I have a single fin tailed goldfish that I had found abandoned after a fair.  His other two friends, also found in the container, had died from suffocation because I only had a bowl and not enough money to buy a tank.  

Now I have a ten gallon tank, and have bought a "fancy" goldfish which lives in there with him, as well as a small pleco.  All are young fish... the fancy goldfish is about an inch long, the fair goldfish an inch and a half, and the pleco is about two inches.

I have a bubbler with a blue stone attached to the end which is in the tank.  The tank has a filter which stays on, and a temperature gauge on the side.  The temperature is around 74 currently, but was 78 for a day or too, and brought down to 76 yesterday with a fan blowing over the surface, and 74 today with the whole surface being open (the light, which was off, was removed).  I'm not sure if this is accurate since it is the stick-on type and the air in the room is usually warm.  The water feels fairly cool to the touch.  

My fair goldfish spends about 70% of his time sucking air at the surface, and I have read that this is due to a lack of oxygen in the water.  I have tried all I could... I lowered the water level to about two inches below the filter's output, I have bought and used the correct amount of amonia clearing tablet in case there is amonia in the water.  I have checked the pH and it is fine.  The fancy goldfish doesn't suck air from the surface... only the fair goldfish.

I know that 10 gallons for these two goldfish is just slightly on the low side, I would buy a larger tank but I don't have any money at all, and spent the last of it on equipment and supplies for these fish.

I really don't know what else to try.  In the week and a half since they've been in this tank, I have changed the water 1/4-1/5 of the tank several times.  The tank's original thermostat was apparently broken, and much of this water changing was an attempt to make sure the water was warm enough, as it felt cold to the touch and I mistakenly believed the water was too cold.  I understand that cooler water holds oxygen better... In the first couple days of having the tank, when the water temperature was unknown, a third fish I had bought for the tank wasn't eating and had died (I think he suffered trauma when poured into a small plastic container at nnnnnn).  The water changing and attempted heating was an effort to get this third fish to eat, as I had read that the water being too cold can cause a fish to not eat.  The fair fish was not sucking air at the surface at this time either.  To make a long story somewhat short, I had had a heater in there and the water must have gotten extremely hot for them, as it felt warm to the touch.  I immediately removed the heater, and as soon as I could get to a supply store such as nnnnnn, I bought a working thermometer for the side of the tank.  Now the water feels cool or slightly cold, and the temp. gauge reads 74, which brings me back to the start of this forum entry.

The fair fish seems to be lacking in oxygen, and the other fancy fish seems okay.  The other important thing to note is today, for the first time, both fish seemed much less interested in eating (usually they eat immediately until the food is gone.)  I don't know what else to try to ensure these fish are healthy.  I have tried to read as much as I can about goldfish health, and I see no signs of ick or other problems like that.  

Any advice?  Thanks...

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NOTE: I also have aqua-safe tap water dechlorinator, and have been using it with water replacements.

Hi Bryan,

The temperature and dissolved oxygen content of your tank is, unfortunately, the least of your worries.

There are a number of problems that you have with your setup. 10 gallons for a common, a fancy, AND a pleco is DEFINITELY not enough. You've done so well to rescue them, but if you want to safeguard their health you simply MUST get them into a bigger container. Rubbermaid containers are great substitutes for tanks and could save your fish's life. The water in their tank gets toxic VERY quickly because it is very overstocked, so even your water changes aren't helping. You will have to change out 75-100% of your water daily to keep the levels of toxins low.

Your common, single-tailed goldfish needs 20 gallons, and your fancy goldfish needs 10 gallons. The pleco needs about 10 gallons as well, as they grow HUGE and make a lot of waste. Please do not buy any more fish for your tank! You mentioned that a third fish had died soon after purchasing. You simply cannot keep that many goldfish in a 10 gallon tank, no matter what the pet store staff will tell you.

Could you give us some more information about your filter? For one fancy goldfish in a 10gallon tank, we recommend having a filter that pumps 100 gallons per hour or more. With your setup, I would suggest a new filter (or multiple filters) for a total of 400GPH or more.

Do you know about the nitrogen cycle? The nitrogen cycle is a natural process that keeps the levels of toxins (ammonia and nitrite) low by converting it into the less harmful nitrate. Nitrate is removed by regular water changes. If your tank is not cycled, your fish are experiencing dangerously high levels of ammonia and/or nitrite. Large, daily water changes must be done to get the fish through the cycling process safely. Please read the link; it will give you all you need to know about cycling.


As for your original question, it is unlikely that your fish's gasping behavior is due to low oxygen content in the water, especially if you have an aerator in your tank. It is almost 100% certain that poor water quality is affecting the health of all your fish. Once your water parameters are under control, if the behavior continues you might want to start looking at flukes treatment. HOWEVER your water quality should be your #1 priority!! Medications and ammonia in an uncycled tank is lethal combination for fish.

I hope this was helpful. Please post back any questions you have and we can certainly help you.

Hello Bryan - Welcome to Koko's.

It sounds like your common goldfish may have some gill damage associated with past exposure to high levels of ammonia or nitrite -- probably before you got him. This damage can take weeks or months to heal and in the meantime your fish is not able to extract oxygen from the water normally, even if there is plenty of oxygen in the water. The best thing that you can do for your fish at this point is maintain perfect water for long enough for the damage to heal.

I can certainly understand your financial limitations. Unfortunately, a ten gallon tank is not adequate for your fish. Common goldfish need 20 gallons each and fancy goldfish and plecos need 10 gallons each. Is it possible for you to get a large Rubbermaid storage container to keep your fish in until you can afford a 40 gallon aquarium? In ten gallons it will be next to impossible to maintain the water parameters that your common will need in order to heal his gills.

Keep us posted.

Edited to say -- Joy, we were posting at the same time!

Good one Kristen--- gill damage hadn't occurred to me. Until the water parameters are straight, however, there's no way to tell what's causing the gasping.

Very good advice girls

I would do an immediate very large water change - at least 75%. Do not wait, as your fish are almost certainly in dangerously high levels of ammonia.
Next, buy a test-kit and start testing your water every day. Ammonia and nitrite must be kept as close to zero as possible.
Lastly, in your shoes, I would consider returning the pleco if you can. The main reasons being that (a) plecos are very unsuitable tank mates for goldies as they soon get a taste for their slime-coats and creep up on them at night, (b) plecs like goldies are huge ammonia producers and in fact require closer to 30 - 50gals depending on type - they can grow huge!
Can you tell us how long this tank has been running and when you introduced the new fish? The increased temperature allows any incoming parasites on an unquarantined fish to breed more quickly and goldfish do not in fact need heat at all, being freshwater fish - the higher the temp, the lower the oxygen content.
It is great that you have rescued this poor fish and if you stick with the forum, you'll learn about how to keep him well and happy. You can read the two links below my signature to get you started on the basics.

Thanks for your quick responses everyone.  

I can definitely see about returning the pleco, I was uninformed about the size of the tank and the other issues associated with them and these fish.  I have been doing water changes, yesterday after viewing your responses I changed the water 50% on two different occasions, and today I changed it 75%.  Even immediately after the water change, the fish are still gasping at the surface.  

I also have ammonia-clear tablets which presumably lower the ammonia level as well as any chlorine and chloramine.  Should I be using these tablets regularly?  It says 1 tablet per 10 gallons, and that it can be safely used up to 2x for high ammonia levels.  I will purchase a test kit as soon as possible, but I need to wait for a paycheck.  How often can I use these tablets safely / do they work as advertised?  I know that the only way to truly know is to test with a kit, but I am trying to do the best I can before I am able to purchase one.   

Should I be syphoning through the gravel and trying to get as much waste and debris as possible removed during these water changes?  I had read that there are bacteria and that sort of thing that need to grow in the tank and I wasn't sure if such frequent and large water changes would disrupt that, but apparently that is the least of my concerns.  

In response to the last post... the tank was immediately set up and the fish placed inside... I was unaware of the cycle and the fact that one should leave the tank for at least 24 hours before the fish are put into it.  

Is there anything else I should be doing in the meantime?  The fish still gasp at the surface, no matter what combination of large water changes / ammonia tablets I use (with or without the tablets I mean.)  

I may be able to acquire a 30 gallon tank soon, I'm just trying to do all I can in the meantime.

Also, I just noticed today that the fancy goldfish has a large brown spot on her stomach, or the lowest part of the fish facing down.  Is this due to nitrite poisoning or is it fungal?  I have read different things.  Thanks...

About the last reply... upon farther checking, I was mistaken about the brown spot. The fish's vibrant orange color is less vibrant on the bottom, more of a less saturated orange-yellow which looked brown in the light I was in.

I went to a petstore to purchase the testing kit, but they were unfortunately sold-out.  Without realizing they were for a specific kind of filter, I purchased an AquaClear BioMax filter insert, which apparently aids in the developing of usefull bacteria which reduce ammonia and nitrite, and I also bought the same brand Ammonia Remover filter insert.  My filter doesn't have sections for these small bags... should I still place them in the filter?  I don't know if these products would even be beneficial, but the fish are still gasping so I'm trying anything I can.  Thanks

If the BioMax fits into your filter, then it is fine to add it. It won't benefit you immediately (it will take weeks for enough bacteria to grow on it to keep your ammonia and nitrite under control) but it is good to get started on growing this beneficial bacteria ASAP. You actually should avoid the ammonia remover insert. It will remove all the ammonia and prevent you from ever establishing the beneficial bacteria that you need in a healthy aquarium. The other problem with these inserts is that they eventually get saturated with ammonia and suddenly stop absorbing any more ammonia. Then your ammonia spikes dangerously high and you are taken unaware because you have been lulled into a false sense of security.

As you are getting your ammonia under control the best/most helpful product will be AmQuel+ (combined with lots of water changes). It will convert your ammonia (and eventually nitrite) into a form that is not harmful to your fish but is still available to feed the beneficial bacteria. You can use it between daily water changes to keep your ammonia/nitrite from rising too high.

K, I removed the ammonia reducing insert.  I will pick up some of the AmQuil+ as soon as I can.  I will be getting a 30 gallon tank tomorrow possibly, but I have a question or two about that as well.  

The tank was previously used as a mouse habitat for two mice.  I understand that I cannot wash it with soap if I plan to use it for fish, so what is the best way to fully wash it?  I have read online that you can use salt.

I do not have enough money to get a larger filter for it yet, so I will have to use the filter that is on the 10 gallon tank (which I know little about.)  Is there anything else I need to do/know before setting up this larger tank?  The fish are currently gasping at the surface almost non-stop, so I would like to move them to a larger container as quickly as possible.  

Even with two 50-75% water changes in one day, the fish still gasp at the surface.  I guess the water changes aren't enough to create livable water, if even only for a short time.  I'm not sure if they have gill damage or other damage which causes this... but I wish I could provide them with at least temporary relief.

You're doing a great job for your fish.

If I were you, I would use a 1 part plain bleach to 9 parts water solution to clean the tank. Let it soak for a while -- maybe 30 minutes or so -- and then rinse, rinse, rinse until it has no more chlorine smell. But is this a tank that was intended for rodents or for fish? Rodent tanks are not reinforced as strongly as fish tanks because they are not intended to hold water. You would hate to get the tank all set up and full and then have it spring a leak.

Your fish will be better off in the 30 gallon tank, even if it is with the 10 gallon filter. Often the big box pet stores will have pretty good sales on one brand or filter or another once a month or so. Keep an eye out for one of those so that you can pick up a 300-400 gph filter ASAP for less than $40.

But what I really think that you need is a test kit. Hopefully your pet store will get them back in stock soon. That way you are not trying to manage this whole situation blind. Even with perfect water parameters, your fish may continue to gasp for a while if they have gill damage. Gasping can also be a symptom of parasites, but I think the priority now is to get your water quality under control.

The 30 gallon tank is definitely a fish tank, it was just being used for the mouse because no one had fish at the time.  I will try what you had suggested to clean it.  All this will hopefully occur tomorrow, and I will also have a ride tomorrow which will broaden my pet store possibilites, so I should be able to get a test kit as well.  I will also try to take back the pleco.  Is there anything else I need to do to prepare the fish tank before putting these guys in it after it is cleaned?  

I agree, the bleach solution on the tank will work. I've done that many times.

The fish are probably still showing signs because gill damage has long term effects. Hopefully once they've been in clean water for some time, they will heal and begin acting normally.

To prepare the tank, make sure the temperature is close to what the other tank was, and definitely dechlorinate. Acclimate the fish from the old to the new tank by floating them in a bag or bucket in the new tank and slowly mixing the old with the new water. You want to be careful not to shock them. Also add as much of the old decor to the new tank (after the dechlorinated water is in) which will have beneficial bacteria on it and that will help to cycle the new tank as well.

Just two more thoughts:

If the tank is acrylic and has been cleaned with disinfectant during cage changes, it may have absorbed chemicals which could potentially poison the fish. This is why we always emphasize the importance of using new buckets, for water changes, that haven't been used for household cleaning. If you think this might be a danger then you can just as easily use a plastic storage crate which is cheap to buy.

If you plan to buy AmQuel, be sure to get a salycilate based test-kit (this is one like API which uses a yellow to green colour chart); nessler kits (those using yellow>gold colours, like Hagen) are disrupted by AmQuel and will give false readings.

Fingers crossed for you.

The other tank was never cleaned with disinfectant, only with dish soap.  I wasn't able to return the pleco to the corporate store it was purchased from, because of contamination liability they said... but I was able to find a local pet store that was happy to take it.  The 10 gallon tank is working better for the two goldfish... I removed some of the decor and syphoned all of the gravel under it, in areas that were hard to reach before, and since then they have had an easier time in the water.  They haven't been gasping at the surface as much since then.  I will be cleaning the 30 gallon tank with 1 part bleach to 9 parts water as directed and transferring them sometime soon.  Thank you all for your help.