Goldfish swimming/sleeping habits

Question
Hello,

I noticed a few times that my goldfish swims backwards for fun and a couple of times I thought that he died because he was sleeping on his back. Are goldfishes supposed to swim backwards and sleep on their back? I am most curious to find out. I had this goldfish for 6 months now and he lives in a tank with 5 other types of goldfishes. He seems happy enough! I don't remember the type of goldfish he is, but he is orange, black, and white.

Thanks for your response,
Oz

Answer
Oz,                                                          He is some type of calico. Whether it is a ryunkin or whatever. I hope you have a large tank. The first thing you need to do is start feeding them a few peas a couple times a week. Squeeze them and let the meat out. It wards of bacterial infections. He may have a swimbladder infection,but each fish has their own personality and he may just like to do these things since he has done this since you have had him and for sooo long. You can put some Melafix in your tank just to be sure. It is all natural and very mildbroad spectrum antibiotic. It is made from the tea trees in Australia. Take out your carbon treat for 7 days won't hurt anyone. Do a 30% water change after a week. If he keeps doing it he just likes it. Very unusual , but I have seen stranger. You can also go to your pet shop and get a veggie clip and put half a slice of orange in your tank once a week. They will love it and it is high in vitamin C. It is good to make sure they don't get defects as they grow....Good Luck, Tina