Goldfish Buoancy Problem?

[Mommachef]

One of my oranda cap Goldies has been lingering at the bottom of the tank the past two days. He (or she- I'm not sure which!) is still eating, and swims around for a minute at a time then goes back to the same spot. I've noticed that she's started to swim on her side and sometimes flips over when she's towards the top. I thought maybe we were going to have some eggs but I don't think that's what's going on. I've been reading that these guys are prone to develop a Buoancy (sp?) problem, but not sure what causes it or if it's fixable. All of my water parameters are normal, there have been no spikes in ammonia or nitrates or anything, I'be done my normal water changes, and all of my other fish are fine. I tried to get a picture of him/her sideways and upside down but she rights herself before I can get it, so that's what the blurry picture is. The other one is where and how she's been sitting in the tank. She is breathing fine, there's no indications of stress or any physical marks on her, and she's still the first one to the top for feeding time. Any ideas or suggestions as to what could be going on or am I just being overly concerned??

 

[jlk]

Hi! Can you please post your exact parameters and what you are using to test them? Tank size? Stocking? Water change schedule (%/#wk)? Exact diet (brand food, other foods, etc)? How long you you have had the fish/when was the last time you added a new one? Any chemicals used (type water conditioner, salt, other products, etc)? The more specific information you can provide, the better we can help!

 

[SKB]

Your oranda may be bloated. If that is the case, you could try blanched and shelled peas. This is supposed to help them with that issue.

 

[Mommachef]

Hi! Can you please post your exact parameters and what you are using to test them? Tank size? Stocking? Water change schedule (%/#wk)? Exact diet (brand food, other foods, etc)? How long you you have had the fish/when was the last time you added a new one? Any chemicals used (type water conditioner, salt, other products, etc)? The more specific information you can provide, the better we can help!

Just got home from work and I haven't done a water change today, but my parameters are (from an API master):
Ammonia- 0-.25 (it's in between)
Nitrate- 0
Nitrite- 0
I didn't test the pH this time but Yesterday it was at about 6.5-7, which is where it usually is.
It's a 40 gallon bowfront and it is (over)stocked with 6 fancy goldfish. (This is an entirely different issue- there's a pond being built to fix this as i write this. Lol) there are 2 red cap orandas, 2 calico fan tails, and two black moors.
I do 25-50% (or more, depending on how my waters test) pwc's daily. I was doing them 2x a week until I realized my tank is overstocked, so now they get done every day.
Haven't added new fish in months and have had fish in the tank since New year's, and they are fed tetra flakes BUT I just started using them a few days ago and I THINK maybe this is the problem. They were eating omega one flakes. I also give them bloodworms once a week, but they haven't gotten any yet this week.
I use stress coat and stress Zyme for my water, which I treat then let sit for at least 24 hours before it gets used. I don't put salt in but I've been reading that most people do and have thought about doing it for mine.
I think I've covered everything!
This morning I noticed both of my orandas hanging out in that corner together, but the rest of my fish are fine.

 

[erarebirth]

I've heard peas are great as well. I give them to my guppies every once and a while as a treat and to help with regularity (flake food, being so dry, can sometimes constipate fish apparently). I've been told not to use canned peas, either fresh or frozen. Frozen peas are so cheap, and I have an electric kettle so I just pour some boiling water over them for a few minutes to thaw/cook a small spoonful of them. I've also added real garlic/garlic powder (not sure if that's a no-no) to the steeping peas because apparently fish love garlic flavor.

 

[Mommachef]

I've heard peas are great as well. I give them to my guppies every once and a while as a treat and to help with regularity (flake food, being so dry, can sometimes constipate fish apparently). I've been told not to use canned peas, either fresh or frozen. Frozen peas are so cheap, and I have an electric kettle so I just pour some boiling water over them for a few minutes to thaw/cook a small spoonful of them. I've also added real garlic/garlic powder (not sure if that's a no-no) to the steeping peas because apparently fish love garlic flavor.

I'm glad you said only fresh or frozen because I was about to break open a can of them! Lol I guess i'll try adding some peas to their diet, since it won't do any harm to them. Kind of off topic of my original post, but are there any other veggies that I can feed them and how often can i give them to them?? I didn't know I could give my fish vegetables...!

 

[erarebirth]

I'm glad you said only fresh or frozen because I was about to break open a can of them! Lol I guess i'll try adding some peas to their diet, since it won't do any harm to them. Kind of off topic of my original post, but are there any other veggies that I can feed them and how often can i give them to them?? I didn't know I could give my fish vegetables...!

When I was first reading about peas, previous users would say they would give peas to their fish about once a week as a treat. I've given peas a couple times per week, and I also have live plants in my tank which all my fish eat the heck out of. The advice I've heard is "whatever they could each in nature they can eat in their tank"... but I've never heard of peas that grow underwater lol. I think you could feed them just about any vegetable that's mild in flavor and that you can cook to almost a mushy texture? I've tried broccoli, but they didn't seem too interested.

 

[jlk]

Great job with the water changes! That rules out a water quality issue. It's sounds like primarily a dietary issue that can be easily remedied though I suggest running a cycle or two of praziquantel, especially if your moving them outside.

Flakes can create digestive issues for fancies and cause buoyancy issues. A quality sinking pellet or a gelfood is recommended.

In the wild, a goldfish's diet consists of up to 80% vegetative matter and algae. A bit difficult to mimic in a tank but you can compensate with lots of daily veggies and some fruits. Try skipping regular food for the next few days and feeding only these- let's see if your guys perk up a bit. Easy starter veggies (cooked) are deshelled peas, broccoli florets, cauliflower, spinach, kale, peppers, carrots, etc. You can use a veggie clip for larger stuff and shred/smoosh other things. Skip heavy starches such as pitied and corn. Any fruit is game as long as its soft and easy to tear (oranges, melon, berries, bananas, etc). Please ask if you have questions!

 

[Mommachef]

Great job with the water changes! That rules out a water quality issue. It's sounds like primarily a dietary issue that can be easily remedied though I suggest running a cycle or two of praziquantel, especially if your moving them outside.

Flakes can create digestive issues for fancies and cause buoyancy issues. A quality sinking pellet or a gelfood is recommended.

In the wild, a goldfish's diet consists of up to 80% vegetative matter and algae. A bit difficult to mimic in a tank but you can compensate with lots of daily veggies and some fruits. Try skipping regular food for the next few days and feeding only these- let's see if your guys perk up a bit. Easy starter veggies (cooked) are deshelled peas, broccoli florets, cauliflower, spinach, kale, peppers, carrots, etc. You can use a veggie clip for larger stuff and shred/smoosh other things. Skip heavy starches such as pitied and corn. Any fruit is game as long as its soft and easy to tear (oranges, melon, berries, bananas, etc). Please ask if you have questions!

Thanks! I won't be moving them outside for a few more months probably, and the calicos are the only ones being moved unless I change my mind. Haha but when I get closer to that time I will do the praziquantel.
Looks like there's a diet change in the future for my little fat heads! I'm glad it's something simple like their food and they aren't genuinely sick, I thought she was a gonner the first day I noticed her laying on the bottom of the tank. I went straight to the water tests and changed almost all of the water at midnight- my hubby wasn't too thrilled with me getting him out of bed to dump water buckets with me "because my fish is dying!!" Lol Thanks for all the suggestions!

 

[jlk]

Sorry- auto correct changed 'potatoes' to 'pitied'! Lol! Right now, it would be a bit more difficult to run prazi with the wc schedule you have but not impossible (just more expensive). I really would recommend doing this now rather than later. Almost every goldfish has flukes to some extent, especially those from commercial sources vs a private breeder. Unfortunately, the effects of flukes are not typically apparent until serious damage has been done. Buoyancy issues that are related to internal infections are typically the result of fluke damage. Its an easy med to treat with, very safe and will not harm your biological filtration or other living creatures (such as snails). If you need help, just ask!

 

[Mommachef]

I finally got to feed these guys peas (I know, slow as molasses!) and they were a big hit. I fed them all out of my hand, and the few pieces they missed they quickly scavenged off the bottom. My hubby went and picked up some of the food we originally were feeding them and got rid of the other stuff, and it made the orandas perk up a little, so hopefully a healthier diet for them will fix em up! I will keep up with the veggies, and cut back on the flakes as well.

 

[PolyptRus]

It may sound strange but i once seen a woman on tv who had a goldfish that couldn't float she rigged up a small harness for the fish attached to a ball of foam in order to keep it upright it seemed to work for her haha

 

[PolyptRus]

If you look up goldfish harness on Google you can see what some people have created for there fish.