Does Anyone Know Why Goldfish Do This?

[Seb R]

Hi

I been recently wondering, why do goldfish, when they seem to be ill, hang around and swim just below the surface of the water. I have seen this a couple of times when my fish got ill and usually treated them successfully.

I just seems odd for a sick fish being at the top of the water, where they are most vulnerable.

Any scientific people know the reason?


SeB

 

[debiasir]

my sick fish usually hide in the bottom far corners near the filters

 

[sylvia]

That's where oxygen is most concentrated and I would suspect that these illnesses you are reffering to were water quality related. It's the same as why fish gasp for air. Hiding in corners as described by the previous poster would be a more reasonable response to avoid attracting attention to itself but fish suffering due to bad water quality will risk attracting attention in favour of living a little longer.

That's where oxygen is most concentrated, ammonia/nitrite/nitrate least concentrated and the water is warmest and I would suspect that these illnesses you are reffering to were water quality related. It's the same as why fish gasp for air. Hiding in corners as described by the previous poster would be a more reasonable response to avoid attracting attention to itself but fish suffering due to bad water quality will risk attracting attention in favour of living a little longer.