I have a few questions about my fish. Please help. (Pictures Included)?

Question

I just bought an Oranda Goldfish (I believe thats what they are called.). I currently have him/her in a 1gallon undergravel filtered tank by Top Fin. Sorry, I dont know the exact name. Here's a picture of my fish, and a video. (Don't mind the loud noise in the background of the video, it was from my very noisy air conditioner.)

Video:
http://s198.photobucket.com/albums/aa7/Ali-Brown/fishy/?action=view¤t=8c8727bd.flv

Picture:
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa7/Ali-Brown/fishy/100_1003.jpg

Sorry, the picture isn't so good. Chino is a fast swimmer. I will be upgrading to a bigger tank soon. Ok, so what I wanted to know is how many times a week should I clean the tank? Also, sorry if this sounds stupid, but how do you know if a fish is a boy or a girl? Finally, is it normal for a fish to go up to the top of the tank (like in the video) and eat the bubbles? Will he/she get sick from that?

Thanks, Ali.

Also, is it normal for the fish to lay on the bottom and not really move for a little bit? And does anyone know how to reduce all the bubble staying at the top of the tank, because there isnt even one clear spot.

Answer 1

If you want your fish to be heathly and live a happy life then you need to upgrade to a 10 gal minimum and a 20 in the future, His organs will grow and his body will not, called stunting its growth - He will die in about a year if kept in that small tank. and do 2 x 25% water changes a week.

Answer 2

You should clean at least once a week. Since you probably didn't cycle the tank before adding the fish, you may get ammonia building up in the water, so you might want to do small water changes (about 20% of the volume) twice a week. If not you fish might develop ammonia poisoning.

You may not be able to tell Chino's gender for a while - a goldfish needs to be at least a year old, and then, you can only tell when the fish is in spawning condition. The males will get small white dots on the covers over the gills and along the front edges of the side fins. There's also a difference in the shape of the vent. This link has photos of what to look for: http://www.bristol-aquarists.org.uk/goldfish/info/sexing-fs.htm

It probably won't hurt if he eats a few bubbles, since all fish seem to like the novelty of air - they probably think it's food. But if you notice your fish having trouble swimming up or down, it might have a problem with it;s swim bladder, an internal organ that holds air. Here's more about that: http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/Swim%20Bladder%20Disorder.html

Glad you're going to get a larger tank as well.


NOTE: If your filter or airstone is making bubbles and they aren't popping on their own within a few minutes, this may be due to your water conditioner, or a buildup of dissolved organic material in the water - another reason to be doing regular water changes.

Answer 3

Hi Ali, thanks for posting the pictures & video of Chino he or she is very sweet! I'm glad to hear you are upgrading to a larger tank soon, you mention about Chino going up to the top of the tank a lot-Goldfish are very energetic & at the moment he really hasn't got much choice but to go up & down (I'm sorry if I sound harsh!) but yes, it's fine but as soon as you get him a bigger tank you will find he will be swimming lengthways as much as up & down, 20 gallons with a lid & filter would be good.

There are many things to bear in mind to keep Goldfish healthy & rather than go through them all in this post have a look at the attached link-it tells you everything. Some of the most important points to note are water test kits, water conditioner & partial water changes-all covered in the link-best of luck to you & Chino!

Answer 4

Actually, your fish needs space in order to be a better swimmer. You have to clean your tank like two to three times a week or when you see a lot of alge on the glass. To find out wether the fish is a boy or a girl, that's not important actually... and the bubbles don't harm the fish I guess... it goes up to breathe. When it is down on the rocks, its normal for the fish to rest on the ground after swimming a lot. Good Luck.

Answer 5

All 3 fish seem to have reached their limit in growth and would be better off in the tank in the first picture[old tank] and needs a filter. 1 pinch of flakes per day would be starving them...once in the morning and once in the evening with big flakes.

Answer 6

Your tank is probably just to small and the bubbles don't have time to dissipate yes a fish can get air or gas traped in there intestant causing them to flote upside down

Answer 7

Aone gallon tank should be cleaned EVERY week goldfish are alittle messy try not to overfeed.I used to raise them and never keep more than 6 in a 10 gallon tank.Yours is very pretty and the fish looked happy.Don't worry about the air that normal.Now on gold fish can't tell you if its male or female.They are egg layers so chances of getting too many is about zero.Enjoy your new pet,I have guppies.

Answer 8

hi no he wont get sick from the bubbles it just gives them more oxygen. from the vidio he seems very happy and you should clean the tank once a week i hope all goes well

Answer 9

one water change a week will be fine

thinnk about getting a bigger tank

Answer 10

no the bubbles are a source of oxygen