goldfish floating upside down...help please!

Question

Shirley1   QUESTION: My daughter's goldfish (4 year old fancy fantail) has been floating upside down with it's bottom above the waterline for several weeks.  I've done some looking on-line and guessed swim bladder problems.  I've had her feed thawed frozen peas for several days, but nothing seems to be helping.  I noticed today what seemed like blood around the anus sticking up above the water line.  The fish seems pretty calm.  It still has an appetite.  I just don't see any kind of waste.  There are no poop strings and the fish is bloated.  We change it's water 2x a week (10 gallon tank).  It's the only fish in the tank.  I don't know what's wrong.  I don't want the fish to suffer and my daughter is distressed over it as well.  Is this fish able to be saved?

ANSWER: Twanna,    You have two problems here. Yes, he has a swimbladder infection at this point it needs to be treated aggressively. I would treat it with Tetracycline. Take your filter carbon out of your filter while treating and follow the directions. The second problem you have is he is ammonia burned. The biggest myth in the pet business is goldfish bowls. A goldfish needs BIG water they are beautiful and under the right conditions the type you have can live for 20 years easy. With goldies it really is all about water quality. Too many water changes stresses your fish out and means you need a bigger tank. I really would cut out the middleman and get a 29 gallon. That should keep you ok for years. Also, filtration get a filter that is one size larger than for the tank you buy. It will cut down on all the work. You will get a siphon and clean that solid wastes out of the rocks into a bucket and you will be surprised at the black dirt that comes out. They are cheap and the shop will show you how to use it. Then feel the water and refill with same bucket only used for your tank....of course. Not eating is the worst sign but can he be saved.....I don't know it depends on how week it is. I would also gently nudge him upright and guide him abit around the tank a couple times a day to move that water through their gills to keep the oxygen content in him up. I would also add a bubble stone with an airpump to any goldie tank. The agitation on the surface off the water envelopes oxygen into your water which they need tons of. I hope he does well. Get the bubbler now because you are not going to be doing any water changes for abit. I think you are going to see a big difference after you have a bubbler in there and the first dose of medication. Good Luck, Tina

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QUESTION: Thanks.  We don't have gravel in the tank. We do use a siphon and have for years. The fish IS eating so I think that is a good sign.  It will swim around on its own it just can't swim normally.  I will try the medication and let you know how it goes.

Answer
Twanna,   Great your using a siphon. You would be surprised how many people just shake their stone and and scoop. It is so dangerous to kick that bacteria up into the water like that. I would get stone and this is why. The stone really is a necessary part of their ecosystem. Unless you have massive filtration on it and then you make the need obsolete. It will stabilize your tank by allowing good bacteria to settle and live in it. You have the mechanical filtration but, this is your biological filtration. What that bacteria does is recycle his mostly liquid wastes products better known as ammonia into a less toxic form of ammonia that is your nitrites. It just helps keep your water quality better. Without it he is floating in a tank with abit more ammonia than your filter can take out with just carbon. That is the red your seeing and it almost always starts there. Eating is the best sign. I have seen them upside down on their backs at the bottom and eating and with abit of medicine do fine. This keeps their strength up when medicated so they will get well faster. Please let me know how he or she does. I think your goldie will do fine. The peas once a week is great to always do because of them being prone to constipation. Also what you can do when he or she is better is get a veggie clip. It is like a suction cup with a clip and give it a slice (rind in) of orange once a week and I am sure if you listen close enough he will be singing. They love it. Great for them. You will notice their food is vitamin C fortified because in captivity they have abit of a deficiency. Wishing you guys the best, Tina