I joined this site just so I could ask this emergency question.
I have a 12 year old fantail goldfish, and lately he wont move, he just lays at the bottom of his tank. I came home today, and he wouldn't move. I tried to coax him with a little bit of food which normally works, and he wont move. His breathing is slowed down, and his top fin lays flat against him. Occasionally, he will move a tiny fraction and then stop. I don't know if it's just because he is old or what. But I would really like to know if there is something that I could do for him, or if it's just his time.
Thank you.

(Also, I haven't done anything different towards him. He gets fed properly, and his water is clean. I haven't treated him any differently, and this has been happening for maybe two weeks.)

I am so sorry to hear about this.

It is possible that he is just old....but, is there any way you can give us answers to the questions in the red box above?

ammonia?
nitrIte?
nitrAte?
pH?
size of tank?
filters?
any other fish?
any water conditioner?
any new plants?

Post back soon.

ammonia?
nitrIte?
nitrAte?
pH?
size of tank?
filters?
any other fish?
any water conditioner?
any new plants?

I don't know any of the first four questions, but its a 10 gallon tank, theres is a filter, brand Aqua-Tech (that's all I really know), he's the only fish in his tank, I use Cycle in his water and there are no plants.

Hi and welcome to the site. As Laura has asked there are alot of information you and we need.
Water quality is a must in keeping gf. If you could answer the other questions in the red box that will help, but knowing what the chemistry is with the water is a must.

Until then change 50% of the water and get the water tested. I would bet that is the problem.

Ok, well I was in a rush when I first typed this out, so I didn't even look at the red box, I just wrote hoping someone would care enough to help me out a bit.

I'll answer everything to my best knowledge now:

-I don't know how to test ammonia and other levels, so that I can't say, sorry.
-Like I said, it is a 10 gallon tank, he's been in it for about 4 years.
-Aqua-Tech power filter, Pure Activated Carbon *reading from the box*, it's the filter that's always been used in his tank.
-The water gets changed every other Sunday. It's been that way since he's been in the tank. About 15% water change. (that's a guess)
-There are no other fish with him.
-Use Cycle with the water, and aquarium salt. Again, since he's been in the tank.
-no medication in the tank.
-No other fish.
-Fed Wardley Essentials Goldfish - Premium Flakes.
-His physical appearance is the same.
-He remains at the bottom of the tank, not moving, top fin down, barely breathing.

I'm really concerned about him. I've had him since I was 5. He's outlived my dog, and he's the only pet I have left.

*Update*

-It's a 25% water change, not an estimated 15%.

-His eyes are fogging over. They've been foggy for about 5 months and he never acted differently until recently.

But um.. I guess he's just dying from old age..

It could be old age, or it could be poor water quality that finally caught up to him.

One question I do have for you is regarding your aquarium salt. You mention you add it in, and it's been in there for quite some time. Do you know how much salt you have in the tank currently? Salt does not evaporate, and over time the tank can get "salt creep". This is where the salt levels "creep up" over time, and you don't really even know it.....and the levels can get to be dangerous if not monitored.

How about the temp of the tank. Do you know what that is right now? I'm wondering if it needs to be boosted up a bit to make him more comfy. You should be aiming for about 75F since we are not sure what the problem is.

Right now, the best thing I can suggest is to perform a 50% water change. What you can do is take your water to your local pet store to have the parameters checked, if possible.

For future reference, there are test kits you can purchase which allow you to test your water at home. The liquid drop test kits are the best, but they also offer them in the strip format (not as accurate in my opinion).

I am not sure about that. Gf can live into their 20's with good care.

Even though you have never tested the water it is important you do so now. you can take a sample to the fish store and they can give you the results for free, just make sure they write them down and then post them here.

In the meantime, do another water change.

I'm not sure how much salt is in the water currently, he hasn't had some for a while.
I don't have a thermo to check his temperature, but it feels about room temperature..
But the thing is, nothing has been different. He's been taken care of the same way since we've got him. He's made it this far.
But I will change his water.
He just moved as I was typing this, too. =) First time in a few hours.


I just took a picture of him while he was moving, it's webcam, so it's kinda bad.

He's swimming around a bit now, taking a little break and then swimming more. =)
I'll try to get the levels and whatnot checked..

I know it seems difficult to understand why now all of a sudden he is sick when nothing has changed as you said.
But this is what happens....
GF are very strong creatures, they try to adapt to "any" enviornment, good or bad, and usually succeed for a while. This is now where you and he are at. After years of battling and adjusting what is most likely a water issue his immune system is no longer able to fight back. Therefor illness sets in. ANd we begin to see symptoms of sickness, even if nothing has changed externally.
I am also concerned about the amount of salt you have been adding.
Salt does not evaporate with water, it is only removed with changes. So if you have added salt every week or so (anything on a regular basis) and have only been removing 25% of the water then you are only removing 25% of the salt. Fish can handle salt up to a certain point but then it becomes a problem........and this could be adding to his condition.
So I would recommend not adding anymore salt until you have done at least 150% water change in segments. This will ensure that all the salt is out of the tank.

"I am also concerned about the amount of salt you have been adding."

Well, thank you for your help, but I don't remember ever stating exactly how much salt I put in. For the amount of water in his tank, I've done as the pet store has said. I'm sure they aren't going to lie to me to kill my fish. I also phoned a petshop today, and they said since he's made it to the age he is, the water is probably not the problem.
I don't pour tons of salt in, and I don't put it in all the time.
I don't think I'm going to continue posting to this site, as it is not helping me at all. The pet shop and the book that my mother found for me is helping more.
Thank you anyway.

I am sorry to hear that you feel this way. It has been many experts findings that fish stores are very uneducated and don't exactly teach their managers and clerks about gf needs. This leads to poor information to the customers......you and me.
I had many fish store people tell me lies upon lies.........remember they are there to sell things not educate, which is why Koko built this site.

It is unfortunate that you choose their advice over experts here............I hope your fish makes it.

Well, ok, I was being as polite as I could, but the main reason I chose to give up talking here is because I found you rude and sarcastic in your responses to me.
I thought it might be because you are 19 years older than me, and I guess I'm just a dumb teenager.
And I also said that I found a book. A writen book on goldfish care. I trust that more.
Plus the things I said you seemed to ignore (like the amounts of salt, and the book). So it felt like there was absolutely no point in posting. That is why.

Sorry you felt that way.......I most certainly didn't mean to sound sarcastic, and talking down to you was not even in the picture.

Fish care comes down to covering the basics and unless this is covered first we have no idea how to help you. I hope you realize that helping anyone thru the computer is awefully difficult and we rely on you to provide us with the information needed to help you.

Again, I hope that your fish makes it. It was no way any negative meant to be rude to you. Words are only part of communication.

12 years is definately a long time to have a fish for sure. I only hope that my 4 year old fish lives that long, I am very attached to him as well. I really hope your fish gets better very soon!

Sometimes words can be taken differently than they were meant, especially over the computer. I don't think Laurie was trying to talk down to you. There are people of all ages here from 9 to 50+ and the people here try to help everyone all the same. No one here would lie to you about the possible problems and solutions for your fish. This is a non-profit site, no one is trying to sell any products or anything like that. It was built out of the desire to help people to give their fish the best possible care. I once had a pet store employee tell me that it was ok that my PH was 6, and the fish would "get used to it"......that's like sticking someone's hand on a hot grill and telling them they will get used to it. While not all pet shop employees may be uneducated about goldfish care, a lot of them are, through no fault of their own, they are just repeating what they were told. Just because someone works in a hospital doesn't mean they are a doctor...

Please don't rule out a water quality problem without at least testing it first. If the ammonia & nitrite are 0, and the PH and nitrate are at good levels, then that can be ruled out as a potential problem, and maybe it is an infection of some sort, or even old age like you said. But wouldn't you rather test those things rather than just let it go? That way you will know that you have done everything possible to help your fish.

Does your book have anything about PH levels, and the water cycle (ammonia, nitrate, etc..) ?
-I'm not asking that to be sarcastic or anything, I am just curious.