Hi,

I think I have a dying fish on my hands, no idea what to do!

Hope someone out there can help with this. My Mum is on holiday at the moment, she has a 40 gallon unheated (fairly neglected) fish tank which she left some 'vacation food' in. Went over to check the house today and one of the fish was floating near the bottom, on one side. He is a standard goldfish I think with quite a long floaty tail and about 5 inches long (body only).

As you can tell from my description I know nothing about fish.

He can't swim upright and I think he may be puffier on the side that's floating up the way, although it's hard to tell from his funny swimming angle. He hasn't shown much interest in food although when I put a flake or two in he made a feeble attempt to get one (missing it due to his lopsided-ness).

His tail has bloody veins running through it although I believe he has been like this for a while.

I didn't want to leave him in the tank in case he dies as I won't be able to go back for a week - I've brought him home and put him in some nice clean water in a large goldfish bowl I have with about 8 litres of water so he's not under too much pressure. I have a little filter I can put in but scared to incase it pushes him about the bowl and hurts him (it's quite strong for a little filter). Not the ideal hospital but better than leaving him to die in the tank.

I have no way to test the water etc so can't provide any information there, although I did treat the water in the bowl with tap safe to remove chlorine and added a little salt before I put him in. Mostly he is just floating about near the bottom.

Any advice appreciated as my brothers will be heartbroken if he dies

Thanks so much,
Maz

An addition to this - on the side that is pointing up the fish has a very swollen popping out eye, the other eye is ok. Also not sure if relevant but on this side he has a little cluster of about 4 scales missing, almost looks like little holes. Other scales look ok.

I am really worried as he is now just lying at the bottom on his side moving occasionally, please, please give me some advice someone!

Did you use table salt or aquarium/rock salt? Just wanted to say that table salt is not safe for fish, just in case. If you did use table salt you may want to change out the water replaceing it with dechlorinated, temperature matched water.

I wish I knew what to tell you, hopefully someone else will be along shortly, but good luck to you and it is nice of you to take such good care of your mom's fish!

I used some aquarium salt that I took from my mums house, not sure if it will help any but willing to try anything.

The poor fish almost looks like he is bent in two.

Im afraid it may be too late for this fish. When a fish arcs itself, death isnt too far away.

The tank it came from as you said was badly neglected letting bacteria build up and maybe too the ammonia and nitrites. The fish was weakened and losing scales is a sign of high ammonia or nitrites or even nitrates.
All you can do for the sick fish is keep it in clean dechlored water and wait.

Are there any fish in the other tank still?

There is one other fish about the same size. He is not displaying the same symptoms although he has not looked good for a while, has blood in his eyes and one eye has gone cloudy. I've been pestering my mum for ages to get him looked at.

The tank looked quite dirty and so did the filter but I was scared to clean the filter as I was scared to make matters worse.

I'm just going to keep an eye on poor bendy as we've named him although I have to leave him tomorrow to go out to work.

I'm inclined to agree with Sandy regards Bendy he wont live for much longer due to his arched back.
Does your mum have water conditioners?I would do a 50 to 75% water change and add water conditioners.Improving the water quality will help the remaining fish.

Your doing what you can for the sickest but really you need to take matters into your own hands or your mum will come home to no fish at all.
When you get the chance buy a gravel cleaner and a bucket if she doesnt already have these and some dechlorinator and tests for ammonia and nitrite.
When you get to your mums use the gravel cleaner to take out half of the tank water and then fill up the bucket half full with warm tap water and add a couple of drops of the dechlorinator and really rinse out and squeeze the media from the filter. You may have to do this a few times.
Refill the tank with fresh dechlorinated tap water and then do the same thing the next time you go in. Im hoping you go to your mums house a few times a week

How are things going?