Goldfish help???

[MuggleMeNot]

I adopted a 2 year old calico telescope eye from a family that was moving and could no longer keep their fish tank. He's large, about the size of my hand but he doesn't seem to be doing well. At first I thought he had a swim bladder problem that maybe the previous owners were either negligent or uninformed of how to treat, but now I'm not so sure. He rarely swims, is listless, and just lays upside down. He doesn't float, just finds some plants, turns upside down and chills for hours, like he's depressed. Any advice as to what's wrong with him and how I can help his quality of life? Maybe it's just me, but it's like his lethargy is putting a funk in my other goldfish and they're not as perky as they used to be. Please, if anyone can advise me.... In the tank, I have 2 hand sized orandas, 1 smaller oranda, and 1 smaller ranchu, 55 gallon tank.

 

[Coursair]

Immediate large water change. Test water. You are over crowded on fish. Goldfish need about 20 gal per fish.

Fancy goldfish make sure you Presoak flakes. Feed skinned defrosted peas weekly.

New fish could be constipated or have other issues. Swim bladder is not a disease it is a symptom.

 

[barterking85]

Immediate large water change. Test water. You are over crowded on fish. Goldfish need about 20 gal per fish.

Fancy goldfish make sure you Presoak flakes. Feed skinned defrosted peas weekly.

New fish could be constipated or have other issues. Swim bladder is not a disease it is a symptom.

goldfish need 20 gallons yes for the first 10 for each additional which only puts you behind 5 gallons but many stocking rules ate flawed like inch per gallon sure you can put 10 one inch fish in a ten gallon put would you put one ten inch goldfish in a 10 gallon no!
As long as your water levels are ok your good on stocking

You may want to change over to sinking pellets for them it will help stop bloating ime

From the info given I will be honest it dosent look good try raising the temp and aeration if you have a heater and turn the lights out for a few days and hope for the best

I don't think it's constipation but I could be wrong try blanched peas if he will still eat at this point it will clear him out if there is a blockage

 

[Fishguy2727]

What is the nitrate concentration?
What is the normal water change schedule?

Stocking has much more to do with water changes than tank volume. With that stock in that tank you could have room for three more or have three too many.

Add some aquarium salt. Goldfish respond very well to salt treatments.

I wouldn't increase temp unless it is in the 60s.

I would feed a high quality sinking food. I feed and recommend New Life Spectrum.

Agreed with water changes. They will help if not fix 95% of the problems you will ever have.

 

[barterking85]

What is the nitrate concentration?
What is the normal water change schedule?

Stocking has much more to do with water changes than tank volume. With that stock in that tank you could have room for three more or have three too many.

Add some aquarium salt. Goldfish respond very well to salt treatments.

I wouldn't increase temp unless it is in the 60s.

I would feed a high quality sinking food. I feed and recommend New Life Spectrum.

Agreed with water changes. They will help if not fix 95% of the problems you will ever have.

I have like 6 year old fantail and black moor and they are in 80 degree water all the time disease free and jsoong will agree to raise temp and aeration and he knows his stuff with goldfish

 

[Fishguy2727]

As do I.

IME fancies do not tolerate heat as well as long-bodieds. Raising the temp is also a relative term. Since most goldfish are not kept at 80F all the time, a suggestion to raise the temp may mean something different. I personally wouldn't push the heat up on them, at least not by more than a couple degrees.

Aeration is always good and should never be lacking, healthy or not.

 

[barterking85]

As do I.

IME fancies do not tolerate heat as well as long-bodieds. Raising the temp is also a relative term. Since most goldfish are not kept at 80F all the time, a suggestion to raise the temp may mean something different. I personally wouldn't push the heat up on them, at least not by more than a couple degrees.

Aeration is always good and should never be lacking, healthy or not.

The only reason I keep my temp at 80 is because anything lower then 78 my fancies get slow and lethargic and I found it helps with digestion and agreed aeration is good at all times I suggested to raise it if you have a control knob is for extra oxygen as more heat means less oxygen I still think it's not a bad idea to raise the temp 5 degrees from where it is now as it will help prevent infection while the fish is most certainly stressed and salt is a great idea sorry I forgot to add that but salt for no more then 10 days followed by I big pwc

All tge above is my personal experience and I respect everyone's opinion but I like personal experience instead of following advice blindly

 

[Fishguy2727]

As do I. Just keep an eye on them at that temp.

 

[MuggleMeNot]

Immediate large water change. Test water. You are over crowded on fish. Goldfish need about 20 gal per fish.

Fancy goldfish make sure you Presoak flakes. Feed skinned defrosted peas weekly.

New fish could be constipated or have other issues. Swim bladder is not a disease it is a symptom.

Please don't talk down to me. I know my goldfish! I already pre soak my sinking pellets, I do not feed them flakes. I have tested my water and the quality is perfect, no ammonia, no nitrate, no nitrate, the pH is 7.0. I already use aquarium salt. My concern is for this new goldfish I adopted, I can't help what the previous family fed him or kept him in, I'm trying to help him survive rather than being flushed down the toilet. I do large water changes every week because they're goldfish and I know they're dirty. I joined this forum to get help on the rare occasion that I might need it, not to be talked down to.

 

[barterking85]

It is impossible for us to know that you have to post all that info sorry if you felt that way he just might need to get adjusted to his new home I gave the vest info I could the rest is fate I would send jsoong a pm he is a goldfish guru

 

[Fishguy2727]

I don't think anyone meant to talk down to you, that post doesn't indicate it to me.

You don't need to soak sinking pellets. Actually it can remove water-soluble nutrients. I never soak my NLS and none of my goldfish have any issues, but every goldfish is different.

Test again. It is effectively impossible to have 0 nitrate. Even tap water has it so you will have a certain minimum right after a 100% water change. What is your actual water change schedule (what percentage)? If you are using a liquid test kit I am guessing it is API's in which case you have to follow the instructions to the letter (shaking bottle #2 for 30 seconds, adding the correct number of drops, then shaking the test tube for 60 seconds). It seems like every time someone has 0 nitrate they are missing are altering one of the steps, which with that particular kit will result in a false 0.

 

[Coursair]

Please don't talk down to me. I know my goldfish! I already pre soak my sinking pellets, I do not feed them flakes. I have tested my water and the quality is perfect, no ammonia, no nitrate, no nitrate, the pH is 7.0. I already use aquarium salt. My concern is for this new goldfish I adopted, I can't help what the previous family fed him or kept him in, I'm trying to help him survive rather than being flushed down the toilet. I do large water changes every week because they're goldfish and I know they're dirty. I joined this forum to get help on the rare occasion that I might need it, not to be talked down to.

Not trying to talk down to anyone. I have no idea what you already know. I'm posting via my phone and left out my usual disclaimer of "please disregard if you already know this stuff".

IMHO 80F water is much too warm for goldfish. Warmer water has less oxygen and GF have to try harder to breathe.

I read an article about someone making a vest for their GF that had a swim bladder issue. It was in one of the Aquarium mags this year. The vest was to help keep him upright. Not a joke.

Salt in moderation is a good idea as you know.

 

[barterking85]

I said that in an above post that's why I increase aeration for more oxygen

 

[Fishguy2727]

Don't increase temp, you are already quite warm for fancy goldfish.

Add salt.

Do water changes.

Always have more than enough aeration, regardless of temp.

 

[Coursair]

Don't increase temp, you are already quite warm for fancy goldfish.

Add salt.

Do water changes.

Always have more than enough aeration, regardless of temp.

Just be moderate with the salt. It does not evaporate and one of my customers almost killed his 16yr old Goldfish by over salting. He added salt EVERY weekly water change. His fish is fine now. Salt is good. Just sayin'

Not accusing anyone here of over salting.

 

[MuggleMeNot]

So, I did what you suggested, I re tested the waters and yes there is 0.5 Nitrate and 0.1 Nitrite. Which is, minimal toxins, I am still doing 40% water changes twice a week. I've doubled up on the biomax in my filters, there's lots of room for it so I have double the biomax in both filters. All my goldfish are fine, happy and healthy, except this one telescope eye that I've adopted. I contacted the family and they told me they've had him for 2 years, that he was not much smaller than what he is now, which leads me to believe that he's a lot older than I thought. I'm just wondering, with my water testing good and maybe the stress of his move (cause this family was moving from one city to another and he was kept in a 20gal. tank for so long, whose to say that they weren't as diligent as I about keeping tanks clean and fish stress free) and his age, is he dying on me because of all this? He responds to food, but that's it. He lays upside-down and just sits lethargic. He doesn't respond to the other goldfish and believe me, they're trying to get him going, he doesn't respond to me when I come to the glass. The only time he moves is to eat. All the other fish are fine, the water is good. I just need to pick someone's brain about this because in 13 years of keeping goldfish, I've only ever had 1 die on me and it was my fault due to misinformation. (When I first started keeping fish, my boss, at a pet store told me I could put Chinese Algea Eaters in the tank, I came home one day and the bugger ate the slime coat off of my lionhead in strips!). I know better now. I've never seen a goldfish die or age.... Any advice on this?

 

[MuggleMeNot]

Also, I realize now that I wasn't being talked down to. I was worried about my fish, reading this thread on my iPhone which at first only showed me the " your over stocked.... Blah blah blah" and when I signed up for this account I was asked to fill out my profile with all my information so others would know my details and I did that and I assumed you all had read it.

 

[chagoi]

Boil peas for 2 min then shell them. Water change,water change. I did keep F/G for over 20 years. A bare bottom G/F only tank with one fish per 25-30 Galswork for me. PS fish get sick and die it just happens don't beat your self up.

 

[foster53]

Please don't talk down to me. I know my goldfish! I already pre soak my sinking pellets, I do not feed them flakes. I have tested my water and the quality is perfect, no ammonia, no nitrate, no nitrate, the pH is 7.0. I already use aquarium salt. My concern is for this new goldfish I adopted, I can't help what the previous family fed him or kept him in, I'm trying to help him survive rather than being flushed down the toilet. I do large water changes every week because they're goldfish and I know they're dirty. I joined this forum to get help on the rare occasion that I might need it, not to be talked down to.

I read and reread all the posts, I didn't see where anyone was talking down to you. They all offered very tangible advice. They had no idea of your experience level, it was not given in your early posts. I have only been a member of this forum for a short while, but I have only seen compassion, and genuine concern. I have also seen very good advice given to people having problems with their fish or tanks. Rarely will two people totally agree on a single solution to a given problem,we all have our own ideas and experiences that work for us. Thats what makes this such a great hobby.
Once again, I don't think anyone was trying to belittle you or talk down to you,Just tried to help you. Just my opinion, take it for what it's worth.

 

[MuggleMeNot]

I know that, I truly do. Any suggestions on Freckles (that's the name the family gave him)?