Can someone please help, goldfish eating bubbles

[Loulou1]

Hi all, I have asked on here before about my goldfish eating bubbles, I have a fluval U3 and 2 air stones can this really be lack of oxygen and what should I do about it. He will after munching the bubbles swim to the bottom and blow out tiny little bubbles as he goes. Thank you in advance.

 

[PlantedCommunityTank132]

is there a lot of water movement? Because water movement brings a lot of oxygen to the water. He might just be bored

 

[OutsideFoodBlob]

Could just be mistaking bubbles from your air stones for food. My female often does this after I feed them. They get sinking pellets but I think she’s checking to see if she somehow missed something.
When in doubt test your water parameters but it’s not uncommon behavior. If they spend all their time at the surface that could signal an issue.

 

[Loulou1]

Thanks for your replies, there is a lot of water movement which is why it frustrates me as I wouldn’t know how to check if he had enough oxygen. He does it when I’ve fed him, he also does it when I’m sitting next to him and he has a frenzy if he sees me at the kitchen door, so is it all just because he’s waiting for food? If that’s the case I’ll try and relax a bit Thank you again.

 

[OutsideFoodBlob]

Thanks for your replies, there is a lot of water movement which is why it frustrates me as I wouldn’t know how to check if he had enough oxygen. He does it when I’ve fed him, he also does it when I’m sitting next to him and he has a frenzy if he sees me at the kitchen door, so is it all just because he’s waiting for food? If that’s the case I’ll try and relax a bit Thank you again.

The gimme gimme is what I call it but yes I think your fish is anticipating food. Mine are in my room and literally lurk and shimmy at the bottom of the tank directly in my line of sight. I’ve played now you see me now you don’t with a book before and they go into a frenzy of gimmes when I reappear.

 

[Loulou1]

That’s funny, thank you

 

[OutsideFoodBlob]

Hey I did see you posted a similar question in November. He’s got a big tank, good water parameters and plenty of aeration so it is a bit head scratching. Especially because in earlier thread you mentioned he used to rest at the bottom at night and you caught on webcam at the surface overnight.

Can you think of any changes in decor, or any sort of changes you might have made shortly before you first noticed behavior?

My two larger goldfish hate and get stressed about any thing change related. Did you rearrange or change out some decor he liked to rest under? Did you add some painted decor? That could be adding stuff to the water that checking your water parameters won’t reveal. Just some process of elimination suggestions for you.
Lastly, are there any changes outside of tank, lights left on or new location etc of lights? I have fish that will not rest until it’s dark. All lights out. I have one that like 9pm on the dot he’s in his rest spot and doesn’t want to be disturbed by tankmate.
This isn’t to get you back into panic mode about your fish. But it could be something not obvious or doesn’t seem like a big deal like leaving a light on or holiday lights or such.

 

[Loulou1]

Thank you, I have only added in 2 silk plants as he used to just sit under his filter I don’t think he liked the light, I’ve now got him a lamp I put on through the day beside his tank as he doesn’t get direct light where his tank his and now his aquarium light is only on 3 hours in the evening if that as I was having a really bad time with algae, I’m beginning to think he just likes to play me, he has a quirky personality. I’ve watched him and he is hardly ever at the top of the tank now at night, when all the lights are off he appears to just stay at the bottom most of the time (not that I watch him all night of course). Can I also ask as I am so unsure how much to feed him, I think at times I overfeed him as he leans a bit to the left and lies on the bottom of the tank. If I give him small floating pellets I give him 2 in the morning and 2 at night, if I give him flakes I’m so unsure how much to give him maybe half a teaspoon. I also give him shelled peas on a weekend 2 in the morning and 2 at night is this too much?

 

[OutsideFoodBlob]

I don’t really do flake food so much anymore but I would say half a tsp sounds about the same as what I did. If you are worried about swim bladder or sucking air at the surface: I’ve been feeding mine the new life spectrum goldfish pellets. Regular size (which are tiny). I throw in two finger pinches for two fish or 1/8th a tsp or less twice a day.
The pellets are a little pricey but a little goes a long way. They took them right away and don’t look for food at the surface much anymore.

 

[Loulou1]

Ok, I’ll have a look, I tend to feed him foods that float as he has a sand substrate and I don’t want him taking in a lot of sand if the food was to land at the bottom (not that it ever gets much chance to) I know he spits it out he does this all the time when he’s foraging. Thank you so much for your advice this has very helpful and reassuring that my boy is not suffering with lack of oxygen.

 

[OutsideFoodBlob]

Ok, I’ll have a look, I tend to feed him foods that float as he has a sand substrate and I don’t want him taking in a lot of sand if the food was to land at the bottom (not that it ever gets much chance to) I know he spits it out he does this all the time when he’s foraging. Thank you so much for your advice this has very helpful and reassuring that my boy is not suffering with lack of oxygen.

I have sand for all my goldfish as well. It’s fine for them to sift through it. Safer than small stones which they could swallow or choke on. I’d recommend going with a sinking pellet especially if you see listing after eating from the surface. To be fair I tried several other sinking pellets before these and fish did “nom-nom-pfft” to others. Spitting them back out. These ones: they will shoulder each other out of the way to get to them first! So well worth the price.

 

[Loulou1]

I’ll try sinking pellets, not sure if I can the ones you have mentioned as I am in the uk. I changed to sand last year as I had a terrible time when my boy started choking on a stone he would usually just spit them out but this one was stuck and it took us 3 attempts and a pair of tweezers to finally remove it, it was heartbreaking. So I binned all of the stones and replaced with sand.

 

[OutsideFoodBlob]

I’m sure someone has blogged about some comparative brands. If I get time later I’ll try to see what can be kicked up by a google search.
Nightmare fuel! The choking on stone. Good you changed it out for sand.

 

[Loulou1]

Thank you for your replies they have been very helpful