fish dying help 2:15 am what do i do..remove gravel?

Question

should i remove the gravel from my fishbowl if my fish is sick/dying...my fish is lying mostly on its side and getting up every now and then...i've heard there is beneficial bacteria in the gravel or something...could it be dying/sick because of the gravel?

Answer 1

Please give us some more info, what fish it's, how old it is, water temperature, ammonia level

Will check back later



EB

Edit*
Ok if figured out from a previous question that it is a goldfish, it definately sounds like a swimbladder disease
here is a great site with treatments
http://www.texaskoi.com/Articles/goldfish_floating_problems.htm


Hope that helps
Good luck


EB

Answer 2

Chances are the problem is that the tank is just way too small, that is usually the case when the asker uses the word "fishbowl" instead of "fishtank". But, I will say a bit regarding the bacteria/gravel thing. Beneficial bacteria can be introduced into the tank several ways. Store- bought drops or powders, often called biological additives and enzymes are used during the establishment phase of the tank and during times of stress like overstocking or medicating. Some people use them weekly. Starting your tank with water from an established source, like a friend's tank or another functional tank in your house is another way to introduce beneficial bacteria. "Seeding" the tank is yet another way. In this one, you start with one or two "feeder fish" and give them just enough food to keep them alive. The bacteria in their system seeds the tank and their waste feeds the forming colony. Beneficial bacteria is essential to a fully functional tank. To keep your colony thriving, use one/sixteenth grain gravel for a substrate, don't add too many fish at one time,( add gradually), don't overstock your tank, (Goldfish require 20+ gallons and freshwater "tropical" fish need about 1 gallon per inch of adult fish,so know their potential size), don't do frequent or large water changes (about once a month do a 25% change using a gravel vac.) and avoid using "clarifiers" products that claim to reduce nitrates, nitrites and/or ammonia "instantly". (That is what the bacteria are supposed to do). But be patient, it takes about 45 days to properly stabilize a tank using this advice.

Answer 3

Palak,
A sick and stressed fish, such as yours, should be treated, not mad-handled. I see no need to stir up all the detritus by removing the gravel. Salt is a good idea, But not table salt!
Use sea salt, or aquarium salt. Add no more then 1/2 Tbs per gallon, if you don't have any. Don't substitute. Let the fish rest. It was already diagnosed with Swim Bladder Disease. As per my recommendations on the other question you posted, Withhold food for 3-4 days. If the symptoms remain, feed it a pea with the soft shell removed. If you want to do something for the sake of doing something, turn up the heater 5-8 degrees F.

I hope your fish recovers quickly.
Jason C

Answer 4

Changing the water and moving the fish around will only add stress to the fish which by now is probably already dead. The only thing you can do is make sure you know what you are doing before you get your next fish. Read about cycling fish and your tank so you will minimize the chances of this happening again in the future.

Answer 5

do as jason c says, only add an air stone and change @ 25% of the water to dilute any excess amonia, no more than 25% as the shock may do more harm than good.....

Answer 6

omg the exact same thing is happening to my fish right now and its devastating. ive put a pinch of salt in my bowl, and i'm hoping it works out... good luck to both of us.

Answer 7

Forget singer!!!!
put the fish in a clean fresh water bowl or something big enough for it. take the gravel out of the fish bowl and then refil it with clean fresh water.Then leve her or him in it for 30 minutes. then put the fish back in the clean bowl.

Answer 8

put it in a seperate bowl with conditioned water. then add a pinch of salt! i don't know why this works but it's helped me save fish at least ten times. if it doesn't seem to be improving, gently pinch it in front of its tail and move it slowly back and forth in the water, so more water circulates through its gills. clean its bowl and put him back. he should perk up for you!

Answer 9

As you describe your fish, it's chance of recovery is virtually nil!

Before replacing your fish, clean tank, gravel, ornaments etc carefully, remembering NOT to use any soap or chemicals.

Scrub and flush with clean water or use boiling water to sterilise. Small traces of chemicals will kill future fish, but you want to get rid of any germs.

In a balanced system, you should not need to clean often, if at all.

Answer 10

it is possible it dose depend on the fish and how old it is
what sort of fish if goldfish or blackmore it may be sick or pregnant likere minne i am unsu