why does my bubble cheek fish sleep on his head?(hes not dead)?

Question

also why did he change from dark orange to white?there are two other fish in the tank. a black moore and a white fantial.

Answer 1

I'm not really sure what your describing when you say he sleeps on his head. Do you mean his head is down, and his tail floats upward? If so is he like this all the time? This could be a problem with his swim bladder. This is an organ filled with air that's used to regulate their position in the water - if it's over or underfilled, they'll either sink to the bottom, or float to the surface. This can be caused by a number of things, including poor water quality, overfeeding, eating too much dry food, swallowing air at the surface, internal infection, or constipation.

Start by making sure the water quality is okay (ammonia and nitrite = 0, nitrate less than 40 ppm - if you don't have a test kit of your own, most pet stores will test a water sample for you). Feed the fish a cooked green pea with the outer skin removed if it will eat (this is okay to do on a regular basis, and they'll eat sliced zucchini or cucumbers, lima beans, or pieces of dark leafy greens as well). Soak the usual food in some tank water for about a minute before you feed your fish, and only give them what they can finish in 2-3 minutes, twice a day at most.

If the fish is only doing this when it's sleeping or resting, and not all the time, he may just prefer this position - maybe it give him a better view of his tankmates and what they're doing!

The color change probably is nothing to worry about - goldfish can change colors a few times during their lives, and they'll turn pales as they age as well. Unless the color change has also made him duller (usually from excess slime being produced, which may mean parasites), it's probably caused by his genetics. You could try some color-enhancing foods (or give him shredded carrots, red or orange peppers, or other non-watery veggies with orange, yellow, or red coloring) to see if he'll get some color back, but if he's meant to be whiye, you may not get much change.

The only other concern you should have is feeding these fish - With the impared vision of a bubble-eye, and telescope eyes of the moor, they are at a disadvantage when it comes to seeing and getting to food - make sure the fantail doesn't hog it all!

Answer 2

Care and feeding:
Since they are omnivorous, the Water-Bubble Eye Goldfish will generally eat all kinds of fresh, frozen, and flake foods. To keep a good balance give them a high quality flake food everyday. Feed brine shrimp (either live or frozen), blood worms, Daphnia, or tubifex worms as a treat.
It is usually better to feed freeze-dried foods as opposed to live foods to avoid parasites and bacterial infections that could be present in live foods.
Distribution:
Domesticated goldfish are distributed world-wide but originally came from China.

Size - Weight:
Water-bubble Eye Goldfish grow to about 5 inches (12.5 cm).

Social Behaviors:
Goldfish are very social animals and thrive in a community. Not only are they a great community fish but they are great scavengers as well. It is really not necessary to add other scavengers or other bottom feeders to the aquarium when you have goldfish.

Temperatures:
Recommended temperatures for Goldfish is 18°-22° C (65°-72° F).

Sexual Differences:
Although is it impossible to sex Goldfish when they are young and not in breeding season, the male is usually smaller and more slender that the female. In the breeding season the male has white prickles, called breeding tubercles, on its gill covers and head. Seen from above the female will have a fatter appearance as she is carrying eggs.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
These fish will swim in all areas of the aquarium.

Breeding/Reproduction:
Goldfish are egg layers that spawn readily in the right conditions. See Breeding Freshwater Fish - Goldfish for more information on breeding Goldfish.

Availability:
The Water-Bubble Eye Goldfish is readily available and is inexpensive.