I have a large comet goldfish that is two years old. He usually eats like a pig, but he has not been eating very much at all in the last couple of days. He is just hanging out at the bottom of the tank. He looks fine, but he doesn't acknowledge me anymore. He just stares straight ahead.

His friend in the tank is a koi that follows him around and does everything he does. I don't think there is anything wrong with the koi, but if the comet doesn't eat, then the koi doesn't eat either.

I fed them some peas incase they were constipated, but only the koi ate them. I don't think the comet is constipated, his stomach area looks normal.

What else could it be? Can someone please help?!

The tank is a 10 gallon, and I know only 1 goldfish should be in a 10 gallon, so I change 3-6 gallons of the water a week. When I change the water, I use a gravel sucker to get the poop out of the rocks. I always use water that has sat out at least 24 hours to get rid of the chlorine. The ammonia level is usually 0 or .25, never more, The nitrate and nitrite level is fine, the pH is 7.

I always feed these fish the floating pellets, because that is all they will eat. I know that the fish can get swim bladder from it, but they have never had a problem with the food.

The koi pooped out some white stringgy poop, that was the only weird thing I noticed.

Please help!

It sounds like you're keeping the levels fine for now (when they get bigger it will be more difficult). If you feed them the floating pellets, I would soak them for a while. How quickly do they sink?

Anyhow, if you haven't tryed it, put peas right in front of your goldfish to see if he will eat. You may also have an internal infection. The koi could probably use more peas too. Make sure you cut them up good. They sometimes may have a hard time swallowing the harder kind (like from frozen peas). They should also be skinned by the way. If you do all this, I think the koi will be fine.

See if the goldfish responds and then I would go look for an internal infection medicine. Thats all I can think of. Anybody jump in if they have other suggestions. I still feel like a newbie!

Yes, I agree it does sound like an internal infection because of the white poop.

Here's something that might be helpful from puregold aquaria:

WON'T EAT
Often, fish that aren't eliminating don't feel like eating. However, the first thing to try is feeding some minced cocktail shrimp. If they won't eat that, then they are off their food. If they have been pooping, look over the diagnosis according to poop and the fish physical. A mushy belly indicates an internal infection. If there is nothing specific, start with changing the water and seeing if their appetite picks up. If this doesn't bring them around in 24 hours, then a salt dip is used to purge them out. Fancy goldfish should not be allowed to go without eating for more than 5 days. AFter that they need to be force fed. Start with strained peas (baby food) in a small syringe. Get the tip of the syringe (NO NEEDLE) all the way into the back of their mouth past the gills. A fish will open their mouth as they are brought to the top of the water.

Here's how to do the physical:

http://puregold.aquaria.net/pg/disease/tec...s_Fish_Physical

Here's how to diagnose by poop:

http://puregold.aquaria.net/pg/disease/tec...agnosis_by_poop

Here's how to do a salt dip:

SALT DIPS
Dips are brief exposures of a fish to a medication followed by the fish being put into fresh water.
Indications:
flashing or flicking
coming out of the summer pond and into an aquarium
the fish just arrived in a box or just brought home from the store
the fish isn't looking "well" or hasn't responded to topical treatments for
"fin rot or dots"
under a microscope, parasites are seen in substantial numbers
the fish has a resistant case of fin rot

Contraindications:
The fish are very small or fry ****** see caution
The fish have never been in "salted water" (like Israeli koi or shubunkins)
The fish is very toxed out from ammonia or other toxins (gills are dark red
or bloody looking)

Materials:
1/2 cup salt with no additives per gallon of tank water (no temp shock)

Methods:
0. mix the salt into the water.
1. put the fish into the salt water and start timing the dip. A salt dip of 30 seconds for small or stressed fish is sufficient. Fish can be dipped up to 5 minute if they continue to swim without sign of distress.
2. the fish will come up to the top, generally on its side, poke the fish and the fish will dive and swim
3. if the fish doesn't dive or doesn't dive quickly, take the fish out and put them into fresh water. It is not a good idea to put the fish back into the tank they came from until that tank is cleaned out or treated first for parasites.
4. take even a still active fish out after 5 minutes, leaving them in the salt dip longer will kill them.
5. for SMALL FISH, when they come up to the top and start rolling even slightly, they must be removed immediately no matter what the time limit. This means their gills can't handle it. Even if it has only been a few seconds.

Cautions:
1. the fish may dive to the bottom of the tank and sit there, this is usual
2. after the dip, the fish will "purge" both feces and ammonia from the gills, so the water must be tested and the water changed

I've tried to feed my comet peas, he just wont eat. He is pooping, but very little because he is eating very little.

I've decided that the koi is fine. He is eating and pooping normal. It is the comet that is sick.

I think he has an internal infection. He looks fine physically. He might be the one pooping out the white poop, but it is hard to figure out whose it was. I'm going to treat him with an antibiotic and hopefully that helps. Thanks so much for everyone's help.

Ariel