I think my goldfish is constipated

Question
Hi there! This has been going on for months now but my Goldfish Homer has been swimming vertical, nose down for quite some time now, he doesn't like to try and swim much any more he just stays stationary straight up and down all day every day. The only conclusion I could come up with on my own is that he is constipated. Am I right? What should I do for him? Any help would be great. Thank you.

Katherine

Answer
Hi Katherine, thank you for your question.

I hope you have already found an answer to your question, but in case you have not, I am answering your question from the Question Pool, where questions that were not answered within a couple of days (for whatever reason) are up for grabs from any one of us in the Fish category.

There are a few possibilities. One would be constipation, indeed, the other would be a swim bladder disorder. This commonly affects goldfish and bettas, perhaps because both these species tend to be fed incomplete diets. Goldfish pellets (preferable) or goldfish flakes soaked in vitamins or garlic oil (e.g. VitaChem or Garlic Xtreme) 3-4 times a week are a fine staple. Supplement this with frozen foods such as mysis shrimp, and dry foods such as spirulina flakes. Then there's vegetable matter - lots of it! Goldfish are primarily vegetarian. They relish chopped cucumber, squash, brocolli bits, spinach and romaine lettuce - some folks even feed their goldfish oranges!

Peas and brine shrimp are two foods that help move the bowels of our fishy friends. Peas should be shelled, so that only the innards of the pea are offered. Unsalted frozen or canned is a suitable alternative to fresh peas.

A teaspoon of Epsom salts per 5 gallons helps too. Dissolve it in a cup of warm water before adding it in.

Have a look at these two articles:
http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/Swim%20Bladder%20Disorder.html
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshmalnut.htm

The second site (WWM) has numerous links at the top that you can follow to learn more about swim bladder disorder, if indeed this is what your goldfish is suffering from. I suggest making use of the search feature on their homepage.

Try the peas, Epsom salts (also, 1 teaspoon of *aquarium* salt, pre-dissolved, per 10 gallons never hurts) and see what happens. I would also execute a partial water change of about 25%. If the behavior persists, I would consider following the recommended protocol for treating swim bladder disorder. Keep the water very clean, and examine what you have been feeding closely. Good luck to you!

Nicole