Please Help with Calico Fantail (Seems Like He's on his Last Fin)...

[Osage_Winter]

My Calico Fantail goldfish has been acting very strange and erratic for a couple of weeks now, and although he was always a bit quirky to say the least when we first got him, the strange symptoms have gotten progressively worse...

We noticed he starts to swim sideways, sometimes coming up to the surface of the water where he either remains upside down -- completely -- or lists sideways and rides the surface like that, before spiraling down and swimming "normally" again. He has always swam with his head down, doing this "boogie" motion thing as he goes through the water, but this upside down behavior is concerning me -- many times already I have caught him doing this when I have entered the room and looked in the tank closely, and I had to wonder if he was still alive or breathing, and he has been each time. We have also noticed a strange "gash" on his scales on one side, which seems to have spread to other parts of the body; but the swimming remains erratic with weird behavior in which he not only swims upside down on the surface of the tank, but also allows himself to ride the currents without any swimming strength of his own, bouncing off the glass and other weird "stuff"...

As soon as these symptoms became really regular, I did a PWC (a couple of nights ago) and cleaned all the media in my filters, also adding some Prime to perhaps promote some stress/slime coat; after doing this, the Calico seemed to actually respond and do a bit better. However, now, he has begun doing the upside down thing again, and is swimming erratically, so I dropped five tabs of the Tetra Parasite Guard medication into the tank (actually, I dissolved the five tablets into water and then dropped that in; the dose is one tablet per 10 gallons, but I was short one tablet) thinking that this may do at least something to heal the strange wounds on his scales or calm him down, if this is some kind of infection...

Can anyone recommend something else I can do to treat this fish and save him? What do these symtoms sound like? I realize another water change would be a prescribed method, but I'm not so sure that is his problem...is there something anyone could recommend which I could use that would not be that daunting of a process, and a product in which we could just walk into, say, a PetSmart to get as a kind of emergency?

 

[dkpate]

Sounds like a swim bladder issue, have you tried feeding him boiled, shelled peas?

 

[Mr. Limpet]

My Calico Fantail goldfish has been acting very strange and erratic for a couple of weeks now, and although he was always a bit quirky to say the least when we first got him, the strange symptoms have gotten progressively worse...

We noticed he starts to swim sideways, sometimes coming up to the surface of the water where he either remains upside down -- completely -- or lists sideways and rides the surface like that, before spiraling down and swimming "normally" again. He has always swam with his head down, doing this "boogie" motion thing as he goes through the water, but this upside down behavior is concerning me -- many times already I have caught him doing this when I have entered the room and looked in the tank closely, and I had to wonder if he was still alive or breathing, and he has been each time. We have also noticed a strange "gash" on his scales on one side, which seems to have spread to other parts of the body; but the swimming remains erratic with weird behavior in which he not only swims upside down on the surface of the tank, but also allows himself to ride the currents without any swimming strength of his own, bouncing off the glass and other weird "stuff"...

As soon as these symptoms became really regular, I did a PWC (a couple of nights ago) and cleaned all the media in my filters, also adding some Prime to perhaps promote some stress/slime coat; after doing this, the Calico seemed to actually respond and do a bit better. However, now, he has begun doing the upside down thing again, and is swimming erratically, so I dropped five tabs of the Tetra Parasite Guard medication into the tank (actually, I dissolved the five tablets into water and then dropped that in; the dose is one tablet per 10 gallons, but I was short one tablet) thinking that this may do at least something to heal the strange wounds on his scales or calm him down, if this is some kind of infection...

Can anyone recommend something else I can do to treat this fish and save him? What do these symtoms sound like? I realize another water change would be a prescribed method, but I'm not so sure that is his problem...is there something anyone could recommend which I could use that would not be that daunting of a process, and a product in which we could just walk into, say, a PetSmart to get as a kind of emergency?

What size tank, water parameters, tankmates, etc?

Peas (shelled) are a good suggestion, but I don't boil mine, I use frozen peas thawed in room temp water.

 

[Scalare]

almost certainly a swim bladder problem, not sure how you can treat it though, sorry I can't be of more help.

Pete

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Here's a site that says peas are the cure and it sounds pretty easy to deal with.

http://www.ehow.com/i/#article_2247182

 

[Osage_Winter]

Thanks Everyone for Your Input...

I actually have been feeding frozen (then thawed) peas and did a second PWC since this happened tonight -- the Calico seems to be doing a bit better, and he's not floating upside down anymore, and the listing sideways has gotten better...

How long do I continue feeding peas for? Just until he shows all symptoms being gone?

 

[dkpate]

I would feed the peas (and ONLY peas, nothing else) until he is back to swimming normally. After that, you might want to feed the peas once a week as a preventative, as well as other fresh veggies.
Glad he's doing better.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Thanks Everyone for Your Input...

I actually have been feeding frozen (then thawed) peas and did a second PWC since this happened tonight -- the Calico seems to be doing a bit better, and he's not floating upside down anymore, and the listing sideways has gotten better...

How long do I continue feeding peas for? Just until he shows all symptoms being gone?

Glad to hear it's better. Make the peas a regular part of your fishes diet. I buy frozen peas and it makes it really easy to feed them.

 

[Osage_Winter]

Thanks Both of You...

Appreciate the support for the Calico! We have gone back to doing the flakes again, but will incorporate the peas -- so, this should be about once a week for all the fish, even if the listing and other symptoms have gone away? Just make it part of their regular diet?

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Thanks Both of You...

Appreciate the support for the Calico! We have gone back to doing the flakes again, but will incorporate the peas -- so, this should be about once a week for all the fish, even if the listing and other symptoms have gone away? Just make it part of their regular diet?

I do and never have to worry about SBD. Plus they love them and how could I deny them such a tasty treat .

 

[Osage_Winter]

Thanks, Limpet.

 

[Hubert90]

Another way to treat swimming bladder is to not feed it for 1 or 2 days and making sure that the temp. is above 70 degrees. And how often do u feed ur fantail? I recommend feeding it 6 days a week, and allowing it to fast for 1 day!

 

[Osage_Winter]

Another way to treat swimming bladder is to not feed it for 1 or 2 days and making sure that the temp. is above 70 degrees. And how often do u feed ur fantail? I recommend feeding it 6 days a week, and allowing it to fast for 1 day!

Thanks for your input, Hubert.

Actually, the swim bladder issue is under control at the moment -- it seems from feeding the peas and changing the water, plus adding some Tetra ParasiteGuard tablets, has turned the Calico fantail around to the point he's not swimming upside down or listing that bad anymore. As for the feeding, this has been an issue from the beginning, and a source for a lot of suspicions for folks trying to help me -- I have been feeding once a day, Tetra Goldfish Flakes, but do you recommend skipping just one day a week? Most have said skip every other day...

 

[Hubert90]

It's up to u really and how often u do pwc. For me, I fast my goldfish every Friday and every sat Monday Wednesday I feed them pre-soaked pellets (hikari). Then sunday I'll feed them a frozen food called vege gourmet, tuesday is always thawed blood worms and finally Thursday I feed them frozen peas (blanched and peeled). And I do pwc every week. (first week I'll do 10%, the week after I do a 50% water change). My methods are workin for me like a charm. Haha