my goldfish is acting weird!!!

[akhtar]

my goldfish is acting weird, hes in a 3g tank (i know its small, i will change this soon) he lies on the floor all day and on his side too i dont want him to die,
pleaseeeee help me

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Akhtar

It's possible that your fish, being too big for the tank, has made the water too dirty to breathe and thrive in. Have you tested the chemicals? (ammonia, nitrite and nitrate)

 

[Cian McLiam]

This is not a good sign, as Inch said, you need to test the water ASAP.
How is he breathing? Is it slow and laboured or really fast?
I have seen a few goldfish recover from this stage in my time, unfortunately very very few...

You could add 1tbsp of Aquarium salt per gallon slowly over an hour or so, dissolving it in a glass of aquarium water first.

Is there a filter in the tank? Goldfish are very messy and require more filtration than your average tropical fish, they dont do well in goldfish bowls in general and I would recommend 50G for two or three as they will soon need all the room they can get. My pond has goldfish in it for the last 18 years. The same fish! They are huge and thrive in the wide open space.

Post back with water params and give the salt a go.

Ken

 

[akhtar]

hello, well, i know hes in a small tank, the other goldfish in with him is doin fine!

now he swims on his side, upside down and everything!

i wish i could test but i have made a big mistake and dont have a test kit

isnt there anyother way of testing the water for amonia, and i do have a powerful filter,

what can i do?

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Akhtar

I'm sorry that your goldfish isn't improving. And like Ken_g_w said, it doesn't sound very good.

The best thing to do is water changes. I would take all the gravel and any decorations out and change all the water every day. Treat them like bettas in an uncycled tank.

This is the way people used to take care of goldfish when they kept them in goldfish bowls. We know better than to do that now, but your tank is too small to keep cycled normally. This is the next best thing, but be sure you keep changing the water.

Keep your eyes open for anything that might work as a bigger home for your goldfish. It doesn't have to be an actual tank, it could be a garbage can or a storage bin or a 5 gallon bucket. Just be sure that it's very clean. If you can take one out of the tank and move it somewhere like that, it would be better for both of them.

Use the salt, too. It is a very good thing for goldfish.

 

[akhtar]

hello inchworm

have been on the net looking it up and it says it is swim bladder disease, can my other goldfish catch this?

and how can i treat it?

what is this aquarium salt witch u speak of? is it normal table salt?

what can i do, ill try find a bigger container

 

[guppygirl]

NO NO NO!!
The salt inchworm is talking about is special aquarium salt. U can get it in practically any fish or pet store. Table salt will kill your fish.
No, swim bladder disease is not contagious. The main cause usually has to do with it's lifestyle.. ya know, what it eats, what the water paramaters are....
Good luck!
Robin

 

[akhtar]

thanks guppygirl!

so whats the cause, whats wrong with the food i give?

 

[Inchworm]

Hi akhtar

A fish can also get swim bladder problems from an injury. Perhaps he got caught up in water that was too rough (like under a filter) or was hurt when he was being caught in a net.

If this is the case, there isn't very much you can do except make him comfortable and wait to see if he recovers on his own.

Table salt comes in two kinds. One is iodized which means they add iodine to it which is a mineral humans need. The other is plain. You can use the plain salt for your fish; it's pure and the same thing as aquarium salt. It should say so on the box if it is iodized.

 

[akhtar]

no need now, hes gone he was killed and disected by my cousin

 

[Inchworm]

Hi akhtar

I'm so sorry to learn about your goldfish.

But, now you can give all your attention to the other one. The important thing now is to take care of him. I know you are doing the very best you can do!

 

[akhtar]

thanks, inchworm

i will try with the other fish, i will give him bak, and exchange for a few whiteclouds

then i think he will be happier ( the lfs are putting him into the pond)

 

[Inchworm]

Hi akhtar

You have made a good decision. It's a sure sign of maturity when you put the well being of another (even if it is a fish) ahead of you own pleasure. I'm proud of you!