my goldfish has just started swimming on its side, i fear the worst, can anything be done?

Answer 1

sorry-i fear the worse

Answer 2

The above answers (the ones which actually addressed the problem) are all deffinite possibilities. He could have a swim bladder infection, or air in his stomach. Goldfish like their water temperatures in the upper 70's, so make sure his temp is ok. Also, do a water test for Ph, Ammonia, Nitrates and Nitrites to make sure everything is going ok there. If all of these things are fine, and he's not actually ill, it may be something much simpler than that. The most common problem I've ever seen with goldfish when they start floating on their stomachs of having problems swimming is constipation. And it seems to happen a lot more with flake foods than pellet foods or fresh foods. It's fairly easy to correct, though. Just go to your local grocery store and buy some frozen peas. It doesn't matter what brand they are, just as long as they're not in any kind of sauce or liquid. When you get home, open the bag and take out about 5 or 6 peas, and let them defrost and thaw out completely. After they've thawed, microwave them for about 15-20 seconds, so the middles are easier for the fish to eat, and let them cool. Then pinch the middles out, so you don't have any skins. Feed the middles to the fish. The fiber from the peas will clean his system right out, and he should start swimming normally again in no time.

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

QUARANTINE! Set up a quarantine tank- swim bladder problems can be caused by all sorts of things including infections and viruses- if you have other fish you must seperate them. I have successfully saved fish from this point. In the quarantine tank, treat him with salt water, and the chemical methylene blue. This is a powerful disinfectant, and oxygenator. Follow directions carefully, as a little goes a long way. It is important to do this is a seperate tank, as it will kill aquarium plants. Keep him quarantined for a few days until he starts to improve. You can the return him to his fishy friends once he is free of symptoms. Do a water change on the main tank, too. Regular water changes can help reduce the risk of such things. Poor water quality is often to blame.

Answer 4

Sounds like swim bladder infection. Your local pet-shop should stock fish remedies made by Interpet- they really do work. Get swimbladder treatment as fast as you can, and follow the instructions inside rhe box. Good luck- it has twice saved fish for me, but be aware that it is a serious problem and your fish could still die- but theres no harm in giving it a chance, is there?

Answer 5

Unless you want to pay a LOT of money, just make sure the tank is clean, or try putting it in a special different container. It could have gotten poisoned accidently from a perfume, soap or lotion. It is really easy to make a small mistake like that and contaminate the water. Sorry.

Answer 6

could be swimbladder problems, sometimes they end up swimming upside down or can't get off the bottom of the tank. You could try: (1) slight increase in water temperature (2) weak salt support (use dissolved cooking salt with no chemical additives, not table salt, dissolve in warm water) 1 tsp/UK gallon for general aquarium use, up to 27 tsps for short term salt dip, tho I've never tried this strength (3) increase amount of daphnia or worms to improve digestion, can be bought frozen (best) or live (if good source) or dried
Good luck: I'd go for salt as it helps in a wide range of fish illnesses

Answer 7

sounds like swim bladder problem this acts like the ballast tank in a submarine helping to keep it on an even keel, you can buy a treatment for this at any good petshop , usually has good results.

Answer 8

yes actuly you can cure this. your fish probably has swim bladder problems. if you feed your fish flakes, thats probably what, the fish is probably gulping down air when it comes up to get it's food, throwing of it's balence. but i warn you if you get sinking pellets they are full of air so soke them before you give them to the fish. or you can thaw frozen peas and peel the outer shell. cut them in half and feed them to the fish.

Answer 9

Sometimes they can get air in their stomach which throws off thier balance and will cause them to do this.If this has been the only concern lately it will just fix itself.Otherwise, I would call your local petsmart or petstore near you and ask them their opinion to be sure. good luck!

Answer 10

fraid not it's got a 1 way ticket to goldfish heaven

Answer 11

could be swim bladder problem but you can get remedy from pet store to put in the water