Goldfish is dying, but isn't dead yet. What to do?

[LynetteScavo]

Sometimes he does look dead, (floating upside down), but then he seems to revive and swims around normally.

His dead impressions are getting more frequent.


What should I do?

[LynetteScavo]

Someone on here once mentioned Vodka, but I don't think I could do that.

[MuGGGhoulWump]

Actually mine is dying too I think, though not quite reached the stage of yours yet.

I think I'll just leave him, I couldn't bare to kill him.

[Ryoko]

Get down the pet shop and buy some swim bladder treatment ASAP, I recommend the No 13 swim bladder treatment from a company I can't remember the name of.

and then work out why your fish has swim bladder problems/infection.

1: do you have a filter? they need filters they produce more piss then any other fish, you need a filter, you need at least a 20 litre tank for the thing, you need to change half the water once a week and clean it out fully every month.

2: are you using water conditioner?, tap water is not safe you need tap water conditioner and depending on the filter type bio top ups to replace the good bacteria taken out when you change the water, Aquasafe by intra pet contains both, there are many others.

3: what are you feeding the thing, can't go giving it flakes or pellets all the time they need some fresh stuff in there diet like blood worms, brine srimps etc you can buy them in packets or simply tiny bits of cooked fresh peas, take any uneaten bits out the tank.

4: where is the tank, never keep on in the kitchen and never keep one in direct sunlight.


Goldfish live a long time when looked after properly, they are harder to keep then tropical fish, yet people still insist on thinking they are perfect first pets.

A common goldfish lives up to 30 years.
A Comet tail type lives up to 18 years.
A Fantail/ryukin lives up to 12 years.
A More/bubble eye lives up to 7 years.

Basic rule of thumb the more fancy and less like a normal carp shape it is the shorter the expected life span.

[Ryoko]

If it was a dog you wouldn't let it suffer, you would do everything you could to make it well.

If you don't care about the welfare of a pet don't have one, give it someone who will care about it.

[hillyhilly]

Apparently putting a frozen pea in the tank may help - sounds weird but something (immediate that you can do) to do with the swim bladder

[LynetteScavo]

OK, he's now in a seperate tank with some skinned sweetcorn (when I googled it said peas but I don't have any)

Off to get blood worms and swim bladder treatment now.

Thanks Ryoko!

[EauRouge]

Don't get the interpet stuff, it's rubbish. Swimbladder isn't a disease but rather a symptom so you'd need to figure out what is causing it. It could be a bacterial infection, in which case you'd need antibiotics from a vet.

Goldfish grow massive and need a huge amount of space, it's a myth that they grow to the size of their tank. For a single fancy goldfish you shouldn't go any smaller than 30 gallons (140 litres). I know this sounds a lot and is at odds with all those poxy small beginner kits that shops sell but the goldfish you see in the shops are babies. Take a look at the pond section to see a fully grown one.

If you do need to euthanise then the only humane way to do it is to put them to sleep with clove oil and then once they are unconscious you can use the vodka to poison them. I've had to do it before and it is sad but very peaceful.

Have you got a water testing kit? If not then you should get one (the liquid stuff rather than the dip sticks, they are crap) because it's very hard to diagnose and solve problems if you don't know what the water quality is like.

Also you should never ever completely clean a tank out, it can kill way too many of the good bacteria that the fish need to stay healthy. Small but regular water changes are the best way to go and the filter should be cleaned in water from the tank (NEVER the tap) once a week to keep it clear enough for water to flow through it.

[Marrow]

Our vet recommends filling the bowl with sparkling mineral water. We've tried it once and the fish did perk up

[EauRouge]

Sparkling mineral water?! [shocks]

[LynetteScavo]

Well, I got interpet no 13, but the fishy is looking very . He's just floating around upside down.

[LynetteScavo]

This is really awful. He looks dead, but isn't.

[Teaandcakeplease]

I haven't read the whole thread but I just wanted to say that the last time my goldfish was poorly I went to the large Waterworld shop near me and bought "Gold Disease Safe" and within a few days of adding it to the water the fish recovered. Unusual swimming action or loss of balance is a sign of being unwell. Perhaps if you buy something similar and follow the instructions yours will recover again it can take a couple of days though.

[Grumpla]

This is a common topic of discussion on tropical fish forums so you might be able to get some info there. If you need to euthanise him and don't have clove oil available then the most humane way is probably (if you have the stomach for it) knock over the head / decapitation.

I have never managed to do this, I am just too sentimental about my fish.

I have euthanised a very sick guppy (came home from holiday, friends had been 'looking after' fish... really awful state, he was obviously never going to recover) by filling a bowl with ice cubes and water, waiting until the water was very very cold, then inserting the fish. He was dead in under a second - convulsed once, that was it. My feeling was that if it was painful, it was at least incredibly quick - less painful than carrying on in the state he was in for hours, possibly days more.

EauRouge & Ryoko have some really good advice there for you on goldfish, if you have others or plan to replace this fish you should read up further on their needs. Too many people keep goldfish in small unfiltered bowls, it really is very cruel :(

Please remove the sweetcorn, I don't think it will help and your fish needs decent water quality if he / she is going to have a chance. Good luck!

[LynetteScavo]

The sweetcorn is long gone...he doesn't exactly look hungry!

I've followed all the advice on goldfish given on this thread, exept giving fresh food. If we do ever replace Jerry I will definately remember to do that.

DH is still hopefull for him.

[Ryoko]

You don't need a massive tank, they don't all grow massive, even my comet tail that died at 17 was only 4 inches long, it varies, if it's getting too big I'd rather buy a bigger tank and sell the old one then buy a massive tank to start with, course you need to change the water more and clean em out more often but it's all good exercise.

[EauRouge]

If your comet was only 4 inches long then it was very stunted. This is not healthy for fish at all, it causes organ compaction and premature death. Goldfish need huge tanks to reach their potential life span and lead a healthy life. It's hard for even the most experienced fish keeper to tell when a fish is becoming stunted so it's best to start off with a large enough tank. They may not all grow to be whoppers but you can't tell how big they are going to get when they are babies so you need to allow for growth.

If you don't have space for a goldfish tank (and most people don't) then consider minnows as an alternative.

[ilovehens]

My goldish did this and it turned out he was constipated and it was affecting his swim bladder.

Give your fish: peas with the husks removed, bloodworms and daphnia (both live).

[ilovesprouts]

Ryoko i only use tap water for my fish and its vey healthy its 17,6 years old now:)