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Original poster

Senile goldfish.

92 replies

Skribble · 19/12/2006 01:31

My sons gold fish has been a bit strange for a while now, he statrted of by doing loop the loops and swimming sideways and stuff looking at deaths door then he perks up and looks fine.

Now he floats about verticaly with his head up wards and barely moves his tail, the other goldfish nudges him everynow and then. The first time I saw this I expected him to be dead the next day but he is still floating about then swims normaly for a bit then sideways for a bit.

Is he at deaths door or is he taking the piss?

SHould I put it out its misery? Or leave him be?

DS will want to bury him so I can't just flush him, what else can I do lift him out the water and leave him to die . DS is getting more and more concerned so I don't want to draw this out too long.

OP posts:
VeniVidiVickiQV · 19/12/2006 01:52

Sounds like a swim bladder problem. You could put malibu in his goldfish bowl. Thats how my DB killed my goldfish.

Original poster
Skribble · 19/12/2006 01:57

I don't want to kill off the other one though, he is ancieant but still doing OK.

Anything I can do for his bladder? Cranberry juice? .

OP posts:
VeniVidiVickiQV · 19/12/2006 01:59

LOL! Yes, erm, forgot there was another one in there......

Cranberry juice might just fix it....

Original poster
Skribble · 20/12/2006 19:52

I think he is just taking the mick, he looks fine today, worked out the pair of them must be about 9yrs old.

OP posts:
VeniVidiVickiQV · 20/12/2006 20:06

Outsmarted by a goldfish, eh skribble?

Shocking

2nervesnapartridgeinapeartree · 20/12/2006 20:10

PMSL. Thank you laydees.

Original poster
Skribble · 20/12/2006 20:20

I think the two of them are doing a double act, yesterday it was limping around with the other one nudging it sympathecticly, today the pair of them are doing sycronised swimming routines and I swear the big one stuck his fin up at me!!!! . No Christmas stockings for them then!

OP posts:
poinsettydog · 20/12/2006 20:44

I know of a goldfish that swimmed in bizarre ways for a couple of years before shuffling off (not mine - couldn't live with the anguish). Bladder I was told too.

I'd leave him myself but others are bound to know if this is teh best option or not.

Can goldfish be treated at the vets? Probably not now I stop to think about it.

I love fish threads.

VeniVidiVickiQV · 20/12/2006 20:53

They'd look pretty stupid in stockings though skribble

Mind you, a bit of Christmas spirit in their water.......

Original poster
Skribble · 20/12/2006 21:05

I have turned there water blue for Christmas anyway, its supposed to be good for them.

OP posts:
BlueDaisy · 20/12/2006 21:07

Is he at deaths door or is he taking the piss?

PSML

VeniVidiVickiQV · 20/12/2006 21:09

Ah, now, you could be excuse for mistaking fish medicine for toilet block

no festive red though?

RubberDuckWithCranberrySauce · 20/12/2006 21:10

Try putting him on a restricted diet for a while. Goldfish mostly get overfed anyway, so feeding a small pinch of food once every OTHER day will certainly do no harm to either fish.

Fresh veg can help. A piece of cucumber weighted down or (a good swim bladder helper) a shelled pea.

Never found any of the bottled stuff to help with swim bladder at all. Have just rescued a minnow from swim bladder with reduced diet, cucumber and a squirt of Melafix (a sort of cure-all tonic for fish - is basically tea tree oil, helps aid self-repair) for a few days though

poinsettydog · 20/12/2006 21:14

Duper! Here's rubberduck with a goldfish swim bladder remedy!

RubberDuckWithCranberrySauce · 20/12/2006 21:15

Well, it's all ponds, innit

VeniVidiVickiQV · 20/12/2006 21:16

How on Earth do you weigh down a shelled pea???? [puzzled]

RubberDuckWithCranberrySauce · 20/12/2006 21:18

Oh don't weigh down the pea - it either floats and they play pea football or it sinks

For cucumber I have this fancy clip thing that suckers onto the side, but you can also wedge it under a pebble, ornament or a bit of aquarium lead tape

Original poster
Skribble · 20/12/2006 21:19

I did discover that DH had been grosly over feeding them, I said just a pince and he said that was ll he was giving, yeh right he pours it in direct from the tub. I thought it was DS that was doing it and gave him a terrible now as there was food floating everywhere. So I told DH to say sorry to DS.

Still think he is taking the piss .

OP posts:
poinsettydog · 20/12/2006 21:19

yes! How do you do that?!

And what do you mean it's all ponds?

Speak, fishyguru

poinsettydog · 20/12/2006 21:20

Oh, you;'ve spoken. That was quick. You should cultivate a mysterious air.

Original poster
Skribble · 20/12/2006 21:20

Peas LOL that would be funny, might give them some cucumber from my roll tomorrow best wash of the mayo first.

OP posts:
VeniVidiVickiQV · 20/12/2006 21:20

oh god could you really be arsed to do that for a fecking goldfish??????

I do have a MAHOOSIVE pond full of very fertile goldfish in my garden - its not that I dont like them you know....but honestly.....they cope perfectly fine out there, in their pond, in all weathers, I think all this fussing makes them spoilt....

poinsettydog · 20/12/2006 21:21

Next thread: How Can I Make My Fish Eat More Vegetables?

poinsettydog · 20/12/2006 21:21

Is It Possible To Spoil A Fish?

RubberDuckWithCranberrySauce · 20/12/2006 21:22

Overfeeding unfortunately means that swim bladder is highly likely (basically bloated gassy tummy that then affects their equillibrium!)

As a rule of thumb, feed once a day no more food than can be completely eaten in 5 minutes. (Ignore packets which say 2-3 times daily - they're just trying to flog more food). Once every other day is also fine if needing to keep pollution levels down in the tank or if they're sick. If on holiday, fish can go a good couple of weeks without food so no need for polluting holiday blocks.