My fish is on its side but still breathing?

Question

it is a honey gourami and it is still moving around a bit. swim bladder problem????????????

Answer 1

Is it trying to swim, but just can't? Or is it just lying on it's side and not trying to swim?
If it IS trying to swim, it may be a swim bladder problem. Feeding peas won't help - peas are for intestinal blockage. However, that could also conceivably be the problem, as fish like bettas and gouramis are susceptible, so offer a few pieces of shelled pea.

If he's just lying there not really trying to move, or just moving and then going back to it's side, he is likely dying from something else. It could be a water quality issue - test for nitrites and ammonia (both should be at 0) and test for nitrates (10-30ppm is normal). What is the water temp? Gouramis are fine from 73-80 (76-78F is ideal). Did you recently do a water change? Perhaps something got i nthe water, or the water was too hot / too cold, or you neglected to put a water conditioner in?
Test for pH - gouramis are highly adaptable, but a fluctuating pH can be fatal. Test every night and morning for a couple days to see if that could be the problem.

Does he have a bloated belly, or scales sticking outwards? That could be dropsy.

Anyway, do a large water change immediately, like 40%. Make sure the new water is dechlorinated and the same temperature as the tank water.

I hope he recovers, but he may well die. Sick fish are masters at acting healthy until the very end. How are any other fish in the tank - normal?

Answer 2

It might be, is it trying to swim, but keeps getting flipped over? Or is it lying on the bottom on it's side?

If it is swim bladder try feeding it frozen peas (defrosted withtop layer of pea removed) this will remove the excess gas that has built up.

If it is not swim bladder it may be a water quality issue. Are the ph levels, ammonia levels and temperature okay? Is there enough air in the tank?

Please more info and I will update my answer.

Answer 3

sounds exactly the same as one of my kribensis cichlids, it had a swim bladder infection, it go too tired from being beat up by the filter, it just sat at the bottom, not being able to sit up so he was on it's side. From what I understand, there is not much you can do about it now, try EPSON salt dips, but by the morning my fish was gone, maybe yours is a fighter :) good luck.

Answer 4

fish seem to do that when they are stressed, it is not necessarily gone yet, some fish seem to pull threw and others just are not strong enough
make sure your water has the right amount of chemicals, you can buy test strips at walmart or the pet store, if you use regular tap water make sure that the chlorine level is not to high...
these things make the stress worse, and can cause him to go into shock (kinda) and if he does pull through it can cause other problems later
if you have other fish in the aquarium notice their reactions to the fish, they can sense death and if they are staying away from him or acting weird it may be time
i hope this helps and good luck to you and your fish!

Answer 5

Sounds like high ammonia levels in the water. Get a test kit for pH levels/ammonia. Most likly that fish won't live but if you have others and treat it right away you may be able to save them.

Answer 6

Check the temp of the water. It should be 72-75. Anything else and it may cause that to happen.

Answer 7

well my fish had this problem and i went down to the pets store and they sayed he was sick. and gave me some pills to put in the water. so if u was u i would go get some medicane for him before he dies

Answer 8

He is a goner - prepare for the burial at sea (toilet). If there are other fish they will start eating him, you should remove the fish quickly.

Sorry.

Answer 9

Actually, it might just have an air bubble. Give it a day or two, but if it isn't back to normal by then, I suspect that it's dead.

Answer 10

Does it have any signs of a fungal infection on it?