redheaded veiltail

Question
I have a veiltail that is about 9 years old its tail is longer than its body and has always had problems swimming as its tail will sink. I is now sitting on the bottom of the tank won't eat and seems to be gasping for air is it dyeing? Or is something else going on maybe constipation and it hasn't gone in days thanks Julie

Answer
Julie,
What kind of veiltail are we talking about. Goldfish, Betta, Guppy..... There are many different types. I am assuming it is not a Betta since their life span is between 5 and 6 years. If a fish is gasping for it means there is not enough oxygen in the water. You can add an air stone to the tank, and check your filter to make sure it is working correctly. Aside from the type of fish, what size tank it is in? What are you feeding it? Check your water perimeters and make sure both the ammonia and nitrites are at zero. How often do you do water changes? They have to be done weekly by removing 25% of the water replacing it with clean conditioned water. Let me know what type of fish it is so that I can help you better.