I have 2 Fantail Goldfish. One is very active and seeming very heathly. however, the other one is spending most of her time on the bottem of the tank just sitting there. She'll come up to eat, but that's it. Is this normal? I have tested the water and changed 1/3 of it already and she's not getting better. HELP?
2007-03-05 15:27:15 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Fish
its not the water. i have lots of fish and i do have one that does the same thing. but he's fine and has lived a long time. on the other hand depending how long you have had him..he may be sick and on his way to fishy heaven. if he's a baby fish or really young and if his stomach is really bloated and puffed out..thats not a good sign.it means he cant poop. i dont know how the ages of the fish but i hope this helps a little.
2007-03-05 15:33:43 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Hi,
I have had 6 fantails together in a 55 tank, and I had one that was acting similar to what you describe.
Firstly- do you have a heater in the tank? Even cold-water fish like goldfish and betta will enjoy a warmer habitat and be more active than if they were in cold water all the time.
If you DO have a heater, there is other information that is important to notice as well- does the fish kind of float around listlessly? Do you notice any discoloration on it's belly?(many times yellow/gold) Do you see anything "growing" on it's scales, such as a cottony film or extra slimy coat that seems to hang off of it?
Firstly, no matter what is going on with it, you should isolate it out of the main tank. Try feeding it peas (frozen are best after you thaw them out, but canned works ok too- just smoosh them up so that the outer shell is broken). Get some 'Ick Away' or some kind of anti-fungus medication and follow the directions. Do a 50% water change DAILY on the suffering fish and re-add the fungus medication as directed. (you can go to a pet store or to WalMart for anti-fungus medication) Also, put a small filter in the isolated tank, but don't put any carbon filters in it, you need to keep the water moving so it doesn't get stagnant.
After a few weeks you should see improvement, and you will have to keep this up for quite a while (I'd say at least 6-8 weeks)and watch the activity of the fish. After the 6-8 weeks try feeding it flakes again and continue to watch the activity. If it seems to act more normal, carefully add it back to the main tank as if you were adding a freshly bought fish. It's activity may decrease again, no matter what you do to help it, in which case it is probably beyond hope-prepare for the porcelaine funeral. Like another responder said, it may be having trouble pooping- the peas will help that.
Good luck
2007-03-05 16:35:02 · answer #2 · answered by mommysdogs 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
All goldfish have different personalities. Some will be extremely active and swim around the top of the tank, others will stay on the bottom. If the goldfish is eating it should be fine, when it stops eating then your in bad shape. Fantail goldfish are extremely cheap and are part of the "toughies" group. itll live for a long time just make sure there is no chlorine in the water and the water temperature is in the 72-74 region
2007-03-05 16:52:12 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well, first off... Stop changing the water. Changing 1/3 of the water is way too much of a water change for a recently established fish tank and you're going to end up ruining the established biosystem. Most likely, it's an early sign of something wrong with him, most likely internal. If you watch them frequently, I'd bet money on it that the other one is picking on him. This isn't what's causing the illness (a brutalized fish is easy to spot) but the other fish knows what's up and is picking on the weaker one. Unless you know of a good fish vet, it's going to be very hard to diagnose and treat. There aren't a lot of effective medications on the market and it usually takes a prescription medication to fix infections, such as internal bacterial infections. The easiest things to fix yourself are Ick and White Spot (they're really the only illness that can be cured with over the counter drugs) but those illnesses are obvious. If the other Goldfish is active and happy, I doubt it's a lack of oxygen in your water. Especially if the ill fish hanging out at the BOTTOM of your tank, it's not lacking oxygen. It would be near the top gasping for air which are classic signs that you either don't have enough oxygen in your tank or it's too hot and ruining the oxygen quality in the water. Good luck and I hope your fish makes it through.
2007-03-05 16:36:32 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Is there enough oxygen? Is there any sort of growth or lost of scales? Is the ph really off from neutral? I have had a few of my goldfish get sick and infect the others.... Also, the ph thing, my bigger goldfish are effected more by it than my small. Fish, even the goldfish can be sensitive to things we dont even thing about
2007-03-05 15:55:40 · answer #5 · answered by Miss_MountinM 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
As far as I'm concerned, that's normal. I've had several fish, and it's interesting how some are all about moving and others are about doing it as little as possible. Kindof like people that way . . .
2007-03-05 15:30:30 · answer #6 · answered by Laurel W 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
2 bowls the other one is getting sick put the inactive one near the light to perk the fish up a little P.S. he is going to die sorry man
2007-03-05 15:36:45 · answer #7 · answered by Marcus 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Its just a shy goldfish. They have different personalities, and the one is maybe just lazier than the other.
2007-03-05 15:31:26 · answer #8 · answered by alexis0039 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Call a vet
2007-03-05 15:29:41 · answer #9 · answered by Toddacanda 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is probably about to die
2007-03-05 15:35:48 · answer #10 · answered by Barrel_Racing_Cowgirl 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋