Alright, I am very very stressed out by this and I just need help. Nobody seems to help me on the other disease board so I'll just try here.

My goldfish Wilbur got swim bladder disease Saturday, the 22. The next day I did a 50% water change, and he was floating more. The day after, he stayed at the bottom and swam around very seldom, so we took some of his tank water to the fish store to get tested and our nitrates were very high, in fact so high that the color wasn't even listed on the chart. She also said if our tank was too warm that could be a problem. We have very /very/ hard well water (no softener) so that could've been too much, so when I got home I did a two gallon water change, putting in reverse osmosis water this time. I also blew a fan on the tank, taking it from 80 degrees to 70 which she said was good. The next day it was the same. Now, today, I get home and he was stuck to the filter, but still alive. He can't swim at all and if I nudge him with a net he just floats around until he lands on the ground again. I haven't seen him eat and I'm fairy certain he hasn't, I tried peas, soaked flake food, and blood worms but he didn't even go for any of it. I again did a two gallon water change and plan to do one on Friday, Sunday, Monday, and then take water in to get tested but I'm almost certain Wilbur is going to die. What do I do? I'm mostly concerned about the eating thing.

All I know about the test was that the nitrates were above 8.5 (which I think really means 85)
It is a ten gallon tank
I hadn't changed the water for three weeks until he got sick, and then I started.
Only one goldfish, a chocolate oranda about three inches from head to tail (I'm horrible at measuring, though)
I used cycle in the tank occasinoally
I fed him unsoaked flake food for a while until he got sick. Now I have blood worms, peas, and flake food (that I'd soak) but he won't eat.

Please, PLEASE help me, I'm very very stressed out because everyone is telling me different things and I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Should I just give up on him?

did you use any medication for your fish? i think leaving the tank for 3 weeks lead you to extremely high nitrate reading. like i said on your other forum, change out 80% of the water now. go get the fresh water test kits and keep testing your water everyday making sure its still within safe levels.

also, i would find some filter sponge or something like that, cut a hole in the middle and put it over your filter tube. that way its less easier for wilbur to get stuck again.

Hi and welcome. Sorry to hear you have a very sick fish.

Not to disagree with the above poster, but before you go changing 80% of the water please get the following tests so that you don't do more harm.
The Ph is priority with hard water.........which could be the problem that started it all. Fish can't handle a swing in ph readings, so let's know right away what that is.
Next keep the temp stable. GF can handle a variety of ranges as long as it doesn't fluctuate quickly. (dropping it 10 degrees within a short time may have compounded the issue). Don't feel bad, most of us don't know all this and is why Koko's exists, to help those who don't know.

Now you will also need tests for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. All are very important as well. Having the store do it for you has it's points but with problems you need to test several times a day........not convenient having the store do it.

Since it sounds like he is very sick, try and keep his stress level down. no lights, are extreme changes in his environment. Post back asap and we can go from there.

Thanks for all the help, but my goldfish died just a little while ago.

I am sorry to hear that. Hope you feel better soon.

Sorry that you lost your fish Kayla.