then blowing out bubbles. whats up with this? is it normal?
please explain!!!

Answer 1

This is a sign that the fish aren't getting enough oxygen. This can be because there isn't movement in the water (by a filter) or because there is too much ammonia and nitrite in the water - these are toxic to fish because they bind with oxygen receptors in the bloodstream, so the fish doesn't gt enough oxygen even with good aeration in the water.

If you have an aquarium test kit, measure the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate in your tank. Bacteria will eventually build up in your tank to convert the ammonia and nitrite into nitrate (which your fish can live with in moderate amounts), but until you get enough of these bacteria, you'll need to do partial water changes to remove them before they poison your fish. This process can take up to two months, and is called cycling your tank (for the nitrigen cycle involved): http://www.fishlore.com/NitrogenCycle.htm

Expect your tank to get cloudy during this time - it's a natural phenomenon that will clear up on its own once the tank is finished cycling.

Answer 2

Yes, that is normal. There may not be enough oxygen in the water. Do you have a tank with a filter or air pump? If not I would recommend changing a little bit of their water every few days. The normal recommended water change is 25%. I used to prepare my water with Aquasafe. It is a water treatment that removes all the chemicals from the water. It also helped with water cloudiness. It was awesome.

Answer 3

Fish that aren't in a tank with a running filter or have a bubble strip will do that. It's completely normal. Theres just not a lot of oxygen in the water.

Answer 4

Yes, Its normal. Fish needs air to. it will be alright