my goldfish are floating sideways at the bottom of the tank. Y?

Question

i have been having problems with ammonia levels but i finally got that under control and now this is happening. i think that one of them also has ich. i have 6 goldfish in a 30 gal. tank. i have never had any problems until 6 months ago. i have had the tank for 5 yrs. about 6 months back i lost one of my oldest fish to ammonia(i think). please can someone help me!!!!!!!???????

Answer 1

Swimbladder is a disease which symptoms cause fish to become unable to swim correctly, your fish may exibit swimming toward the bottom of your tank or bowl, then floating back up, swimming in circles or laying or floating on his side....
There are three main things according to the posts and articles I've read that can lead to swimbladder disease.
Constipation due to overfeeding
Bad water quality
Bacteria
I recommend the following regimine, recommened to me over two years ago.
First, as soon as you notice signs of swimbladder do a 50% water change, taking care not to stress the fish by having the water temp as close to his tank as possible.
After your water change you should not feed your fish any food for two days. On the third day feed your fish a fresh pea. Frozen peas thawed, popped out of the skin, and cut into bite size pieces. And then do another water change so that any uneaten peas do not contaminate your water.
If you don't use aquarium salt this is a good addition to most tanks. The recommended dose is one teaspoon per gallon, or one tablespoon per five gallons. If you have never added salt and you are unsure; you may want to first acclimate him at only 1/2 tsp per gallon.
If this seems to be a frequent problem you may consider feeding less. Your water quality could indicate more frequent water changes,

Answer 2

Swimming sideways in any part of the tank is a sure sign that the fish is struggling not to go belly up. It is is usually the last big fight before they die. I watched it many times when I worked in the pet shop. It could be that the tank you are using has ich. Your best bet at this point would to be to start over fresh. I know it is sad to lose your pets though.
In the pet shop, when a tank got ich in it we had to destroy the fish (because we couldn't sell them) and clean the tank out with bleach. Let the tank sit for 1 week and rinse it again before refilling it. Pet shops will tell customers they can buy all these expensive treatments for thier tank, but you have a good chance of it not working, and you spent all that money before realizing it.
Also another thing the pet shops don't tell you is that good clean well water will work at keeping your fish healthier than any kind of chemical you can buy to put in your tank. If you don't have well water where you live then you can go to a local park that has a spring fed lake or river. They will usually have a pump where you can fill up on free well pumped water. Get clean rocks and pour the water in the tank. Let it sit for about 24 hours so that it gets to room temperature and put your fish in. I have never had a Goldfish die doing it that way.
By the way, I quit working a that pet shop. They were such a bunch of liers. You should never preach what you don't practice.

Answer 3

Goldfish Swimming Sideways

Answer 4

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
my goldfish are floating sideways at the bottom of the tank. Y?
i have been having problems with ammonia levels but i finally got that under control and now this is happening. i think that one of them also has ich. i have 6 goldfish in a 30 gal. tank. i have never had any problems until 6 months ago. i have had the tank for 5 yrs. about 6 months back i lost one...

Answer 5

First of all, those neons should NEVER be with goldfish. Neons are tropical fish, which means they need a very clean, cycled tank with a heater. Their tank should be 78-80 degrees. Also, how are you feeding both of them properly when they eat 2 different things? Please split them up or give away the neons... it's not humane to keep them together. Second of all, unless that tank is at least 20-30 gallons, it's too small for all those fish. The swim bladder issues are often due to poor water quality and feeding poor-quality foods. If you're feeding flake, you need get a high quality SINKING pellet (like Hikari). You also need to make sure you're feeding him plenty of veggies (like blanched peas or zucchini). So increase your water changes, get the neons a new home and feed better food and your fish should be ok. You should also consider a larger tank for the goldfish. The first one needs 20 gallons, and 10 gallons for each one after that. And please find a proper home for those neons.

Answer 6

6 goldfish in a 30 gal??? good lord
each goldfish needs 10 gallons at least
you're way too overstocked, and thats why your ammonia levels are out of control.
(yes i realize this post is 10 years old lmao, posting just in case others need help c: )

Answer 7

A vet can help you better but i think they may just be sleeping my in laws have a lot of fish and when i house sit for them alot of the fish sleep on thier sides at the bottom. one thing i know forsure is that if it is floating on the top on it's side and smells funny it is probably dead.

Answer 8

you need to clean the fish tank and make sure that the fish food is not bad and make sure that water temperture in the tank is just right for the fish if not you might loose all of your fish

Answer 9

Most likely its bloat the best way to take care of it is to get sinking pellets. Bloat is usually caused by gulping air at the top of the tank when feeding.

Answer 10

They may be sick;perhaps change the water and clean the tank. But they may die soon.