Why Do Goldies Come To Water Surface?

[Guest jsingh]

Why do goldies come to water surface to breath? is that sign of somthing?

[CountryLovah]

Depends on the way they are doing it. If you find your fish GASPING at the surface, as if they are having trouble breathing, then it's definitly not a good sign. It means that there is not enough oxygen in the water. That can happen if the temperature gets too high, if the fish are overcrowded, if there are not enough water changes. Things like that. You can improve this by making sure there is lots of extra aeration. Bubble bars, wands, etc. that give off fine bubbles. You can also lower your water level, so the splash of water coming off the filter is greater, which gives you more surface aggitation, and this provides more oxygen. And make sure you are doing 50% water changes weekly, and that the tank is spacious enough for the number of goldies you have. (10 gallon each for fancies, 20 gallons each for singletailed goldfish).

If the fish are just swimming around the top normal, then it does not have to be a bad thing, as long as everything else is in check. Especially if you have fish that are used to being fed food that floats. My fish are used to getting sinking food for the most part, but if I give them something that floats (like yesterday I gave them krill), they spend the rest of the day swimming around the top looking for more food : )

[lynda441]

Yes, it's a sign, usually, that there is not enough oxygen in the water. This could be because the water temperature is too high which reduces the amount of available oxygen or it could mean that you don't have enough filtration/circulation in the water. Both come down to 1) getting a larger filter (if the one you have isn't powerful enough); 2) reducing the water level in the tank so that the water falls from the filter harder, creating more oxygen; 3) buying an air pump and bubble bar to increase the amount of available oxygen; and/or 4) reducing the temperature in the tank by turning off your lighting and/or setting up a fan to blow across the top of the water and cool it down.

[LuvMuhFred]

also check the PH if it drops they may hang out by the surface. I would recommend checking this first as a PH drop can be catastrophic . If the PH is ok then check above what else has been posted.