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Original poster

URGENT HELP NEEDED!! How do I help a fish who seems to have lots her buoyancy?

28 replies

Squirdle · 09/11/2007 19:58

Wendy Whitefish is swimming upside down, sideways and in fact anyway but the right way! She can't seem to keep herself from floating to the top of the tank. This has just started today. What do I do? (I'm currently trying the pea thing mentioned on another recent thread, but trying to get her to eat it is proving v. tricky)

OP posts:

LadyOfTheFlowers · 09/11/2007 20:00

How long have you had her and how long has the tank been set up?

Original poster

Squirdle · 09/11/2007 20:02

Have had her about 6 weeks and this particular tank for around 8 weeks. Had a smaller tank before with our elderly goldfish in and bought Wendy and Bobfish to go into the new bigger one. Changed the water (partially) a week ago. Have added some fish safe stuff today (apparently makes sick goldfish better)

OP posts:

LadyOfTheFlowers · 09/11/2007 20:04

Do you have a water testing kit to check for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate etc?

Or, when you upgraded the tank, did you move the old filter from the small tank into the new tank?

Original poster

Squirdle · 09/11/2007 20:05

No testing kit, will get one tomorrow if needed. The filter in this one is much bigger so it is not the same one.

OP posts:

DynamiteDaisy · 09/11/2007 20:06

Mine does that quite a bit, and it's apparently something to do with it's swim bladder.

I put in a capful of this stuff and it sorts the fish out pretty quickly.

Threadworm · 09/11/2007 20:08

I truly thought that this thread was asking how to cheer Cod up after the thread that had a bit of a pop at her.

LadyOfTheFlowers · 09/11/2007 20:09

Eek.

Okay, sounds initially like she has swim bladder problems. Can be difficult to cure and annoying as they are not much to look at whilst floating about all over the shop!
Is she a 'fancy' goldfish?
Big rounded tummy, pretty double tail etc?

More important is the fact your tank will now be 'cycling' with fish in it.
Do you know anything about cycling tanks and ammonia and nitrite etc?

Please bear with me if I am patronising, I don't know how experienced you are!

wannaBe · 09/11/2007 20:10

it could have swim bladder disease.

is it a fancy goldfish by any chance?

One of ours had it and it took much posting of pictures on various fish geek forums to diagnose the problem. You can get specific medicine for it from your local aquarium shop but be warned it's not always effective as ours sadly departed from this life some three days later .

Also after doing some careful reading, I discovered that the most humane way to euthanaze a fish is to drop it into a bowl of water that has been chilled with crushed ice, this is very quick apparently, and is a much cheaper option than asking your vet, which I did and was informed that "yes we would be able to put the fish to sleep - that would cost £15".

DynamiteDaisy · 09/11/2007 20:13

lol threadworm!

LadyOfTheFlowers · 09/11/2007 20:13

no, no, no!

not water with ice!

she is not going to die anyway!

i AM a 'fishgeek'!
I advise on a fishkeeping forum!

Tutter · 09/11/2007 20:15

(i wondrede if this thread was about picked-on cod)

FieryGlassSlipper · 09/11/2007 20:16

Not sure, could be swimbladder. My fish had the opposite problem a few days as was on the bottom of the tank. Sadly it died but listen to ladyvic

wannaBe · 09/11/2007 20:16

it was a fish keeping forum where we got that advice LOTF, and in a fish keeping book.

The other alternative advised on fish keeping forum was to cut off the head .

Original poster

Squirdle · 09/11/2007 20:17

DD, have some of that have added it.

Threadworm

LOTF, Have had Hermione (our goldfish for 2 years) so sort of know what to do with them. She is a fancy and actually have never had one of them before - do you need to do anything differently to normal goldfish? have steered clear until now as I was told they shouldn't really be togther but lots of other people seem to have them together so I went for it.

Wannabe, not sure I could bear to euthanase any animal

OP posts:

wannaBe · 09/11/2007 20:18

we didn't actually resort to euthanasia as the fish departed on its own.

And my dh is a fish geek. .

Threadworm · 09/11/2007 20:19

at execution.

When I had my dog cremated (), I noticed that the pet crematorium had rates for the cremation of all pets, including goldfish. Quite reasonably priced I think.

wannaBe · 09/11/2007 20:20

no I'm not sure I could either, but when mine was unable to swim it seemed cruel to keep him in that state.

Threadworm · 09/11/2007 20:21

Yes, nothing wrong with euthanasia I suppose. It was just the head chopping that seemed shocking. Difficult to think of a better way, though.

Original poster

Squirdle · 09/11/2007 20:24

I know what you mean re the seeing it swimming around like that, but I'm hoping like LOTF said she will recover so I'm not going to take any drastic action yet.

OP posts:

LadyOfTheFlowers · 09/11/2007 20:26

Your dh will know what to do then? To medicate her i mean?

Persevere with the peas. To begin with goldies are unaware they are food. Have you tried gently holding her the right way up under the water then feeding her the peas?

in fancies, constipation tends to make them float about.
When did you last see a poop can you remember? If the poop hangs on rather than drops off, she could well be constipated.

To put a fish to sleep, the preferred method according to the most recent research is to use a clove oil bath which puts the fish to sleep, then adding vodka to the water which kills it while it is asleep.
A fish in a clove oil bath will come round as soon as you put it back into fresh water.
There are specific clove oil/vodka quantities tho I have them somewhere if anyone needs them!
have only had to do it once so cannot remember exactly what the are.

Did you say you have added a swim bladder medicine?
Was it an Interpet one? NO. ? , can't remember.

Original poster

Squirdle · 09/11/2007 20:30

I added a stress enzyme.

Not entire;y sure I could hold a fish and feed it peas, but may resort to that.

And I don't know how regular my fishes bowel movements are

OP posts:

LadyOfTheFlowers · 09/11/2007 20:56

Because you don't like the idea of it or the feel of them?
Or does she still have quite a lot of control?

Sometimes they get exhausted trying to get upright and will willingly let you hold them up the right way for a few moments to feed them.

Original poster

Squirdle · 09/11/2007 22:04

It's the feel of them. I'm the same with birds! She is also still swimming about quite madly so I doubt I'd get hold of her atm.

So what do the peas actually do?

It's not nice seeing her struggle

OP posts:

LadyOfTheFlowers · 09/11/2007 22:09

Peas act as a laxative and if she is bunged up will clear her out then once she's had a good poo (!!) she should return to normal.

If she is still thrashing about as best she can she won't be man-handled! LOL

You need to defrost a pea in a glass of water, then pinch it till it pops out of it's skin.
Feed her the peas inards. The skin is no good.

Original poster

Squirdle · 09/11/2007 22:25

Yes I skinned the peas before putting them in. Big mahoosive goldfish eaten one, Wendy tried but spat it out

She's calmed down a bit, but goes nutty when I open the lid of tank.

Well I've given everything I can (thankyou LOTF and all others who have advised) so am going to bed now and will see what is what in the morning.

Actually Hermione (big mahoosive 2yr old fish) went really wierd when we first had her. She did a wierd backflip in the tank (we happened to be watching at the time) hit the top, and came down all bent. Her fins went all raggidy and she went totally balck (she's copletely orange normally) We were convince she was off to the big fishy tank in the sky but nope. Her fins grew back, still raggidy now but she is fine, and after about 6 months she started to return to orange. She's absolutely fine now! It was quite odd!

OP posts:

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