Why do goldfish gulp air at the surface

Pond Log in. When you see your fish gasping for air at the surface of your pond immediate action is required. Your fish are not trying to say hello, they are trying to tell you that they are in survival mode. The reason they are at the surface trying to breathe is due to a lack of dissolved oxygen in the water. The low levels of oxygen are mainly due to a lack of aeration or poor water quality, which can then cause the fish to stress.

This stress slows their immune systems and leaves them vulnerable to parasites and disease. But you can avoid this by aerating the water and keeping the water quality crystal clear.

There are many tell-tail signs in fish keeping that the water quality is not correct and if left, could harm your fish and even cause them to die. Why is my goldfish gasping for air? Lack of oxygen in an aquarium is one of the most common issues with goldfish and tropical pet fish. Signs of low oxygen are gasping, lack of hunger, inactive fish and strange swimming behaviors. Consider adding an air pump, increase surface area and increase water movement which will increase oxygen in the water.

Did you know that you can also have too much oxygen in your aquarium? Yes, too much oxygen can lead to lethal gas bubble disease. This is where the fish breathes in over-oxygenated water and it leaches out of their bloodstream creating bubbles in their body tissue. This then appears in the shape of bubbles on the gills, eyes, and fins of your fish.

Water naturally holds oxygen but this is a limited resource. Once it has been depleted your fish will start to suffer. It is known as an exchange because the air and water do a trade swapping CO2 carbon dioxide from the water and O2 oxygen from the air. This is a useful and continuous trade since fish breathe in oxygen and give off carbon dioxide.

Read one of our article on Oxygen and how it can affect your fish. Fish will often go in search of food at the top surface of the water; just like the image at the top of this article. I think you're good to go! Also the pictures don't show any signs of gill flukes, so that's a nice sign. They look nice and healthy! Similar Aquarium Threads C. Question Oranda gulping air.

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