Goldfish bloated, not eating

Question
Hi Karen, My aquarium goldfish is bloated and sitting at the bottom of the tank and won't eat. His scales are not sticking out. He is big, about 3 inches long. I have had him a few years. He is the only fish in the tank. I have put salt in the water and changed the water and it is aerated. I tried giving him a pea for constipation but he won't eat anything. Any ideas? Thank you very much, Mary Jo.

Answer
Hi Mary Jo,
I'm sorry to hear about your goldfish...
Have you seen him poop yet? If not, then he may in fact be constipated. Give him a few days of fasting and keep trying the green peas. Make sure to keep his water as clean as possible as well by changing it as often as you can. Clean water can really help fish.

If you notice him passing droppings then he may not have constipation at all. He may actually have an illness like an internal bacterial infection. So if he doesn't seem to improve within a few days despite your best efforts, it may be best to treat him with an antibiotic. Maracyn-Two is an excellent medication for internal infections and claims it can treat fish that won't eat, this med would probably be your best bet if all else fails.

Let me know how the poor goldfish is doing or if you have anymore questions,
Karen~