my calico fantail, mr.chips, has had swimming troubles for some time now, and i ruled it out to be constipation. he swims fine sometimes and later, normally closer to evening, he starts getting floaty again. i tried feeding him peas, but this didn't work. right now i'm fasting him and was wondering how i should administer epsom salt. how often should i give him salt baths?

-concerned goldfish mama

Some fish have a hard time digesting commercial foods. This could be the case....but not sure.

I would not start salting just yet.....

Could you do us a favor and answer the questions in the red box above? This could help us help you figure out what's going on with Mr. Chips, if it isn't all related to his diet.


And...welcome to Koko's!!

Ammonia Level?
Nitrite Level?
Nitrate level?
Ph Level, (If possible,KH and GH and chloramines)?
Ph Level out of the Tap?

to all these questions i'm not certain of the answers, because my mom did the testing. however she told me everything is fine as for water quality.

Tank size and How long has it been running: 2 gallons; around 5 months.
What is the name and size of the filter/s: it's the one the came with the kit, a hawkeye 201.
How often do you change the water and how much: once every couple of weeks.
How many fish in the tank and their size: 2 small goldfish
What kind of water additives or conditioners: none
Any medications added to the tank: no
Add any new fish to the tank; no
What do you feed your fish: commercial flakes, but i switched to commercial pellets.
Any unusual findings on the fish: no
Any unusual behavior; just problems swimming; unbalanced and floaty

Hi there,

Thanks for getting back to us with some information.


Right off the bat I can tell you that you are severely overstocked. Goldfish need at least 10 gallons of water each. Two goldfish in 2 gallons of water is not going to cut it. Any chance you can upgrade your equipment?

Here is an excellent link on the general care of goldfish:
http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/care.html

You mentioned your mom has the results of the tests (ammonia, nitrIte, nitrAte, etc). Any way you can do the testing and post the exact results here? I realize your mom said the values were okay; however it would be nice to know just exactly what the numbers are. Your water quality could indeed be compromised with two fish in a 2 gallon tank (or bowl).

Here is another great link regarding the cycling of the fish tank:
http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/cycle.html

Have you noticed your fish's poop? Can you give a description of it - stringy and white, or short and colored, or filled with bubbles?

Do you soak your pellets before you feed your fish? And how many times a day do you feed?

We are eager to help you out....try to answer the questions to the best of your knowledge and we'll go from there.

Thanks!

well after 3 days of not feeding my fish followed by 3 days of just peas, mr.chips is making a recovery. i have successfully fed him 2 days of pellets without having the floating problem.

yes, i do soak the pellets before feeding them, and i think that's helped. his poop is short and lightish brown as opposed to long and white as it was a few weeks ago.

as for my tank size, the woman at the pet store said 1 gallon per fish so i figured i was doing the right thing... not saying more space isn't nessicary, but they seem to be happy.

thanks for your imput!

I'm glad to hear Mr. Chips is doing better.


I am not glad to hear the woman at the pet store recommended 1 gallon of water per fish. That is just not providing a healthy environment. Especially one in which they will thrive for a long time. Two fish in such cramped quarters will eventually lead to severe water quality issues. Unless, of course, you plan on changing out 100% of the water on a daily basis. Even then, 2 gallons for them to swim in is just too tight. They will become stunted in time.

However, I'm glad you found this site...have a look around - you'll find lots of useful information!