Goldfish in rough shape!

Question

Trooper not well!   QUESTION: Hi thank you very much to start! I have a 2 and 1/2 year old goldfish. He is
accompanied buy 2 other goldfish and 2 other Koi( both koi under 5in) in a
45gal tank! Oh and a dojo loach and Placaustamus.I use a Bio Bag 40gal and
a 40-70 gal Aqua Clear filters. The Ph is right around 7, i know a bit
low(benn working on that). Nitrates have some spikes but most reads come
back about .5 to 1.0 again a recent problem that im fixing. I change water
every weekend and was doing 25% until last 3 or so cause I was told cause of
the ammonia to bump to 50% cause they are dirty fish. My goldfish has had
every sickness know to fish and his name is trooper for that reason! Now for
the question, Just trying to give all possible info. About 3 weeks ago he
started to swim at a 45 degree angle, I have read a bunch and tried peas, salt
bath and a few others. About a week of 45degree then his spine bent and
started swimming in circles! He was bent for 3 days then straghtened out and
then repeated that cycle! Both times i almost put him down but kept
straightening out! NOW he is Bloated on 1 side and bent and cannot swim
down cause of the bloating. He does not look like a pine cone either but very
stretched out on that side! He has been like this for almost 5days now and
still kicking! My last guess would be egg impaction? Just curious to what the
ailment is and how to fix? Or is Trooper not going to beat this one? Thank
You so much for any input you may have!
JAROD

ANSWER: Hi Jarod;

Poor guy. Sometimes inflammation from constipation is the cause for buoyancy problems so we usually try peas first. The peas act as a laxative so the fish can pass waste and relieve pressure on the swim bladder so it can function again. I would keep trying peas and see what happens. Fancy goldfish are at a disadvantage due to their rounded and more compact body shapes. Their swim bladders can become deformed as they grow and not work properly. The swim bladder is the organ that controls buoyancy. It fills with gasses when the fish wants to go up and the gasses dissipate when the fish wants to go down. The swim bladder is a two-lobed organ with a tiny duct (or tube) joining them. When it becomes compressed it can't empty or fill properly between lobes. It appears that your little Trooper's swim bladder may have become swollen with gasses and can't empty itself anymore. It may even have ruptured inside the body cavity or may even have a tumor pressing against it. If you have a vet that treats fish near you that's a good option.  Sometimes fish vets will draw gas or fluid from protrusions like that with a tiny needle to see if they can tell what's going on. I'm afraid there really isn't much else you can do on your own. I wish I could help more...

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------


Getting really bad!   QUESTION: Here is the most recent developement! I hand fed him peas and he spat them
out the second he got back in the water! tried 2x and both times he just spit
it out! Any suggestions on how to feed him because i dont think he is able?
Now his vent(anus) looks like it has a transparent bubble popping out
blocking the exit. He is more bloated and scales and fins on that side have a
bloody appearance. I just want to ask this and show a new picture but I think
it might be time to euthanize little Trooper?? Just curious of what your
opinion is. Thank You very much for all of your opinions and knowledge.  

Answer
Hi Jarod;

Poor guy. It's pretty bad. I can't tell for sure but it looks like the redness is from hemorrhaging. There could even be a tumor or something causing it. He probably can't eat because of swelling or blockage or whatever, so I wouldn't try any more. I don't think there's any more you can do. If you are considering euthanization, here is a web page with info about the most humane way to go about it;

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-most-humane-way-to-euthanize-a-fish.htm

I wish I could do more to help...

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins