Old bloaty goldfish

[cow]

i was looking very close at fish, i have two one is all white, a total of 10 inches of fiosh in twenty tank, including tails, they look like they have dry skin around heads ,especially the white one, is this normal, then the one that floats alot has a bit of eith dark orange or slightly red around gills, but not the part they open it is more right after the eyes, toward gill opening, what could this be if i have never had new fish, plants or live foods, no white spots on them but this dry looking skin on white one and the color around gills of the floaty one , it is about half way from eye to opening of gill,

 

[jlk]

Can you post pics of what you are seeing?

In respect to gulping bubbles, it can be an oxygen issue in warm water but it's more indicative of a fish being unable to assimilate oxygen properly due to toxins or gill damage. Goldfish will learn this bad habit from other goldfish as well.

 

[cow]

Can you post pics of what you are seeing?

In respect to gulping bubbles, it can be an oxygen issue in warm water but it's more indicative of a fish being unable to assimilate oxygen properly due to toxins or gill damage. Goldfish will learn this bad habit from other goldfish as well.

This part you said,more indicative of a fish being unable to assimilate oxygen properly due to toxins or gill damage. how can they get gill damage if i never introduced any live plants, food or other fish?? I will try to get a pic for you, i was doing more reading, i jsut read that one sign of long stringy poo is underfed?? This fish is always hungry, i feed about the size of his eye as they say , but if i feed him more then he floats bad, how can i help him , they say it better to underfeed then to over feed, but with this situation i dont know what way to go, he would certainly be happier if i fed him more, but he wouldnt feel very well about hour or so later when he floats, i am trying to feed variety, and see what ones make him more floaty, I will try the gel food once more, this is one he ate that last time he was so very bad, i didnt think he was going to make it , looked like he was in pain, this is when he was eating the peas too, so i stopped them ,and the brine shrimp seems to help now okay ill work on pic now

 

[cow]

if this is what he eats bubbles for , how do i fix this problem?
where you state,
*fish being unable to assimilate oxygen properly due to toxins or gill damage*

 

[jlk]

Have you tried veggies other than just peas? Are you cooking the peas until soft and mushy then deshelling and smoothing into bits? Try bits of plan cooked spinach or cooked broccoli florets stuck in veggie clip. Or bits of tangerine or orange or other soft fruit. Having veggie matter to munch on 24/7 may help alleviate the need to gulp bubbles and preoccupy him. Adding plants to munch on such as elodea, hornwort or wisteria is another good option.

Unfortunately, if the gulping is from gill damage, their is not much that can be done other than keep the water pristine and ammonia/nitrite at zero and nitrate as close to zero as possible.

 

[cow]

Can you post pics of what you are seeing?

In respect to gulping bubbles, it can be an oxygen issue in warm water but it's more indicative of a fish being unable to assimilate oxygen properly due to toxins or gill damage. Goldfish will learn this bad habit from other goldfish as well.

Attached are some photos, i see on the white fish that a black indented dot on face has gotten bigger, could this be a clue as to what might be wrong with other one too? Please let me know if you got these okay, i dont know if i sent them right!

 

[cow]

Attached are some photos, i see on the white fish that a black indented dot on face has gotten bigger, could this be a clue as to what might be wrong with other one too? Please let me know if you got these okay, i dont know if i sent them right!

here are some more, i know my tank isnt much to look at but this is how they are used to it for many years, please not all that you can in viewing them, let me know what you think, I really love these guys believe it or not and wil do anything for them, I am gonna have a stroke if i dont calm down about it!

 

[jlk]

Thanks! I do not see what you are describing as white dry skin on their heads. I believe you mentioned earlier that your using water from softener? Or you have water that lacks gh/kh or something similar? Have you considered finding these guys a happy pond home?

 

[cow]

Thanks! I do not see what you are describing as white dry skin on their heads. I believe you mentioned earlier that your using water from softener? Or you have water that lacks gh/kh or something similar? Have you considered finding these guys a happy pond home?

I dont know about finding a new home, they are so old i would be afraid to do that and i would be concerned about how well they would be kept. Is there something i need to do?? I will continue with the water changes, i add minerals from wonder shell once a week, (due to fact i use softened water) and feed more veggies, I hope its okay to keep using brine shrimp, this has really helped him, now with this on hand i can experiment with other foods, still cant stop him from eating bubbles! I am happy you dont see anything wrong. I suppose if there was something detrimental it would show on them
any ideas is much appreciated, I heard progold is good for floaty fish, i have nls foods, and api goldfish pellets, wardley, cobalt flakes, and frozen omega one veggie formula, probiotics from goldfish connection, mediations, name it !

 

[jlk]

Does your water system have an access valve before the softener? Or an outside spigot that is independent of softener?

Go ahead and feed brine shrimp but try to find something food wise that is agreeable. Some fish do great with progold but some do not. Same as any other brand- not everyone does great with everything. Skip flakes though because it may encourage gulping. Or make another gelfood with simple protein and spinach and peas. Try adding some real plants for them to munch on. Good luck!