Goldfish health help please!

[rstott94]

Hi everyone, this is my first post so if it's not quite in the style that everyone is used to! So here's my problem:

I have three goldfish, and I'm having problems with one of them. Shortly after getting my goldfish (almost two years ago), this one goldfish started to float. I immediately thought it was swimbladder, and have been trying every trick in the book to solve the problem. I've tried medications you put in the water, I've tried fasting the fish, I've tried feeding peas for a few days... but my fish still floats.

I then realised he only floats after he's eaten, and floats until he has a poo (which is covered in air bubbles or contains visible bubbles). The pellets I feed them float, and I began to wonder if he was gulping/swallowing air. I bought some sinking food and that SEEMED to solve the problem, he stopped floating soon after eating. But he was still floating for random hours at a time.

I started watching him like a hawk, and he gulps air at the surface. I have a filter and do daily partial water changes, so there SHOULDN'T be any oxygen level problems in the tank. I even bought some oxygenating tablets but they didn't help. He even gulps air immediately after a 100% water change. My other two goldfish never gulp air, and never have this floating problem.

So I guess my question is: does anyone know what is causing this? Has anyone else has a problem with their fish gulping air for no reason and floating about when it isn't swimbladder? Is there perhaps something wrong with his gill function?

I'm starting to get really quite upset about it- it can't be comfortable for him, and it's already be drawn out for almost two years. I'm starting to think if he can't be fixed soon it'd be easier to put him out of his miser

Any advice would be highly appreciated, I'm clueless!

 

[venymae]

It's normal for goldfish to gulp air sometimes, mine did it quite often when I had them. Not sure about the bubble poo and floating though..... sorry!

 

[venymae]

Also, I had a fish that had...swimming problems. For years. She never seemed to be miserable though, just different. Before you consider euthanasia, consider again, is he really miserable, or happy with bizzare symptoms?

 

[jlk]

Welcome to AA!!!!

Gulping air can indicate gill irritation or gill damage though its not always the case. Is this goldie a fancy or a single tail breed? What type of food are you presently feeding them? How are your tank parameters and water change schedule?

I would start by switching them off of commercial pelleted food entirely. Switch everyone over to either a gel food such as Repashy or Mazuri or make your own for the best ingredients. Add daily veggies into their diet. Sometimes a dietary change can be very helpful but it does not guarentee an instant cure. Goldfish can live, eat and swim quite happily in odd positions even though it may be distressing for us to view. The only big concern with a goldie with positive buoyancy issues is that a portion of their body may be exposed to the air resulting in trauma, stress and infection. Does he stay below the surface?

 

[rstott94]

Sorry for the late reply, I only just saw this reply;

My goldfish are single fin, just bogstandard goldfish haha! My set up is a tank just under 50 gallons, with a filter, gravel, and a few ornaments. I perform daily water changes.

I currently have some gel food waiting to arrive in the mail, I couldn't find any at my local shop. I'll let you know if that helps.

It's the buoyancy that is worrying me; he floats so that his left side is out of the water most of the time that he is floating, and he has some scale damage on that side now. He seems to be fairly happy, still gets excited for food etc, but it's the damage that is making me worry that he may be in pain

 

[gemach7]

How much are you feeding at once? And how often? Goldfish like to overindulge causing digestive issues because of how their stomach and intestines work.
Try feeding less food more often. At least 3 meals a day.

 

[jlk]

Give the gel food a try and make sure you are feeding daily veggies. As Gemach mentioned,smaller more frequent meals are better suited to digestive issues. How much time is he spending with his side out of the water?

 

[gemach7]

I also feed the ones in my pond peas, and make sure the dry food i feed them is saturated before feeding, turkey basters work well for flakes or get sinking pellets and add what your going to feed to a cup of water to pre-saturate, will stop them from surface feeding.