My fish is dying - anything I can do?

[00amanda]

All of the sudden one (of three) of my goldfish is struggling, he's on his side but still swimming. I turned off the filter just now so he doesn't have to struggle so much (was ending up next to where the water is being sucked into the filter). He's able to swim a little downward but clearly he's dying.

Is there anything at all I can/should do?!

Thank you!
Amanda

 

[brian1973]

sorry to hear that..what size tank? How long has the tank been setup? Was it cycled? What are the water params..nitrite/nitrate/ammonia? Whats the temp? Check out the stickies in the disease forum there are some good links..unfortunately I dont have any other answer but someone here may be able to help you better once you answer those q's so they can eliminate the basics.

Also I would not leave the filter off for long as that can cause other issues..low Oxygen, may kill off part of the bacteria as well.

 

[Smark]

I'm not sure if this is what your looking for but I'll post these links just in case. Its hard to watch your fish in a time of nead.

http://www.myfishtank.net/forum/freshwater-general-discussion/29590-death-any-means-necessary.html

Aquarius Aquaria - Exploring Fish Euthanasia

 

[00amanda]

Tank Specs

Thanks so much for your replies!

It's a ten gallon tank with two live plants, two snails, and three little fish. It was cycled, though I'm not sure what the levels are currently.

I left the filter off just overnight and today the fish seems to have recovered though I'm still really worried about the little guy (or girl).

I replaced 25% of the water and added that conditioner stuff, cleaned away what little alge the snails have missed and changed the filter.

I'm going to have my husband bring a sample of the water to the fish store (not a big-box pet mart!) today and try and get some advice.

From what I've read it looks like he had/has "swim bladder" not entirely sure if it's possible that the fishie recovered from this so quickly... at any rate - all the information online conflicts so I'm eagerly awaiting advice from the experts (you all) and hoping my husband makes it to the pet store today.

Thanks a million-
Amanda

 

[TMony]

Sorry to hear about your little fish.
He wouldn't have recovered from swim bladder over night.
What type of food are you feeding? Flakes or granules?
Some times the granules get stuck in the little fish and they can choke.
That is the only other thought I had besides the replies above. Like Brian's reply says above, it is most important to get the water test results to eliminate the basics first.

 

[TMony]

If your goldfish flipped and floated after feeding, it is most likely suffering from a swim bladder disorder, usually caused from feeding floating pellets or flakes or from feeding too much at one time. The swim-bladder gets bloated, resulting in the inability of the fish to dive and swim properly. The best remedy is not to feed for 3 days, then resume feeding by first soaking the food and squeezing out the air. Or, switch to a high quality sinking pellet. Fancy goldfish are usually the most susceptible to the disorder. If the floating occurred at any other time, your fish could be constipated or suffering from an internal parasitic or bacterial infection.

 

[misterking]

I think its possible he may have recovered so quickly... I had a blue gourami that had very severe swim bladder for months. One day I did a normal water change, came downstairs the next day and he was swimming about as if it'd never happened, I was pretty worried about him untill then!

 

[MissFishy]

Unfortunately, your tank is way too small for even ONE goldfish, let alone all the other fish and creatures you've listed. If your water quality isn't the issue (which I suspect it might be), it will be in the near future.

Please take the time to read through the site listed below in my signature block. Please read about cycling a tank and how many fish you can safely put in a tank. In the meantime, I suggest doing a large water change (add the water conditioner to the water BEFORE you add the water to the tank). Also, goldfish are cold water fish, what other types of fish do you have in there and what is your tank temp?