fishh

Question
I went to a birthday party and they gave out gold fish. my sister got one and she got one.my sisters fish kept falling a sleep at the bottom of the tank and breathing heavily.the next day it died. my fish has to dark spots(grayish) on each side near its gill and now it is laying at the bottom of the dank breathing deep.but nows its swimming. it looks like a bruise. i care about my fish very much and i want him to survive. Whats wrong? what should i do ? thanks :) :(

Answer
Hi Stefanie;

Poor guys. Your survivor may be in shock. You didn't mention what size tank he is in, but he probably needs a water change and a tank with a filter if you don't have one already. Use a water conditioner and be sure the new water is the same temperature as the old water. It is a common myth that goldfish can live in bowls and small containers. They really can't. Goldfish are very messy guys that get very large and just need plenty of space. If they were deprived of oxygen before you took them home it could indeed cause death later. Here is a good web page that tells you what you need to know to keep a healthy goldfish;

http://www.firsttankguide.net/goldfish.php

Followups welcome. Good Luck ...

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins