Hi all,

I think ive got a deformed fish, its body is more bent than the other fish and its tale fin looks as though is isnt split in two like normal, it looks like its a sort of heart shaped fin if that makes sense.

Would be it be cruel to leave it living and would it live a normal life?

I dont want to kill any of my fish, as it appears to be eating and looks very healthy, and growing well too.

What should I do?

My babies are just over 3 weeks old now.

thanx

As long as it seems healthy, I see no reason to put it to sleep. I think a lot of the varieties of fancy goldfish (bubble eye just to name one) came about from deformaties anyway...? It sounds like it has the tail of a common.

deform.. hmm..

I have a fish.. it is as good as an alien.. totally out of shape, totally deformed.. it even swim in such weird manner and it can never keeps in a straight line.. and it is living to its best to be like the rest of the fishes.. when it swims, it trys to swim like them, to eat with them, and live/play with them.. so why should we deprive its right in its attempt to survive??

it is growing, and it is a happy fish.. I am glad I did not heed my brother's advise to get rid of it.. know what my brother said?? "Hey, throw that fish away.. it is a waste of fish food.. or feed it to other fish in the pond near my place.." <_< luckily I did not.. I think I did the right thing and I am glad about it..

jus like a disabled child, joining in a bunch of kids and trying his best to play the game like the rest of the kids.. know what I call this?? Amazing ability..

Yeah your both right really. I had read that kulling the ones that arent born as they should be should be killed, but i couldnt do it anyway, id feel so guilty.

Thanx guys i think ill leave it and see how it goes

Its just nice to hear of others that are fine and healthy.

cheers

I pulled several fry from my pond Memorial Day weekend. One of them is almost 2 inches including tail fin - most are about half that size - but one little guy is still _____ and he has a big bellie. He looks normal - he just won't grow. I put the rest of the fry in the new pond, but this little guy gets a home in the tank. If he isn't meant to live he will die on his own.

i have a deformed fish its a red cap oranda and it has no dosal fin and it doesnt seem to be teared off

it looks like a ranchu

Aren't lionheads missing their dorsal fin?

NO! lion heads missing fin DOES NOT HAVE MUTATION IN THE SAIL FIN! really just notice the head that was it's "mutation", the origin of no sail fin was the "Egg fish" which was the FIRST aquarium gold fish by evolution since there would not be a use for the sail fin in a non-flowing water condition.

i have 10 fry that have survived from previous spawnings. one admitedly is a common and another 3 are shub/orandas but the others are fancies and only 1 has a double tail. that one has a bent back too. it is growing more slowly that the rest but shes getting there. the single tail is a very common deformation. as for the bent back, unless it is having severe dificulty swimming like going round in circles id leave it. good luck!

Ok... I kind of took your post as you were shouting at me. I hope you weren't...

Also... your post is confusing. Lion head's missing fin... does not have mutation in the sail fin... A missing fin can't be mutated, if it's missing... It's just, missing... and by sail fin do you mean the dorsal fin?

ok, yeah, i found it a bit confusing too. all fancies are deformaties of some sort. the lioheads deformaity is its bent back, double tail and lack of dorsal fin. does this help?

argh i was in a rush to sleep that time zZz lion heads are offsprings to eggfish, and it was eggfish that mutated/evolved without a dorsal fin. so it was eggfish that evolved without that fin not lion head they evolved for wen.

Ive seen a goldfish so deformed it had no fins at all at a LPS it was so horrible it was floating upside down in a corner.....the goldfish wasnt free swimming he wasnjt doing anything just floating with the current and trying to catch some tubifex in his mouth...really sad...

What is LPS?

local pet store

Lfs (local fish store) Ufs (usual fish store(the lfs you go to the most)) Lps (local pet store)

i have a fish like the one you described that i bought on nnnnnn and to be honest its my fastest growing fish and he/she's perfectly healthy and happy. keeps up with the common and other fish just fine

I have had about 40 fry this summer and about 30 have survived. I wanted to cull the weak sisters early on especially this one that only had a top half of the back fin. He/she survived and is one of the most fun goldies to watch. Another had a crooked back now he is getting larger and is growing into his body. Dont let them suffer but wait until you know it will not make it.