Why are they at the top of the tank?

Question

I just bought a gallon tank and two small goldfish from walmart. They have a little castle which they are almost always in but today they are at the top just sitting there (not dead). I thought maybe they were hungry even though i feed them earlier so i put a few flakes in there and they ate a little but they are still at the top. It's kinda of scaring me =[ And also the water is cloudy and I just put it in there yesterday and put something in there to kill all the bad stuff, (the lady told me to do it at the store). I am scared if I change the water it mite scare them to death since i just bought them yesterday and it was kind of a long ride home. Is this normal? I have never had fish before.

Answer 1

Change the water. Toxins such as Ammonia (NH3) and Nitrite (NO2) build up quickly in a 1 gallon tank. A tank that small has no way to deal with the toxins so, you'll have to change most of the water daily in a tank this small.

One gallon is not large enought to keep 2 Goldfish, or even one.

Answer 2

They are at the top because there isn't enough oxygen in a bowl that size for them. 1 gallon is just too small for goldfish (or any other fish, in my opinion.)

They will continue to get sick and suffer and eventually die unless you change their water immediately (make sure the new water is the same temperature as the old) AND buy them a new, bigger tank with a strong filter as soon as possible. And I mean tomorrow if you can.

If you can't afford at least a 35 gallon set-up if it's 2 fancy doubletailed goldfish, or a 100 gallon set-up (or better, a pond) if it's 2 common feeder type goldfish, you should probably just take them back so you don't have to watch them die.

I'm sorry. :( I don't mean to sound harsh, but goldfish are so misunderstood. The stores are 100% cruel to sell them to people with those tiny bowls and not TELL you these things. Actually, they sell living creatures and most of the time don't even know themselves what it takes to keep them alive.

Answer 3

First off, don't EVER again buy fish from Walmart.....bad idea and most of them die rather quickly (sorry). Second, cute little baby goldfish can and will eventually turn in to 2 very very big cute goldfish who's tails will be hanging out of the top of the 1 gallon tank quicker then you can blink (little humor thrown in there!!) My 5 cute little 1" goldfish eventually turned into MONSTER goldfish who were about 8-12" in length (and bigger) and since I was in a small condo, I eventually had to donate them to a protected lake for goldfish and koi (a really neat setup in our town, and there are actually guards there protecting them!).
Anyway, fish get stressed, especially when bringing them home to a new setting, so it may take them a few days to get acclimated and then hopefully you will see a difference. Goldfish are naturally messy fish (nicknamed pigfish), and without a filtration system you may run in to problems with ammonia spikes, etc., just from the amount of waste they put out. They really do need a bigger tank with a filtration system, unfortunately. The Walmart associate should have told you that. If you cannot get a bigger tank for them, it's really going to be the "luck of the draw" as to what happens with them, I'm so sorry to say.
An option you have if you lose your fish (I hope not), or do wind up getting a better set up for them, is that there are beautiful fish called betta's that can live alone in a 1 gallon tank like you have. They still need care and partial water changes, etc., but the do not necessarily need a filtration system. An airstone wouldn't hurt, but isn't necessary. My daughter's betta lives just fine in a 1 gallon tank and is really quite happy.
I hope everything works out for you, and if things don't turn out well with the goldfish, perhaps you might want to do some research online as to what type of fish and/or setup would be best for you. It's better to be educated PRIOR to buying fish then after you get them home and then are at a loss because something goes wrong. But at least you will have learned a lesson from it all.
I hope your little goldfish turn out to be fine and that you enjoy them for a long long time! Best of luck!!

Answer 4

in your case it actually doesn't matter if you get the fish from walmart or a pet store because goldfish simply don't belong in a bowl
It's a shame that they sell these bowls for a goldfish and they should be forbidden IMO, it's not a proper home for even a betta

Since you have 2 goldfish, you will need to get at least a 20 gallon tank to house them properly, 1 goldfish needs at least 10 gallons to start off with

They don't need a heater, but they do need a filter to survive

Since you have the goldfish already, you won't be able to cycle your tank properly because your goldfish need oxygen right away


This is an EMERGENCY SOLUTION AND NOT RECOMMENDED FOR OTHERS

Get the tank, set it up and don't for get to condition your water

Let it sit for at least 12 hours, until you see no more bubbles going up on the inside of the tank
Once there are no more bubbles, you can introduce your goldfish
you will also need to get a master test kit which includes ammonia, nitrite and nitrate in liquid form
you will need to check your levels daily, to keep the ammonia in control, because when your tank is finally cycled you will have 0 nitrites and ammonia, but will have nitrate readings
you will need to perform daily partial waterchanges of 10% to keep your goldfish healthy, once your tank is cycled you keep up with weekly partial waterchanges of 25% with a gravel siphon
here is a link on what you will need
http://fishlesscycling.com/articles/new_aquarium_needs.html
and a caresheet for goldfish
http://fishlesscycling.com/articles/caring_for_your_goldfish.html



Hope that helps
good luck


EB


Feel free to email me if you need further help

Answer 5

How long has the tank been established? Sounds like a bacteria ploom the is consuming the O2 in the water. Do a fifty percent water change asap. Do not feed the fish for two or three days and try not to use any more wall mart water treatments for now, except chlorine removing substances. Email me if needed

Answer 6

One gallon is FAAAAAR to small for two gold fish. 10 gallons would be to small. Unfortunately keeping fish isn't as easy as "just add water" and you are totally unprepared and most likely will have dead fish within 48 hours.

I strongly suggest you do some reading and start over again in the future.

http://www.hagen.com/pdf/aquatic/bag.pdf
http://www2.tetra.de/tet_internet_import/import_data/The%20fascination%20of%20aquariums_GB_2006_T062048.pdf
Here's two good free books. Get a tank from WalMart, like a 14 and enroll in Tetra Care. They will help you over the phone for nothing. There's nothing quite like it.

Answer 7

well the fish are stresed out, how long did you leave the water to sit for before adding the fish? and what type of chemicals did you use?
ifyou used a chlorine remover that should be administered 6 hours before hte fish are to be put into the tank.
All fish water should be room temperature before addingthe fish,
i wouldnt bother the fish that much, keep the light on the tank off, in a couple of says i would remove some of the water and add fresh water, dont add anymore chemicals, you could have over dosed the tank.

Walmart fish suck, you would have been better to buy your fish from a pet store where they guarantee their fish.

You could also take a smaple of water to your local pet store and they should do a free water test. for ph and such

good luck

Answer 8

you need a filter to syphon chlorine out of water ask pet store for a product called water safe
you can part change water by taking out half of what is there and replacing with clean water (careful of temp) fish are suseptible to temp changes
the fish will stay close to top for many reasons they could be adjusting to size of tank and location or because not enough air in water place a water curtain onto pump looks good and aerates water dont over feed them as they will eat for sake of eating and could poison themselfs and any waste flakes can cause problems later

Answer 9

It is perfectly natural for your tank to cloud up. It will get so cloudy you almost wont be able to see the fish but dont worry. It is a natural biological process that must take place for you to have a healthy tank and fish. As far as the fish staying put, they are probably adapting to their new home. If it concerns you, take a sample of your tank water back to the pet store and have them test it for you. It could be there's too much of one chemical and not enough of another. Generally speaking, they do like to stay at the top but they will also swim around. They will usually busily pick the gravel for food. Also like most fish, they like room to grow. So consider getting at least a 10 gallon tank.

Answer 10

Well first of all I wouldn't get fish at walmart I've got fish from them before and mine died. I would get them at a pet store were the people really know about fish and how to take care of them right. If these die (Not saying they will but IF) they die don't buy more from walmart, go to a pet store.