I just got my kids goldfish and they are at the top gasping for air?

Question

I have the goldfish in a Betta Kit.

Answer 1

Change the water, clean the gravel/sand at the bottom. There may be to much ammonia in the water.

Answer 2

Your goldfish have probably been put into a new tank (maybe have been in it for a few days?), so the most likely cause is ammonia poisoning - because the fish gasp at the surface, it make it look as though they have no air. The ammonia comes from their own wastes, and there isn't enough bacteria in the tank to break the wastes down into less toxic substances. You need to do a water change (50%) and replace the water with some of about the same temperature as what's in the tank now. Repeat this again tomorrow. You'll probably need to change the water at least twice a week. I'd recommend at least a 25% change each time (since they're in a small tank) IF the tank their in has a filter. If it doesn't, I'd suggest water changes every other day. Once your tank is cycled (see info in links below), you may be able to do weekly changes of 25% if they're in a filtered tank of at least 10 gallons (but they'll eventually out grow this tank if there's more than one).

Depending on the variety of goldfish (single vs. double tailed types) they can get from 4 to 18 inches long as adults and should have 10 gallons per fish. You'll be needing to upgrade their tank within a few months - that's how quickly goldfish will grow. Most that you see in stores are only a few months old, and goldfish are capable of living for 10+ years.

Answer 3

lack of oxygen...

you need a filter with goldfish.. a betta kitisnt suitable for a goldfish.

The problem is.. you werent infored properly about goldfish. The smallest goldfish will reach 12-14 inches and need no less than a 55 gallon tank with heavy filteration.

Feeder fish... while they are .12 cent ea at most locations. They will end up at 24-25 inches at least. So you need no less than 75 gallons.


The key is the large tank. a betta kit isnt enough.

Sadly to say.. if you dont move the goldfish soon...very soon they will run out of oxygen and die very quickly.

Shame... as you really need to research this info before buying..

Goldfish need at least 55 gallons for two. and a cnaistier filter.

Answer 4

Gold fish and bettas are completly different fish. Betta's can breath air, goldfish need it dissolved in the water(air stone or filter). Gold fish grow to 6" so a betta kit is not the best home for a goldfish. So your goldfish are accually sufficating, they can not breath. They need a fish tank(20-30gal if not bigger) to survive.

Answer 5

Surface Area = Length X Depth
Inches of goldfish = Surface Area / 30

Let's say your tank is 18 inches long, 10 inches deep, and ten inches high. If we multiply the length (18) by the depth (10) we come up with 180 square inches of surface area. Since we need 30 square inches of surface area for each inch of fish, we can keep 6 inches of fish. So I could keep 6 one-inch fish in this tank. Or I could keep 3 two-inch fish in this tank. Or I could keep 2 three-inch fish. Or any combination that adds up to six inches.

I have an 18 gallon tank. Length is 24 inches. Depth is 12 inches. Height is 15 inches. The Surface area is 288 square inches (24 X 12). I divide by 30 (and round down) to get nine inches of fish.

info from The Goldfish Sanctuary
http://www.petlibrary.com/goldfish/goldfish.html

Answer 6

Did you use water conditioner before putting them in the water? If not, this should be done to get rid of chlorine and impurities that are dangerous to fish, and can cause the gasping for air behavior. That's the simplest thing, there are many, many reasons it could be happening. More details about the environment, and/or how long they were in the bowl before they started this could help everyone give better suggestions.

Also, has anything been sprayed in the house? Lysol? Air freshener? etc. This can fall into the water and cause this reaction.

Answer 7

Please don't put goldfish in bowls or Betta kits. Goldfish need at least 10 gallons of water (rule of thumb) each.

For sure, they are gasping for air, they are living in a closet. Temporarily put them in a kitchen basin (or the largest container you have) with an air pump, until you buy a proper tank for them.

Answer 8

One goldfish should be kept in a minimum of 10 gallons and upgrade the tank as it grows. You also have to be aware that before adding fish to any tank, that it has to go through the nitrogen cycle. You can't just dump fish into a tank of water and expect them to live. And the water they need has to be dechlorinated. You should seriously do some research next time before purchasing any fish.

Answer 9

Your water isn't oxygenated enough. I'm guessing that you have no filter, and probably no air pump. They should be in at least a five gallon tank, with at least a filter. Generally, the rule of thumb ( unless you're breeding ) is one gallon per inch of fish. Live plants would be good, also. Basically they can't breathe, and they need to.

Answer 10

Okay, first of all a betta kit is a little too small for goldfish.
Goldfish require at least four cups of water per 1 inch of fish. A five gallon tank with a filter and an aerator is best for four or five goldfish.
Second of all, goldfish can tolerate fairly dirty water, but they can't tolerate chlorine or flouride in their water, two common additives to regular tap water.
You could try to get some De-Chlor drops at the pet store now and add a couple drops to their water and hope they survive, or you could fill a bucket full of water, let it sit for 24 hours for the chlorine to burn off, and put brand-new fish in it while you get yourself a five gallon tank kit.
Or you could put the fish in a bowl with distilled water and see what happens while you prepare their new tank.
Either way, prepare that five gallon tank and fill it with water and let it sit for 24 hours before adding your fish.