Ryukin standing on head?

Question
I just got 2 very lively Ryukin from the pet shop yesterday but when I put them in the tank at home, one seems to always be on its head and sometimes on its side slightly. They are still eating fine and pretty lively. Should I be worried?

Answer
Hi Jon,
Sorry to hear about the poor Ryukin.
What it sounds like is he may have a swim bladder disorder. Which is usually caused by a diet too high in protein or too much food at one time. It can cause a blockage in the goldfish's digestive system and interfere with the swim bladder, causing the fish to loose equilibrium and they usually they cannot swim properly.
The best treatment for this is to hold off on the ryukins normal food for at least a day or so and then try offering thawed and peeled green pea. The pea and fasting can help clear any blockages in the goldfishes system and most goldfish can recover on their own anyway.

Hopefully this will help your Ryukins. Preventing swim bladder disorder is best done by providing plenty of variety  in their diet and being sure to include lots of vegetable-based foods. Also make sure that if you feed any pellet foods that you presoak them before feeding.
Fancy goldfish like Ryukins are particularly prone to swim bladder disorder due to their body shape.

Best wishes and best of luck!
Karen~