All right, folks... I am about to tell you my life story with goldfish.
My little brother wanted a goldfish so my mother bought him one..... but now I'm stuck with the responsibility of taking care of him, which I don't mind he's a cute little guy and I've grown to love him lots. Anyway, he was doing fine and later I learned he needed an aquarium and we could not keep him in the little bowl we had because he was not getting the oxygen he needed (little guy was biting at the waterline).
While I searched for an aquarium I also noticed that Nemo was losing his gills and part of his tail.... and I started doing water changes but not too many to where it would stress him too much. Then he started floating on his side and would clamp his fins to his side. I fasted him for about 4 days and he seemed to get better. I thught the gills and tail would heal now and the tail seemed to do so but not the gills.... He then got a pimple looking bump on his tail but it went away the next day.
Eventually, I got a 30-gallon aquarium and I have been doing the proper 25%-30% weekly water changes, check his water, and feed him twice a day (whatever he can eat in 30 seconds). For a while, Nemo looked perfectly fine. He wasn't lethargic, he was exploring the aquarium, he loved to hide behind some of the bigger plants. I should also mention he has a new friend, Bubbles, a red cap oranda. Bubbles swims around just fine and is super active darting about everywhere, eating as fast as he can, and poops just fine.
However, Nemo wasn't doing any of that. I understand the feeding. See, before I was able to get an aquarium I was hand feeding him so he got used to that, right? As long as Bubbles isn't around darting after the food and leaving Nemo without any, Nemo will eat the food on his own. Then, I noticed he was becoming more and more lethargic and wasn't pooping as much. I figured maybe I should isolate him to observe him and see what was up thinking maybe he missed being alone (he had been in a bowl for about 3 weeks all by himself). But last night he started clamping his fins again and now he is floating/swimming on his side at the top of his temporary tank. I did some research and it seems like the little guy has swim bladder disorder and I have been trying to feed him green peas but he either completely ignores them or spits the piece he does take after a couple of seconds.
Any advice? Should I get aquarium salt? Because I'm guessing he got used to flakes w a single pellet and has decided he hates peas. Unless he got a rock inside of him? He never did scavenge the bottom of the aquarium though. I'm trying to fast him because he seems to be constipated so I have not tried feeding him the usual meal in fear it might cause him more pain because it won't leave his system. Right now I noticed there was a looooong trail of poop right behind him. Should I try medication? If so, what kind? Should I just take him to the vet? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Also, sorry this was a long read.
My little brother wanted a goldfish so my mother bought him one..... but now I'm stuck with the responsibility of taking care of him, which I don't mind he's a cute little guy and I've grown to love him lots. Anyway, he was doing fine and later I learned he needed an aquarium and we could not keep him in the little bowl we had because he was not getting the oxygen he needed (little guy was biting at the waterline).
While I searched for an aquarium I also noticed that Nemo was losing his gills and part of his tail.... and I started doing water changes but not too many to where it would stress him too much. Then he started floating on his side and would clamp his fins to his side. I fasted him for about 4 days and he seemed to get better. I thught the gills and tail would heal now and the tail seemed to do so but not the gills.... He then got a pimple looking bump on his tail but it went away the next day.
Eventually, I got a 30-gallon aquarium and I have been doing the proper 25%-30% weekly water changes, check his water, and feed him twice a day (whatever he can eat in 30 seconds). For a while, Nemo looked perfectly fine. He wasn't lethargic, he was exploring the aquarium, he loved to hide behind some of the bigger plants. I should also mention he has a new friend, Bubbles, a red cap oranda. Bubbles swims around just fine and is super active darting about everywhere, eating as fast as he can, and poops just fine.
However, Nemo wasn't doing any of that. I understand the feeding. See, before I was able to get an aquarium I was hand feeding him so he got used to that, right? As long as Bubbles isn't around darting after the food and leaving Nemo without any, Nemo will eat the food on his own. Then, I noticed he was becoming more and more lethargic and wasn't pooping as much. I figured maybe I should isolate him to observe him and see what was up thinking maybe he missed being alone (he had been in a bowl for about 3 weeks all by himself). But last night he started clamping his fins again and now he is floating/swimming on his side at the top of his temporary tank. I did some research and it seems like the little guy has swim bladder disorder and I have been trying to feed him green peas but he either completely ignores them or spits the piece he does take after a couple of seconds.
Any advice? Should I get aquarium salt? Because I'm guessing he got used to flakes w a single pellet and has decided he hates peas. Unless he got a rock inside of him? He never did scavenge the bottom of the aquarium though. I'm trying to fast him because he seems to be constipated so I have not tried feeding him the usual meal in fear it might cause him more pain because it won't leave his system. Right now I noticed there was a looooong trail of poop right behind him. Should I try medication? If so, what kind? Should I just take him to the vet? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Also, sorry this was a long read.