injured ryukin sos!!

Question
PLEASE HELP!!! My 3 year old ryukin is very injured. He got caught in the filter when no one was home. He freed himself but was further stressed by my alge eater. I have him in a 1 gallon hospital tank (he's not swimming so room is not an issue). I don't know how to feed him b/c he is on his side due to severly damaged fins. He spits out the food however he still tries to eat. I've heard about salt helping but i'm scared to do anything that might hurt him. If you have any suggestions I would be so greatful. This fish is like my child. Thank you.

Answer
Hi Jaqueline;

Poor guy. He's probably in shock. Change his water every day and do use some aquarium salt. I would say add 1/2 teaspoon for the whole gallon of his little "hospital tank". You can also use a product called Melafix. It helps regenerate damaged tissues. He should have bubbles in the bowl too. It's not big enough to give him enough oxygen. Other than that, it really is a waiting game. Shock just takes time to recover from. It's okay to keep trying to feed him. Just give him very small amounts and remove what is uneaten so it doesn't foul the water. If he isn't swimming very well he may have developed a swim bladder problem as well. You can feed him cooked peeled green peas broken into little chunks to help with that. Swim bladder issues in goldfish are often related to constipation and peas act as a laxative. Feed only the peas for several days. You may have to offer it on a chopstick or something else to get it to his mouth if he can't get them.

I hope he feels better soon...

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins