we have had him almost 9 years. About 2 weeks ago he started falling on his side and we assumed this was a swim bladder problem he had had before but now he has a lump on his head. One day nothing at all then next it was there. He seems to be heavy like he sinks after swimming a bit. We have been using the swim bladder medicine on him
Poorly goldfish
- Thread starter Tommyfish
- Start date
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Please take a read of the "unhealthy fish" sticky and give as much detail as you are able.
https://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f17/before-posting-about-unhealthy-fish-read-this-32451.html
In particular, how big is the tank and how big is the fish? That tank looks very small for a goldfish and it could be a case of the fish not being able to grow properly in the tank which causes issues with their internal organs, which in turn leads to ill health.
https://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f17/before-posting-about-unhealthy-fish-read-this-32451.html
In particular, how big is the tank and how big is the fish? That tank looks very small for a goldfish and it could be a case of the fish not being able to grow properly in the tank which causes issues with their internal organs, which in turn leads to ill health.
Just add information to this thread in a new post.
1 fan tail goldfish lump on his head which appeared over night, trouble staying up right. little bit of thin rot
2 NO3 = 20 n02 = 0.5 ph = 7.9 kh = 40 water hardnesss = 180
3 54 litres been set up for 6 years
4 not sure it came withthe tank an we no longer have the box
5 only 1 there use to be 3 but that was when they are a lot smaller
6 water change half a tank every 2 weeks
7 since 2014 we have had him
8 no nothing new
9 we started feeding him a bit less when he was having trouble keeping up right hes been constipated before and lowering his food usually gets him back to normal again before he was ill he was eating vitamin c flakes but since he been poorly we used peas to see if it would help him
Fish R Fun Quality Goldfish Flake Food
Features
Offers multivitamin and C plus stabilised
Contains beta glucane and spirulina
Suitable for goldfish and ornamental cold water fish
Supports your fish's immune system
2 NO3 = 20 n02 = 0.5 ph = 7.9 kh = 40 water hardnesss = 180
3 54 litres been set up for 6 years
4 not sure it came withthe tank an we no longer have the box
5 only 1 there use to be 3 but that was when they are a lot smaller
6 water change half a tank every 2 weeks
7 since 2014 we have had him
8 no nothing new
9 we started feeding him a bit less when he was having trouble keeping up right hes been constipated before and lowering his food usually gets him back to normal again before he was ill he was eating vitamin c flakes but since he been poorly we used peas to see if it would help him
Fish R Fun Quality Goldfish Flake Food
Features
Offers multivitamin and C plus stabilised
Contains beta glucane and spirulina
Suitable for goldfish and ornamental cold water fish
Supports your fish's immune system
To start with, you have done remarkably well to keep a goldfish alive for nearly a decade in such a small tank.
A goldfish should be kept in 80 litres minimum and 120 litres would be better. What happens when fish are kept in unsuitable environments they release hormones to stunt their growth and try to compensate for the lack of space. Their body growth stops but their internal organs continue growing. The lack of space for these organs means they cant grow properly, they dont function properly, this leads to ill health and shortened lifespans.
How big is the fish? At 9 years old it should be adult sized, say 8 inches long.
You are also detecting nitrite in your test. This indicates 1 of 2 things.
- You have crashed your cycle.
- Or, your filtration is simply not sufficient to remove all the waste your fish produces.
Is this nitrite something new, or are you only testing now because you are seeing an issue with your fishes health? High nitrite will also cause organ failure. You don't mention ammonia which is an important parameter to know. Im presuming you are testing with 5 in 1 test strips, and multi-test strips dont come with ammonia on them and have to be purchased separately. If you are getting a new test kit, get a liquid test kit like API Freshwater Master Testkit. It covers what you need (pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate), will be more accurate than test strips, and as you get 100s of tests from it will be more cost effective long run than strips.
My hunch is your fish living in too small space is catching with it. There will be the issues with healthy organ growth, and also its likely the stock filtration that came with the too small tank wont be sufficient to remove all the waste a goldfish produces. Goldfish are very messy, need big tanks and bigger filtration systems. Really in a 120 litre tank it should have filtration rated for over 200 litres. You have a 54 litre tank with a filter likely rated for the size of the tank.
What to do? If it is organ failure then there isnt much except make the fish more comfortable. Im kind of assuming after 9 years a bigger tank with sufficient filtration isnt on the cards, in which case more frequent water changes will help. Say, change 50% of the water twice weekly. Aquarium salt can help with nitrite poisoning, 1 tablespoon/ 4 litres of water.
I would also consider swim bladder treatment. Dont feed the fish for 3 days, if things dont improve then try and feed a boiled, shelled pea.
After that you need to consider the quality of life your fish is having. If its not eating, cant swim properly, and isnt responding to treatment then euthanising the fish will be the kindest outcome.
A goldfish should be kept in 80 litres minimum and 120 litres would be better. What happens when fish are kept in unsuitable environments they release hormones to stunt their growth and try to compensate for the lack of space. Their body growth stops but their internal organs continue growing. The lack of space for these organs means they cant grow properly, they dont function properly, this leads to ill health and shortened lifespans.
How big is the fish? At 9 years old it should be adult sized, say 8 inches long.
You are also detecting nitrite in your test. This indicates 1 of 2 things.
- You have crashed your cycle.
- Or, your filtration is simply not sufficient to remove all the waste your fish produces.
Is this nitrite something new, or are you only testing now because you are seeing an issue with your fishes health? High nitrite will also cause organ failure. You don't mention ammonia which is an important parameter to know. Im presuming you are testing with 5 in 1 test strips, and multi-test strips dont come with ammonia on them and have to be purchased separately. If you are getting a new test kit, get a liquid test kit like API Freshwater Master Testkit. It covers what you need (pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate), will be more accurate than test strips, and as you get 100s of tests from it will be more cost effective long run than strips.
My hunch is your fish living in too small space is catching with it. There will be the issues with healthy organ growth, and also its likely the stock filtration that came with the too small tank wont be sufficient to remove all the waste a goldfish produces. Goldfish are very messy, need big tanks and bigger filtration systems. Really in a 120 litre tank it should have filtration rated for over 200 litres. You have a 54 litre tank with a filter likely rated for the size of the tank.
What to do? If it is organ failure then there isnt much except make the fish more comfortable. Im kind of assuming after 9 years a bigger tank with sufficient filtration isnt on the cards, in which case more frequent water changes will help. Say, change 50% of the water twice weekly. Aquarium salt can help with nitrite poisoning, 1 tablespoon/ 4 litres of water.
I would also consider swim bladder treatment. Dont feed the fish for 3 days, if things dont improve then try and feed a boiled, shelled pea.
After that you need to consider the quality of life your fish is having. If its not eating, cant swim properly, and isnt responding to treatment then euthanising the fish will be the kindest outcome.
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