My goldfish is constantly gulping .

Question
My goldfish is constantly gulping at the surface of his 1 gallon jar.He has not always done this. We've had him for at least 6 months. Does he need more oxygen or is he super hungry? The water has some conditioner in it. His water is usually changed every 10 days or so, but last time  it was 2 weeks at least.It was really smelly and cloudy.  How do I increase oxygen quickly if that's it?     Thanks  

Answer
Hi Kathy;

He is suffocating because his gills are burning from ammonia in the water. Ammonia comes from fish waste. Goldfish really need a regular aquarium with a filter. Get a 10 gallon or larger and he will be much happier. Change his bowl at least twice a week until you can get a new home for him. You will notice him being able to breathe better because his gills aren't being damaged so much. He may have grown some since you first got him and that's why he seems to be suffering all of a sudden. He is weaker too from lack of oxygen. He will do better. Just get him that bigger tank soon.

More followups always welcome

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins

Come on over and join us on the freshwater fish forum at About.com to get even more information too;
http://freshaquarium.about.com/od/questionsanswers/a/naavigateforum.htm

My member name is ChrisR62. See You There!