Upside down fish

[Princess1982]

My calico ryukin has always had some sort of issue with its swimbladder and its seems to be getting worse. She has always floated nose up and tail down and sinks when she stops swimming. She is now almost completely flipped over.

I came home just now and found her upside down on the gravel but breathing normally. I panicked at first because I thought she was dead but as soon as she saw me she got up and started swimming around.

There is no change in her appetite (still greedy as normal) and she seems to be as active as she always has been.

Does anyone know what this can be? I am currently fasting the fish for a few days and will give them shelled peas in case these deterioration is just down to constipation but as this is an ongoing issue with the swimbladder I would really like to get the underlying cause sorted out.

It was suggested that it was just down to a deformed swimbladder so I haven't treated for anything.

180 litre with 2 filters
1 x calico ryukin
1 x black moore
1 x commom goldfish
1 x red car oranda
1 x white ranchu
1 x leopard plec

Water parameters are all within suggested range.


Thanks in advance!

xx

 

[jlk]

I am sorry to hear this! I am unfortunately dealing with a similar situation with my one male ryukin. Ryukins seem to be more prone to swim bladder issues than other breeds of goldies though no breed is exempt. All I can offer you is the advice that was given to me by the goldie community. Skip the peas (they can contribute to gassiness) after the fast & feed only bits of cooked spinach exclusively for 7-10 days. See if this helps. Then gradually introduce homemade gel food. Goldfish with swim bladder issues can live happily upside down or sideways (or so I have been told). Alternately, you can consider making him a harness to keep him floating properly (theres some videos on U-Tube).

Ultimately, it will come down to a quality of life issue that you will have to decide because there really isnt a 'cure' for a deformed swimbladder. Sometimes addressing food issues can be enough to alleviate problems.
Hopefully, this will work for you!

 

[Princess1982]

Thanks JLK. I guess I was just hoping someone could tell me it was just an infection and I could treat her for a few days and she would be upright again! Poor little thing. Thanks for your imput. I will try what you have recommended.

 

[jlk]

Trust me, I wish there was a simple solution as well!! Good luck!

 

[NickB8951]

If you feed your Goldfish pellets it will help to soak the pellets in water for 5 minutes before putting them in the tank so they don't float. When the Goldfish eat the pellets from the surface of the water they may suck in air. That sometimes causes the swimbladder issue.