My goldfish has been acting very lathargic and he only lays on his side at the bottom of the tank. He has been like this since Saturday. He is still breathing. Is he going to die or is he sick? I just changed the water in the tank to see if that will help. He does try to eat.
2007-07-09 07:50:18 · 25 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Fish
Okay, you're not getting very good answers here. I had a goldfish I was crazy about, so I'll try to help.
First off, did you put in water conditioner when you changed the water, or did you at least use purified water? The chlorine in the water can kill your fish faster than anything. If you didn't put it in, get some NOW. Prime is a good brand.
Second, does your bowl/tank have an air pump to release little air bubbles into the water? The water may not be oxygenated enough. Everyone always thinks that goldfish can live well in a bowl since they don't need a heater. They do need oxygenated water, so you may want to get a tiny one to put in the tank.
Does the fish have any white dots on it, or does it show any other signs of sickness? It might have some disease. Most of these are treatable. If you see signs of illness, take the fish to your local pet store and have someone in the fish section take a look. They can tell you what to use on it.
Finally, are you overfeeding it? It only needs a little bit of food. If it looks bloated, that could be it.
How long it would take a goldfish to die really depends on which one of these things is going on. I hope your little guy lives. Let us know.
2007-07-09 08:00:13 · answer #1 · answered by ? 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
This isn't much information. How does his body look? It's difficult to say what's going on. But, it does sound like he is sick from something and if you don't treat it, yes, it will die. It may die anyway, but if you treat it, at least you will know you tried. First, goldfish need massive amounts of filtration and aeration. If you don't have a filter, you must get one immediately. It should pump 10 gallons of water per hour for every gallon your aquarium is. Second, stop feeding it for three days. After three days, feed some shelled, mashed, cooked fresh peas or thawed frozen peas. Third, get a master test kit and test your water. Your water may not be cycled properly and have toxic elements in it. Water changes will help, of course, but without testing it, you won't know whether the changes are doing any good. Fourth, you can add non-iodized salt such as aquarium salt, kosher salt or rock salt at about 1 tsp per 5 gallons of water, pre-dissolved to the aquarium water. Mix well. Fifth, if the previous treatments don't work, try a general medication such as Maracyn or Maracyn-2 and add according to direction. Treatment can take a very long time, so a lot of patience and dedication are required. Good luck.
2007-07-09 08:02:22 · answer #2 · answered by Venice Girl 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have 4 goldfish in with my koi in my Koi pond. The goldfish are huge! About 8-10 inches each. They survived the past 2 winters also (they are about 3 years old). I never would have thught that they would have grown so large! I had them in a tank in the house before we put the pond in. We had a problem w/ the filter in the tank, and we thought what the heck, lets see what happens. I guess the large area allowed them to grow and become healthier for some reason!?!
2007-07-09 07:57:29 · answer #3 · answered by MarJohn 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think yours simply has had enough in that tiny bowl, I'm sorry to say this.
Goldfish are not meant to be kept in a bowl, all grow to be at least half a foot long. Some say they only grow as big as their environment, which is not true. A bowl will STUNT their growth, which has another meaning altogether. They need a much larger medium to be kept in and in fact, the consensus among many experienced goldfish owners is that they need a MINIMUM 10 gallons per fish.
2007-07-09 08:10:45 · answer #4 · answered by fishbone 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My buddies granddaughter has had a (one) goldfish for just about 2 years now and that one looks keeping out in simple terms positive. i'm undecided if this is right or no longer, yet her goldfish seems content fabric. Sorry to hearken to approximately your ill goldfish! superb desires.
2016-10-20 10:50:17 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
he is sick. try changing 25% of the water (don't forget to dechlorine the water before adding to the tank), then add aquarium salt (1 teaspoon per 5 gallon) and see if it will help him a little.
2007-07-09 08:02:52 · answer #6 · answered by Celes 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
it depends on how well the fish is treated they can live up to about three years but sometimes very rarely to up to five years but some can die in a matter of days if the water is dirty or over fed or under fed . I think if your fish is pain you should maybe get your parents or you(dont know your age sorry) put it out of its misery sorry no suggestions on the topic i would wait a few days to make sure it is ill. hope it gets better soon -xxxx
2007-07-09 07:54:31 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
If the waterchange did nothing and medication didnt do anything he will probably die. It takes two or three days. Some people say its better to put dying animals to sleep and put the fish in a glass in the freezer to kill him faster. I dont know if thats a good idea though.
2007-07-09 07:55:53 · answer #8 · answered by jessika s 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
hes probably sick
my friends goldfish has been living for over 10 years
2007-07-09 07:53:15 · answer #9 · answered by Julie J 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He is sick. Try putting about a half a teaspoon of salt in the water. That used to help ours when they were sick.
2007-07-09 07:53:59 · answer #10 · answered by Deb S 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋