Lazarus the gold fish.....

[I like Skol]

Yesterday I got a bit of a shock! I wondered into the kitchen to find our pet goldfish floating upside down in his fishbowl. We have had this fish for around 5-6 years now and he seemed to be immortal, I certainly didn't expect him to last this long but he hasn't shown any signs of aging and I wondered how I was going to break the news to the kids who are now 12 & 15 so have had little Plankton in their lives for a considerable time.
As I walked closer to the bowl he suddenly righted himself and began swimming around. Hooray, it was all just a jolly trick, the little rascal!
As I watched him it soon became clear that all is not quite right. He was swimming oddly and kept drifting up to the surface and struggling to stay upright. He was bobbing onto his side or even completely upside down when he stopped trying. As soon as I got close enough to be seen he would begin swimming again and try to stay towards the bottom, but this was clearly not easy and took constant effort.

I hit Google and it appears the problem may not result in a dead fish and could actually be a result of a few minor conditions:

• Swallowed air when eating flake food from the surface
• Bacteria in the water
• Constipation

Best remedy I could find was a water change with a thorough tank clean (I boiled all the gravel & tank furniture to be sure) and to stop feeding him for a few days.
Last night he looked a lot happier and is still fine this morning but I just found him resting on the gravel at the bottom of the tank. This isn't unknown but isn't a regular habit so I wonder if he is still under the weather or simply having a rest after yesterdays exertion of trying not to float belly up?
Yesterday his stomach did look a bit bloated and today it definitely isn't. Are there any gold fish experts out there who can suggest anything extra I should be doing to guarantee his survival?

 

[I like Skol]

Sounds like swim bladder disease. Make sure you're not overfeeding it, as that is a common cause of bacterial growth that can cause issues.

I only feed him a tiny amount twice a day (Well, my wife does it following my instructions ) because I know he doesn't need much and the water stays much cleaner. When we occasionally leave him with a neighbour he always starts with a fresh, clean bowl and it is always rank by the time we return a week later. I dread to think how much they feed him! He does seem to come to the surface begging for food but I ignore him......

He is 1 day into a 2-3 day fast now.

 

[smokeysmoo]

We've had fish with swim bladder problems and they exibited this sort of behaviour too.

Its a few years ago now but IIRC blood worm rings a bell as one treatment we used.

 

[Slick]

Another one here for the swim bladder.

 

[Dave7]

+1 for swim bladder. Hope I am proved wrong but I kept tropical fish for many years and any of the fish I had that developed it failed to survive long.
Keep us posted.

 

[potsy]

Just go flush it down the loo and get another from the pet shop

 

[stephec]

This, speak to a knowledgeable person at your local aquarium shop and they might be able to supply you with some medicine.

Sounds like swim bladder disease. Make sure you're not overfeeding it, as that is a common cause of bacterial growth that can cause issues.

Alternatively, as potsy says.....

Just go flush it down the loo and get another from the pet shop

 

[I like Skol]

Update: Fish is still alive and apparently well

He spent the first couple of days sulking at the bottom of the bowl, but once we started feeding him a very small amount just once a day he has perked up and seems to be back to normal.

My attempt to re-educate Mrs Skol about what constitutes a small amount of food was met with much resistance and emotional claims that 'We're starving him!' I eventually managed to explain that we are much more likely to kill him through over feeding than underfeeding due to his physiology and ancestry. She has promised to try harder and ignore his begging (they actually do this!).

I have warned her not to try the same technique with me! I do actually need feeding generous portions at regular intervals.......

 

[stephec]

Another problem with overfeeding is that uneaten food will go off and turn the water bad.

 

[Levo-Lon]

been warm too, but id go with swim bladder.
10% water change once a week is a good practice.
Do let the bucket of water stand for 24 hrs before adding to tank to clear the chlorine

 

[Levo-Lon]

in all seriousness Dont flush the fish down the loo,its actually illegal

 

[Globalti]

It will turn into a massive carp and gobble up babies, small dogs and moorhens.

 

[I like Skol]

Quick update....

He is still looking well and as lively as he ever was. Did seem a bit lethargic for a week or two but definitely back at 100% now

Difficult to get a decent picture because he keeps moving about.

Before anyone comments, that bowl isn't as small as it looks. It's the fishbowl effect that makes it look that way.....

 

[PaulSB]

We have had this fish for around 5-6 years now and he seemed to be immortal,

Immortal? A mere stripling. Our neighbours’ gold fish was 31 and had turned white. He died last night - which is rather unfortunate as we’ve been on fish feeding duty from Monday to Wednesday

 

[I like Skol]

Sad news. The poor little fella has passed away tonight

When i got up this morning he was lying almost upsidedown at the bottom of his bowl and when approached swam away in a corkscrew manner before settling to the bottom again. This has gone on all day even though we prepared some fresh water and moved him into it after lunch.

I will miss the cheeky little guy and there will forever be an empty space on the kitchen worktop that has for so many years been occupied by his home.....