poorly fantail again

[buttercrumble]

Hi i posted the other week , we lost our black moor due to a ? fungus infection we tried to treat. Other fish showing no signs but for the last week has been looking very sorry for itself just staying in the top corner of tank not swimming around at all and looking gen unwell. We had the water tested which came back fine but his fin on his back is down and gills on his sides quite open, his mouth is opening and closing all the time. Hes not gasping for breath above the waterline but i get the general impression that he's struggling. we are still doing the partial water change each week but im not sure what to do. Feel like we are just waiting for the inevitable

Hi he's also laying very slightly to one side now.

How big is your tank. I had lots of problems with my black moor fish when he was in a small tank - he got white spot a couple of times, swim bladder etc.

Does his belly look swollen? When mine had swim bladder he was at the top of the tank, gradually laying on his side and opening and closing his mouth. He also went really pale. I expected him to die but luckily he was ok - and now is a massive tank and no problems.

Are you still feeding him,,,if so then leave him a while without food.

Thanks so much for replying, unfortunatly he died this afternoon

Hi, my black moor is doing something similar, just floating at the top with his head fin down, then sometimes sits on the bottom or flips out and dashes around the tank for a few seconds. There's another one in there too who is a bit floaty but not as bad. I starved them for a day then fed them a couple of boiled peas. The less ill one had a big green poo within a few hours and now looks ok, but the other one still looks sick and hasn't pood. I am going to get water tested in a few days if they survive but does anyone have any other tips? is the swim bladder? thanks

The swim bladder is an organ and if there are problems with it they can be caused by a wide range of things.

Firstly I would rule out constipation, which you are doing. Then have a look at the water quality (I'd get your own test kit so you can test more regularly). Sometimes with fancy goldfish they can get problems because of their shape, and inbreeding is a real problem too. There's not much that can be done about genetic problems.

Any details about your tank will help, like size, how and when you last cleaned it, how many fish you have and how long you've had them.

Are there any other symptoms at all?

it's a 50 litre tank with 2 black moors. It has a filter. Only had them a week. Cycled tank for 5 days before putting the fish. Did a water change 2 days ago and changed about 20% of the water, hoovered gravel and washed filter sponges. Going to go back to the pet shop tomorrow with water sample.

I'm sorry but cycling the tank for 5 days isn't enough (whatever the shop tells you) if it's a new set up. A tank can take 6 weeks to cycle properly. Was it a new filter?

Oh dear Unfortunately 5 days is not long enough for a full cycle- it normally takes 4-6 weeks. Also 50 liters is too small to keep goldfish long term. They'd need something around 160 liters+ with a large filter because they are big, messy fish.

Sorry if that comes as a shock, it's rare to see fully grown fancy goldfish, most of them snuff it when they're still babies.

Sorry for any typos, on world's worst phone.

Well one has snuffed it already. The other one looks happier now though on its own. Pets at home actually advised to cycle it for 3 days. I suppose they're keen to sell.

Oh dear, you were misinformed :( I know it doesn't make up for losing a pet, but you may be able to get a refund for the fish.

Have you had the water tested yet?

Yes the ammonia was a little high so they advised to water change 10-20% every few days and go back after a week for another test.

I'd be changing more than that amount and doing it more often tbh. Did they tell you what the ammonia level was? Are there any other aquatic stores near you? P@H are pretty notorious for their rubbish advice about fish.