my goldfish is laying low

Question
I have 2 black Ryukins. I've had them for almost 2 years and one is acting normal swimming around and eating but the other one is laying low and it has a whitish bubble on its side. I don't use soap when i clean their tank just hot water and i always make sure the new water is the same temp has the old water. i feed the small pinch of food 2 times a day. I'm not doing anything different then i have over the 2 years I've had them. please help me help my fish.

Answer
Good evening Sid, thank you for your question.

My guess is that your fish are outgrowing their tank, I may be wrong since you don't mention the volume of water they are being kept in. Few people put their two baby goldfish into a 40 gallon tank, however that's what your two goldfish will require to live long and healthy lives. They get to be over a decade old, so a 55 gallon investment is worth it.

These growths are often caused by high nitrates in the water. A healthy, cycled tank never has detectable ammonia or nitrite presence, but may have a nitrate presence over 20 ppm, which must be brought down ASAP. Do 50% water changes weekly - 25% 2x weekly is best - at the minimum. I would even consider two 50% changes twice weekly for one month, then stepping back down to the regular maintenance routine.

You can add salts to help with the growth dissolution. Epsom and aquarium salts can be used in unison, add 1 teaspoon per 10 gallons of each. Dissolve the salts in warm water first.

Due to their genetics, goldfish are already predisposed to swim bladder troubles. Feeding them dry foods exclusively isn't healthy. Vary their diet as much as possible, goldfish love a treat of vegetables, e.g. cucumber and leafy greens, kale is especially nutritious. The sinking algae/spirulina wafers are a particular favorite. Read this article:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshmalnut.htm

For more information, ideas on what to feed your Ryukins. Good luck, and check out http://www.kokosgoldfish.com as well as http://www.goldfishparadise.com if you haven't already...a wealth of information for goldfish keepers!

Nicole