Sick Gold Fish

[rvijay07]

One of my Gold Fish in a 20G tank is spending a lot of time at the bottom, including the mornings. Been this way for 3 weeks. I do regular water changes, feed well and also ensure not to overfeed. This fish looks really obese fat in the butt region. Also her hind fin a little bit more extended and looks strained so it hangs down a lot.

Whenever, I feed or come close to the tank this fish starts to swim and moves closer to me otherwise several times I have observed this fish resting on the rocks below. There are no other growth/change in skin color etc., This fish looks quite normal otherwise.

Also on some of the decorative pebbles, there is black fungus like growth.

I have 3 GF in all in this tank. The other two are doing quite well. Please advice. Thanks.

Vijay

[flipz]

Nothing jumps out at me except maybe dropsy? I could be completely wrong but I'm just basing it on the bulging in the lower belly, and the hind fin being extended. I'm sure someone else (like menagerie ) can give you a better answer than me. Just trying to help!

-brent

[jsoong]

Another cause could be constipation causing swimbladder disorder so it can't float/sink properly. Also, is this a she? It is spring & she may be full of eggs - although I don't think pregnant goldies are that lethargic (but I don't Know for sure)

It can also be a tumor or dropsy as stated before. Are the scales sticking out?
A picture may help.

[Christmasfish]

Picture will help.......
i think, like jsoong, it is swimbladder related. And though te others are fine, this may be the result of your fish growing larger adn older ina a...sorry to say it..too small tank.
Adult fancys shold be in 10 gallons a piece minimum and 15 each is ideal.
a black growth could be cynobacteria. Very nasty and could cause a bacterial swim bladder disorder to crop up. And dropsy can follow it.

"Fine" is not really a good term for most here on the board unless you last water test of no more than a week ago read Ammonia-0........Nitrite-0....and Nitrates below 40 and the total of fish have all been in the tank more than 4 months.

Really soft water or water that is a bit too warm is also a culprit for swim baldder probs. that is the thing with highly unfunctional and inbred critters of ANY species....they need more care than average.

[rvijay07]

Thanks for all the responses. Have to admit that I still haven't learned to tell the sex of fish properly.

I have been starving this fish for some time now. Feeding a lot lesser than normal. Sometimes even once in three days. All this seems to have helpedout a lot. This fish is a lot more active now and seen resting less rarely.

For fancy GF about 3 inches size, the amount of food needed they say is 2 pellets for fish per day. This is understandable considering its eye size, its proportionate stomach size and the amount of energy it needs/can digest in a day.

However, it used to eat a lot more in minute and I used to give it all that it could eat in one minute. (Which seems to have still been quite a lot ) Now the current amounts already seem to be producing the desired effect.

Vijay

[Menagerie]

Fish will eat to the point of exploding if you let them. Keep in mind that our pets started out in the wild eating whenever they could find food. That behavior is still part of the animal.

[Menagerie]

there is black fungus like growth

Sounds like cyanobacteria. Wash off the gravel to get rid of it.

[Christmasfish]

Keep an eye on that black stuff..get rid of it..!

As far as feeding...goldfish do not follow the rule.... they need to eat frequently and a lot...why...?

Fancy Golds especially have a dysfunctional digestive system, it is not complete. They have no stomach to speak of and the food goes nearly straight through.(why they are so messy!)
The intestines cannot get enough nutrients from the quick moving poorly procesed load in a single meal. That is why they pick at the tank constantly and why you often see cannibalistic tendencies with them if the feedings are too infrequent.
The slowest fish (read most expensive fancy) will be the loser. First his slime coat, then his fleshy points from the fin joinings and at last parts of his side. blech!

Fancies may be cheaper now..but for centuries they were pampered animals with scores of attendants whose lives depended on their living a healthy 15-30+ years!
Just because they can be produced a masse in ponds today does not mean they can thrive in any ol aquariums..^_^

Fancy golds are no where NEAR their wild carp ancestors anymore or the behaviors shown by them except gravel sifting. Carp are more torpedo shaped..Carp are not choosy, are predatory, are tank jumpers, are hugs and have no swim bladder problems caused by CENTURIES of inbreeding. Carp also still posess their full digestive tract. Tehy have a real stomache.
Though what Menagerie said is generally true of our "tamed" friends... It doesn't when applied to inbreed, specialized domesticated animals. Can ferrets be set back to the wilds where their polecat anscestors live? Can dairy cattle be set free on the african savannah and have any survive the following year? Can a pekingnese join a wolf pack? Generalizations cover a lot, but the exceptions are always present.
Don't put your golds on a diet..just feed them controlled amounts at intervals

That said..your betta will eat til his skin splits ^_^. I actually have one who is FAT.

[SteveM]

Simple constipation can give them an overfilled stomach, interfering with their swim bladder and making them unable to maintain neutral buoyancy. You might try feeding them some veggies once in a while. I've had the best luck with frozen peas (boil for a couple minutes, and remove shells and cut into smaller pieces), but lettuce and zucchini are also good. One of my GF will show the same "resting" on the bottom of the tank if I don't get them their fiber now and then, but the other one eats everything in sight and never has a problem.