FANCY GOLDFISH VERY ILL !

Question
HELLO MR. COLEMAN, WE HAVE A FANCY GOLDFISH THAT WAS SWIMMING/FLOATING UPSIDE-DOWN IN THE TANK. SO THAT HE COULD BE LEFT ALONE AND WOULD HAVE FRESH WATER, I MOVED HIM INTO A FISH BOWL. I USED TAP WATER FOR 2/3 OF THE FILL, AND THE OTHER 1/3 I USED BOTTLED SPRING WATER. I COULDN'T FIND THE DROPS FOR THE WATER (THE FISH IS MY DAUGHTERS AND SHE WAS AWAY) HE SEEMED A BIT BETTER.. THIS MORNING (APPROX 8 HOURS LATER) MY DAUGHTER CAME HOME AND I TOLD HER WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH HER FISH. SHE IMMEDIATELY LOCATED SOME FISH FUNGUS CURE-ALL TABLETS THAT SHE HAD USED ONCE BEFORE, (APPARENTLY THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT THIS HAD HAPPENED.)ANYWAY, 12 HOURS LATER, THE FISH WAS / IS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE BOWL, BUT STILL BREATHING. WE PUT SOME MORE FRESH SPRING WATER AS WELL AS A FEW OF THE WATER CONDITIONING DROPS INTO THE BOWL AND ALSO INSERTED AN AIR TUBE(LOW PRESSURE) SO THAT HE CAN HAVE LOTS OF OXYGEN. AN HOUR LATER, NO CHANGE. I DROPPED TWO PEAS INTO THE BOWL, SINCE I WAS TOLD THAT IT SOUNDED LIKE "SWIM BLADDER DISEASE". IS THERE ANYTHING THAT I CAN DO FOR THE POOR LITTLE GUY? ITS PITTIFUL TO SEE HIM THIS WAY. ANY WORDS OF WISDOM WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED, TO SAY THE LEAST! ALSO, IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT I SHOULDNT BE DOING, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I WAIT ANXIOUSLY FOR YOUR REPLY. THANK YOU, JENIFER

Answer
Hi Jennifer,
  It is important to treat only the potential causes.  So for example, using fungicide won't help because fungus grows on the outside of a fish and there was no sign of that in your case.  Putting in unnecessary medications can actually make the problem worse.  Similarly, sometimes peas can clear out a blocked intestine, but they won't help if a blocked intestine isn't the problem and if he would have to eat them for them to be of any value.

 Swim bladder infections are actually close to impossible to cure. Sometimes a fish can recover from it but unfortunately they seldom do.
Sorry.

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
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