Is my goldfish asleep or dead?!?

Question

I have 3 goldfish, and one of them is sinking to the bottom of the bowl.... the other 2 are swimming around... is my fish dead or sleeping? i thought if i shooke the bowl around it would wake up, but it didnt move...does that mean its dead, or does my fish SLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP... lol

in other words, should I flush her down already, or wait until morning?

THANKS!

THIS IS A HUGE BOWL. I know for a fact its big enough for 3 tiny fish, the bowl was reccomended to me by the sales women when I bought the fish.... I clean the water, feed them the right way, not too much....

Answer 1

its probably about to die its sick, if it dies it floats. but im sure its going to die soon sorry :[ my fishes were like that too and they died also

Answer 2

Fish don't sleep by lying down like humans do. They still swim, or at least float when they sleep, so if it isn't dead, it is probably dying. Your "huge" bowl. Is it a 30 gallon bowl with a filter that pumps 300 gallons of water per hour? They don't make bowls this huge. It is not big enough for three goldfish. Goldfish require a minimum of 10 gallons of water per fish. Anyone who recommends a bowl for any type of fish does not know what they are talking about. Any experienced aquarist would tell you that no container under 10 gallons should even be sold for the keeping of fish. They should all be outlawed. This person who told you this was wrong and simply does not know what she is talking about. The reason one of your fish has died is because they are in this bowl and it is too small and it is not properly filtered and the water has not been properly cycled. Trust me, if you don't put your two remaining fish in a 20 gallon tank with a good quality filter, such as a power filter, that pumps 200 gallons of water per hour and get the water cycled and learn how to do proper water changes and tank cleaning, you will soon find at least one of your remaining fish has died, if not both. We all here are not trying to be mean. We are just trying to help you learn about how to take care of goldfish. There is so much to know about keeping goldfish properly.

Answer 3

a bowl is too small for ONE goldfish, there's no way three can live in it. goldfish should have at least 10 gallons to their selves, this means for 3 you should have a 30gallon tank, at a minimum a 20gallon. you'll also a need a really good filter. goldfish are poop machine and bowls can't handle the amount of ammonia they give off. goldfish also get up to 10inches for fancies and 18inches for commons. how do you expect to fit three 10inch goldfish in a bowl? while it's true they won't get too big while in a bowl, their insides keep growing until they die a very painful death.

he's probably dying from poor water conditions. don't flush him just yet, doing a 50% or more water change and then check on him in the morning, and then get them a real tank!

*edit*
I'm sure seems big enoguh for them, NOW. but they will get bigger, MUCH bigger. I'm not trying to lecture you or anything, i'm just saying a bowl will not be adequate room for them once they are older. bowls are illegal in most countries in europe because they are considered cruelty.

also NEVER just go by what listen to pet store employees say, do your own research. they are out to make money, not take care of silly little fish. they get special deal for certain items and will recommend more expensive items rather than the best items. I can almost guarantee you buying a proper tank and the items for it would be cheaper than the inadequate starter kits they often recommend.

Answer 4

First off STOP SHAKING THE BOWL. You will stress your other fish.. Chances are you have to many fish in the bowl. Also, Have you changed the water? ... There really is a lot about fish... http://www.firsttankguide.net/goldfish.php

If your fish is moving strangely chances are it will die... I recommend some stress coating for the fish.. If you have the fish near a draft put them in a warm place.

You may also be overfeeding your fish .. there are so many possibilities.. Good LUCK.. Check out the Fish Care Guide that should help.. Also, you can go to PET SMART and they will print off a fish guide... I'm not sure what type of goldfish you have.

Answer 5

Well the fish sounds dead to me. Not all fish float when dead, Ive had a some in the past that just lay on the bottom. Also if you touch the fish it would move if alive! Another thing is, can you see it breathing, look for gill movement.

Answer 6

Think about what you just said. A "saleswoman" (a person who probably didn't graduate high school who is working retail) recommended a bowl. She's going to make money off the bowl and she's going to make money each time you come in to replace the dead fish. If you want 3 goldfish to live, get a 30 gallon tank and a strong filter and learn to keep it properly.

Answer 7

Unfortunately if your goldfish is sinking to the bottom, and not moving then she is dead. If she is swimming slowly and sinks again, then she is in the process of dying.

Yes, you might want to get rid of her before she gets the other fish sick, but if she was sick, then the others have already been exposed.

Be careful shaking the bowl, because fish can get damaged and that will cause them to die.

Answer 8

it will be your Goldfish is both ill or you've a water parameter problem . What length tank do you've and what species of Goldfish . once you've common goldfish i'd assume them to be in a seventy 5 gallon tank that became cycled and had double filtration . once you've fancy goldfish i'd assume 3 to be in a minimum of 50 gallons and a cycled tank with double filtration. My suggestion is try your Ammonia and nitrite yet tank length and species would help me answer this question correct

Answer 9

Well i'm sorry to say this, but your fish is dead. you could wait until morning, to see if the fish floated up to the surface, in this case the fish is dead. Good luck.

Answer 10

I would move him to a different bowl until morning so that you don't risk getting your other fish sick. I think he is gone (I'm sorry) but better safe than sorry! I hope you feel ok!

Answer 11

Turf the dead fish ASAP before it further contaminates the water.