Is my goldfish Pregnant? or sick?

[shepz]

Hey guys,
Recently my goldfish has gotten fat as hell, like really compared to its normal size. But it has also been chased by my other goldfish and is sometimes nudging its head against the belly of the fish i think is pregnant. I heard this is mating behaviour but the other day i saw my fish having balacing problems so i didnt feed it for a day and gave it a few peas, it seems to be doing fine now.
I have noticed though when it doesnt move its fins its head will be the first thing that sinks, almost like she cant float unless shes constantly moving her fins to keep her balance? I dont know if she is pregnant but with a stomache as fat as that i think theres a chance, i would like to know if someone could verify it for me, thanks









-shep

 

[jlk]

Can you please post your tank size, parameters, stock and water change schedule? How long has this fish been swollen? If you view the fish top down, do any of the scales appear 'rough' or lifted?

Goldfish do not become 'pregnant' as they are an egg laying species, not livebearers. They become gravid. Although the behavior you are seeing may be due to breeding behavior, the same behavior will also occur if one fish is very unwell. The healthy fish recognize the fish is sick and will 'bother' or harass it.

 

[shepz]

Tank size is is roughly 40inch long 18inches high and 15inches wide, about 40 gallons or 180 litres.
I cannot test the parametres at the moment as i need new equipment.
The fish doesnt look rough scaled or anything pinecone like if it had dropsy, ive only just noticed this fish this swollen in the past week, ive noticed it looks like it has a tiny bit of a 'breeding tube'? I do 20-40% water changes weekly.
My other fish are two baby black moores and 3 baby weatherloaches. I have about 7 real plants about.

Thanks for getting back to me!

-shep

 

[jlk]

I would continue to offer her daily veggies and consider giving her an epsom salt bath once a day (1tsp/g for 15-20mins in separate container of tank water). I would also increase your water change schedule to atleast 50% 2-3x a week and invest in a good liquid test kit for your parameters.

Is she eating at all? Is she going to the bathroom normally?

 

[shepz]

What are the best veggies for her too eat? When i gave her the peas she ate them in like a minute so i think shes fine eith eating.
Ill do more water changes from now on see how that goes.

I havent actually seen her go for a toilet in awhile but i dont notice it loads with my other fish either im going to do constant checks on her too see how she is.

Thanks.

 

[jlk]

For right now, I would stick to mushed peas, cooked spinach and broccoli florets. Feed her these a few times a day. If shes not constipated, you should lots of green waste. Brine shrimp also work as a natural laxative. Epsom salt baths also work as a laxative, too. If shes merely constipated/bloated, you should see improvement in her overall condition within a few days. If she does in fact have eggs, she will reabsorb quickly them if they are not released. Which leaves the remaining possibility that she is in the early stages of dropsy which is easier to treat if caught early. Keep a very close eye on her for signs of further swelling in her abdomen and her eyes start to bulge even slightly as you will need to act fast if this occurs. Keep us posted!

 

[shepz]

Okay ill do the pea and broccoli diet, what will happen if she has eggs then, wont she lay waste?
I sure hope she doesnt have dropsy ill keep you posted thanks

 

[jlk]

Gravid goldfish still go to the bathroom which is why I was wondering if she's merely constipated. If they do not release eggs, their body reabsorbs them. Let's see how things go over the next few days and if her condition improves. I really would add an Epsom salt bath once a day for her. You can purchase Epsom salt in any drugstore, grocery store or chain store in the first aid/healthcare section.

 

[shepz]

Okay ill keep giving her laxative foods and hopefully on wednesday or thursday i can find some salts for her, ive checked on her this evening and shes been quite lively, no sight of excretion or anything yet, hopefully tomorrow

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and helping me out, really appreciate it!

 

[shepz]

A hell of a lot of green and light brown waste, thats good and means shes not constipated right?

On the otherhand she still is fat as hell

 

[jlk]

Waste is good sign! It indicates she is eating and her digestive system is working normally. Constipation is not an issue with her and we will just have to wait and see anything else changes. If she has eggs, she will reabsorb them if they are not released.

 

[shepz]

Sounds good, ill post again in a few days too see how she gets on!

 

[rmiller]

It may take time for her to expel all the backed up waste. I'm glad that she's going now, its a good sign that she's on her way to being healthy again.

 

[shepz]

Should i carry on with this laxative diet then? To make it easier for her?

Thanks

 

[rmiller]

I would incorporate it into their regular diet, once a week or so to prevent future issues.

 

[shepz]

Okay ill do that, thanks for the help!

 

[rmiller]

Any time. be sure to let us know if you notice any new symptoms.