Hi folks,

I wrote a couple weeks ago about a problem that turned out to be some kind of swimbladder. (http://www.kokosgoldfish.invisionzone.com/...showtopic=42920)

Ralph seemed to recover just fine after being fed peas for a few days. But ever since then, he's had the following problems come and go - and the symptoms never last more than half a day:

1) Sitting on the bottom
2) Bumping into things like he's blind (and not being able to find his food)
3) Floating around limp (on his side, curled in a semi-circle) - but not at the waterline

This morning went like this:

I got up, Ralph was sleeping, but soon woke, saw me, and started swimming excitedly (as per usual - breakfast!). I put the usual helping of flakes on the water, and went about my business. When I came back about 5 minutes later, he hadn't eaten, and was drifting around, bumping into the glass and things in the tank. When he DID go to the top, he was poking around and not finding the food.

Sooo...I "peeled" him a pea - which always seems to help. But he always has a hard time finding the pea guts before they dissolve (and, as I say, he was floating around like he was blind), so I gently cupped him in my hand and guided his mouth to the pea, which he gobbled with enthusiasm.

Within minutes, he was drifting again, now curled over in a semi-circle, curved inward his right side, and near the bottom, sometimes bouncing gently on the bottom.

Checked on him just now while writing this, and guess what? 100% back to normal - swimming around, enthusiastically scavenging the bottom, happy to see me - like none of this had happened.

All of this just in the last 30 minutes.

Yesterday he was fine. Two days ago he spent about an hour sitting on the bottom looking a little sickly. Three days ago - fine!

ANY ideas?

2.5-inch fish
3-gal tank (yes, I know. fish was a gift, and that's all I have room for - tiny apartment)
Good filtration (change the filter every 2-3 weeks - just changed it yesterday) + biowheel
1/3 water change every other day (I keep the water crystal clear)
clean the tank every weekend

PH: 7.5
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5
Ammonia: 0
kH & gH - I'm not familiar with these
temp: no heater or therm, so that would be "room temp"

@:)
Rob

It sounds like he has ongoing swimbladder problems, he seemed to come good again after he had eaten the pea.

Try feeding him a diet of fresh/frozen foods only. Check out the Goldfish Food forum for ideas. Some fish develope an intolerance to commercial foods and can just no longer digest them properly. It's happened to one of my own who now does fine on fresh/frozen food only.

Thanks for the tip, Annette. I'll check out those food forums and get him on a different diet.

@:)R

3/20/2006
8:35am (central time - USA)


Hello Everyone,

Thank you all for your wonderful advice regarding swimbladder problems. Little Fish (that is his name) had it and after a two day fast, as was suggested, and a diet of peas, he was fine. How much longer should I continue his pea diet? He has been on it for three days.
I see that Robio has an ongoing swim bladder problem with his little guy. Do you recommend a fresh diet after swim bladder problems? I got some very nice "gel" food recipes some of the members have posted. Would that be okay for Little Fish? Will they lose their lovely brilliant colouring on a natural or homemade diet. I will also check out the fish food section for ideas.

A natural diet shouldn't effect his colouring. Plenty of greens can actually enhance the gold. Gel food would be fine for a swimbladder diet so long as it doesn't contain many grain ingredients. If the ingredients are all greens/veges plus protien it should be OK.

Peas for 3-5 days at a time is probabley the max.