Is Fred stressed?

Question
Hi,
For over a year, Fred, which is actually Fredetta, has lived in a bowl in my office.  He lived happily M-F getting a water change but no water treatment once a week. I started suppecting someone at work hurting him on the weekends, but up until the suppected abuse he seemed like a happy, healthy fish.  I decided it would be best for him to come home with me.  In the process of researching his bruises, I found that goldfish really shouldn't be in bowls so I moved him into a 10 gallon condo but only filled it little over half full (he likes to jump and throw water all over).  I have a small Fuval1 filter shooting water down under an UGF bottom, not using the  whole filter system just the bottom plates and a small bubbler in the back of the tank.
Tonight was the first night with the bubbler on and he would only swim the perimiter of the tank. Though he would swim through the bubbles he just seemed a little freaked.  I just turned it off and he is swimming around in the middle of the tank again.  When he was in the bowl he hung out on the side to like he was watching me regardless which side I was on or begging for food and he would seem excited when I got in in the morning. I don't know if these are signs of stress or just Fred being Fred. Right now he is just "pacing" the front of the tank.  I don't really know how he is supposed to act or what else he should be doing but I just wanted to make sure that these are typical behaviors.
I checked all the diseases and he doesn't seem to have any of them.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Steff and Fred

Answer
Hi Steffanie,
It's so good you got fred into an actual aquarium rather than a bowl. He sounds a little uneasy or stressed in the new tank. Its such a new thing for him. Does he have plants and places to hide somewhat? He may be pacing because he sees his reflection on the glass too. ;-)

But on the serious side, likely there is some ammonia buildup since this is a new tank. All new aquariums take 4-6 weeks to fully cycle, which simply means establishing enough beneficial bacteria in the gravel bed and all surfaces to sufficiently and consistently control the ammonia produced by the fish. First the bacteria convert ammonia into nitrite, this process takes time. And nitrite is still somewhat toxic. But later, more bacteria develop to convert the nitrite into safe nitrate. And that's the bacteria's continual cycle of controlling the ammonia level. Established/cycled tanks will almost always have a reading of ZERO for ammonia and nitrites and nitrates should be kept at around 20 or less.

Of course, you can test for all of these at home or bring a sample to your petstore.

If he isn't gasping or breathing heavily even at rest then likely he is OK. I would go ahead as a precaution and do a 30-50% water change. Please make sure to use water conditioner every time. Unless you are 100% certain that your water has no chlorine or chloramines. Heavy metal traces in the water can also be harmful to fish. Water conditioners of course will control that and prevent it.

I really hope this helps and best of luck to you and Fred!
Karen~