my fish has been acting strange (gold fish).?

Question

my fish has been acting strange (gold fish). i just went to feed them and this one just stayed sitting at the bottom. he's been strange for a few days. is still breathing. is he gonna die or what can i do?

its tail looks sort of split? he hasnt hurt himself though (is nothing he could do this on) the fish tank is extremely clean. i feed them twice a day (its a huge tank) only six fish. all the others are fine. he just looks like he is sleeping at the bottom. i hope he doesnt die

Answer 1

OK first of all I assume these are his only symptoms and he isn't upside down or covered in white spots or similar? I'm also assuming that the aquarium is clean and healthy (the fac thtat it is only one fish that is ill suggests this anyway).

Is he a new addition to the bowl? If so, I would suggest that you take him out and pop him in a second container - firstly if he has something that is contagious he won't pass it on to your other fish and secondly fish often "pick on" ill fish which won't help matters. To do this, make sure you fill the container with water from the bowl he is kept in - if you fill it with fresh water the shock of being transfered won't help either. When transfering him, if you can use a container not a net so he is not out of the water for long but you must be very gentle when handling him this way and make sure that he doesn't bang against the sides when you pick up the container.

His symptoms don't immeadiately suggest any common fish disease that I can think of so I would suggest that you look him over carefully and see if there are any other symptoms and let us know so we can help. Other than that it is just a case of waiting to see how he does.

EDIT : Just had a thought - by sitting at the bottom of the tank he could b having swim bladder problems. Goldfish can get this for various reasons, one of which is if they are constipated - have you changed their food recently? If so change it back. Also try feeding it thawed out frozen peas (you must remove the skin of the pea first) - it flushes their system through (yuk!).

EDIT AGAIN: OK if the tail looks split it could be tail rot - you MUST quarentine the fish as soon as possible - you don't want it spreading. Do the edges of the split look white or ragged? If they are white it could be advanced fungal tail rot, if more ragged it extreame bacerial fin rot. The first is treated by stuff called malacite green - any local fish shop should have it. The second with anitbiotics (tetra make a food with antibiotics in it if it is eating). You fon't want to go down the antibiotic route until you are sure as they don't work reliably and can kill the fish anyway. Alternatively, it could be that another fish has attacked it and split the tail.

The route I would take is to seperate the fish from the rest and, if it is fungal tail rot treat it. Otherwise, observe for another day - if there is no improvement while the fish is away from the other, use the antibiotics.

Answer 2

It might just be resting,but it sounds like it might be going to die.I have tropical fish and i always know when im losing one cos it goes near the pump and just stays there,then usually in a couple of days i find it dead.I also have 1 goldfish in a different tank and it is now massive.Ive had it 5 yrs and honestly its enormous lol.There is some salt you can get from a fish shop which can help if they are feeling a bit ill,my friend uses it all the time.Maybe you should go to your local aquarium and have a word with them.......good luck and i hope its ok.

Answer 3

Sounds like a sick fish to me. If you want to try to save it, then you'll need to buy a small tank to use as a sick tank. Fill it half full with the water from your tank & half full with water from the tap mixed with a small amount of boiled water from the kettle (to take the cold edge off of it). You can also buy a special aqua salt from the aquarium that will help to clean out any impurities from the water. Place your fish in the tank and then hope for the best. Good luck.

Answer 4

you truly want a tank slightly better so which you have got a clear out gadget working. Even getting a 5 gallon hooking up a clear out gadget will help him incrediably. the clarification in the back of him on the appropriate is in all probability through fact he's starved of oxygen. in case you insist approximately conserving the bowl upload a air pump. in case you do no longer want to do this the two do a minimum of a water substitute a week. on the subject of the feeding, fish are continuously begging for nutrition. because their isn't any clear out gadget to help clean the water be certain you in basic terms feed him as quickly as an afternoon and do away with each and all of the uneaten nutrition. After cahnging the water he sits on the backside he's merely pouting, a touch under pressure out. solid success.

Answer 5

could be a swimbladder problem, this is what gives fish the right amount of buoyancy, you can buy tonic from pet shops but do it sooner rather than later becuase it can be distressing to the fish.
good luck

Answer 6

Please pick it up and use a small container with pump to provide oxygen, add some salt or buy from aqua shop a bag of Sulphate (so call yellow powder). May need few days torecover.

Answer 7

you should feed your fish twice a day only because they tend to die if they are always full

Answer 8

He'll probably die.

But I wouldn't worry too much about it - it's just a fish, so get yourself some batter, a bag of chips and some vinegar ......

Answer 9

You need to ring 999 immedeatly, sounds like he has chest problems

Answer 10

take it to the gold fish vet