Poorly goldfish!

[LowFatPumpkinJuice]

We have 2 goldfish, one has had white fluffy tumours above his gills and on his side for about the last 4 years, and has recently turned white. With just orange bits on his outermost areas, edges of fins and lips etc.

The other fish is floating on his side, but is alive, he looks swollen and is sort f bent. I heard when this happens you should feed them half afrozen pea and the air in thier stomach goes away - did this and nothing happened.

I worried he was in pain and thought the kindest thing to do was let him die so tok him out of the water, wrapped him in kitchen towel and left him on the side while I cleaned the tank. 5 minutes later I looked at him and he moved his eye - so as he had'nt died I felt really awful and put him bak in the water.

They dont look the healthiest of fish at all. But I cant bring myself to finish them off. No one will want them for thier ponds etc in case they are diseased.

What should I do with them? Can I cure them or just let them get on with it till they die???

The water may get hot in the summer and I was going to suggest putting ice cubes in it to cool the temperature down. But you have already cleaned the tank.

Do you add all the water clearing drops etc that the pets shop suggest?

They are old fish, could you not just let them sunbath in the garden for a while and then give them a decent funeral?

It is not nice for the children and you to watch a poor fish suffer swimming around like that, in full view of a clean tank is it?

When it's hot I do put a bag of ice cubes in the water to keep temperatures low, but I dont think that's the problem.

I think my white fish has turned in to some sort of mutant fish as he has had the tumours more or less since just after we got him and has so far ourlived 3 of his 4 tank mates.

It's the orange one that disturbs me. I guess at somepoint soon he will die because I cant see how he is going to eat from his sidewayas position drifting round the tank.

OW, I think I will go with your suggestion of moving them out into the garden and letting them get on with it until the die. It's a sad state of affairs, but the kindest option given the circumstances.

Update, the orange fish has died.

All he could do was drift around the tank and he got wedged behind the 'No Fishing' sign.

Am a litte sad even though it;s just a fish I can't help feeling so bad because he must have been in pain.

Just the mutant mega white fish left!

ahhh, thanks for update though. Thinking of fold fish all around the world.