Goldfish floating on side

Question
This morning I came out to feed my Goldfish Ferdie(he is a telescope
goldfish)and sadly I found him looking very sad floating at the bottom of his
tank, but side ways. he has always off and on rested at the bottom of his
tank, but never side ways. as a first step I am going to get a test kit and test
the water. I also have started to aerate it more, simply using a cup. As far as
recent changes, the only thing i can think of is temp, it is starting to feel like
fall. What should I do? I am afraid I am at a loss and there is too much
information for me to sort through and too many suggestions online, many
which seem like too much for him to handle if he is sick, One said change the
water, but should I do a water change when he is not well? What should I do?

thank- you so much

Answer
Hi Merinda,
Poor Ferdie, I would say he could possibly have a Swim bladder disorder or "SBD" this is a -very- common problem with Goldfish and is caused by many things, but the most frequent cause is related to the fish's diet. When goldfish eat too much food at one time, or too much dry food or just not enough fiber in their diet they can get blockages in their system that affects their swim bladder. The swim bladder is a special organ that controls the fish's equilibrium and balance. When something affects it, the poor fish often lays on the bottom or floats miserably at the top. Its not particularly life threatening most of the time and usually can be cured. Some fish are more prone than others.

The best thing to do for now with your little fish is to change his water as often as you can. Clean water is so extremely important to fish when they don't feel good. I'm not sure what size tank he is in or if he is in a bowl. If he is in a bowl he could be in major trouble because even though its still popular, goldfish don't belong in bowls, its really hard on them because the water turns polluted in a matter of a couple of days. Goldfish are really better in a tank of at least 10-20 gallons or bigger for them to be healthy longterm, that way they can have more gallons to dilute the pollution plus the aquarium can establish special bacteria that take care of ammonia produced by the fish. An aquarium can also have a filter which makes the water that much healthier and oxygenated for the fish.

If you see Ferdie having trouble controlling his balance or swimming then he could have swim bladder. Or his laying on the bottom may be a stress reaction to poor water quality. Determine if he has swim bladder and if you think he does, fasting him (not feeding) from his regular food for at least 1-2 days and then giving him a green pea or two that has been thawed and deshelled can help clear blockages in him. He may or may not take the pea but if you work with him he may eventually. ~ The most important thing you can do now is to change his water as often as you can. Try to do big water changes as these are much more effective than doing small water changes everyday. *Always make sure the replacement water is equal in temperature to his water (you can use an aquarium thermometor or your finger to test) and make sure you use dechlorinator/water conditioner everytime.

But try to work on getting into at least an inexpensive 10-gallon with a filter and top cover. Hopefully he is not too far gone.

I wish you the best with the little fella and if you have anymore questions feel free to write again...
Karen~