How do I nurse a goldfish that got stuck back to health?

Question

We found my son's goldfish which is about a year and a half old (?) apparently stuck down inside a volcano decoration this morning. He was still barely breathing so we dumped him out, but he is very limp and floats toward the surface. He would swim just a little every few minutes, but then float back toward the suface, laying on his side and his tail drooping down. I don't expect him to still be alive when we get home tonight, but if by some miracle he is, is there anything we can do to nurse him back to health? He lives in a 10-gallon tank with three tetras and a very large plecostomus (6"), which I now read is probably too small a space for him. Please help - both my boys are traumatized! Thank you!

George lives! He doesn't look great, but he's alive and looks better than yesterday at least! Thanks for all (well almost all) the help! I am most grateful!

Answer 1

definitely remove the other fish from the tank, not only so they don't bother him but also because goldfish are coldwater fish and tetras are tropical, and goldfish produce waay too much waste for most fish to handle.

if he lives I suggest getting him a 20gallon tank to himself, maybe add a snail.

as for helping him now, get stress coat from a pet store and add that to his water. also get freeze dried blood worms and feed him a pinch of those. normally fed as a treat because they're very rich in nutrients and can cause constipation, but will help him gain strength to heal.

good luck, I hope he pulls through!

Answer 2

Kylie Ann pretty much said it all. The poor little critter is probably just scared to death and major stressed out. He could have some skin damage; however, from any struggling it may have done trying to escape. You might try adding a little salt to the hospital tank, yes, remove the goldfish from this tank. Those plastic storage bins work great as an impromptu aquarium. Goldfish need aeration, so you will need to get a decent air pump too. Get a 10 gallon bin, fill it with spring water, add some stress coat and add the salt at about 1 tsp. per gallon of water. Salt can be beneficial to freshwater fish, but it can kill too, so don't err on the side of too much. Measure a scant tsp vs. a heaping tsp. Hope he's still there when you get home tonight and, if so, the best of luck! :)

Answer 3

You have probably done all that you can already honestly. Getting the other fish out of the tank so they won't bother the injured fish would be great, but probably isn't practical. You could cover the tank so that bright lights and activity in the room will not disturb the fish too much. Just like an injured person, quite rest is often the best thing. Best of luck.

Answer 4

If it dies, then it is a good time to teach the boys about life and death.