My fish is vertical

Question
I have a red capped aranda fish.  She is about 4-5 years old and is 6" in length.  She has been vertical for about 3-4 days.  I googled this and thought perhaps it is her equilibrium.  I found out it could be constipation so I tried feeding her frozen peans, she will not eat them. I have soaked her in epsom salt to see if that will help.  She seems fine other than being vertical.  What can I do to fix her equilibrium if it is not constipation?  I do not want to lose her.  Please, anything you can suggest will be most appreciated.

Answer
Hi Debbie;

It sounds like it could be constipation and it's putting pressure on her swim bladder so she can't control her buoyancy. I would keep trying to feed the peeled cooked peas. Don't feed any other foods besides peas until she is doing better. She will eventually try the peas if she isn't tempted by her favorites for a few days. It won't hurt her to go without any food at all for even a week or more so don't worry. It's for her benefit and could even save her life. Constipation can be deadly.

It's also possible she has a deformed swim bladder. Orandas, Moors, Lionheads and other goldfish with rounded body shapes can have trouble with their swim bladder because there isn't room for it to expand and work properly. Hopefully peas will do the trick and you won't have to worry about it...

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins