do you need to know the exact levels of everything? I don't know the exact levels but i bought one of those at home kits that test for everything and had my sister do it because she knows how already. she said that everything was within the normal range. i have a 10 gallon tank with a medium whisper filter. i change the water weekly i would say about two gallons on average. there is the black moor and one other goldfish, a comet i think it is called. no water additivies or conditioners. i have had both the fish in the same tank about a year and never had a problem. i feed my fish tetra brand flakes. i have scoured my fish for any unusual marks and nothing. the unusual behavior is where i am stuck. i went into my room to feed trouble (the black moor) and imelda (the comet) and thought that trouble was dead because he was floating upside down in the corner of the tank. i ran over hysterical but as soon as i touched him he jumped and started swimming. he has been floating a lot like this lately and i don't know what is wrong. pet store people are usless and i am totally stuck. he can swim right side up in the water but it takes him a lot of effort so when he gets too tired to do it as soon as he stops hard swimming he flips upside down and floats to the top. i have never seen this happen before and i have no idea what it is. he doesn't seem to be in pain because even upside down he begs for food everytime i come near the tank and nibbles on my fingers if i put them in the water. what gives? i don't want my fish to die and i don't know what is going on. please can someone help me?

can you tried to answer all the questions the white box...it sounds like swim bladder..do you soak the food before feeding them to the fish..

also you are overcrowed..

I cant really help u with anything but those 2 fish need at least 30 gallons together more is better and u should do bigger waterchanges. Also feed them more variety.

hi kristen,

i'm new here, so i can't offer much advice. but i just wanted to say good luck and i hope Trouble hangs in there. i'm sure a mod or helper will be by to give you good advice soon. from experience though, if you can post your exact water readings it will definitely help folks help you out -- i know that from experience! (i thought i had a constipated fish and it turned out my water was crazy toxic.)

good luck!
leslie

Welcome to Kokos! Sorry to hear about your troubles. You'll get it sorted soon. Try and read as much as you can on this website....there is lots of great info for newbies like yourself! You're going to learn a ton! First and foremost, you're going to learn that because you have too many fish in your small tank, you're going to need to do water changes every day...not weekly. That is really detrimental to your fishes' health.

Happy reading!!!

i will tell you one thing i had a blackmoor was upsidedown for about 1 month not sure what was the problem
i kinda massage him ( dont do it cuz i'm only sharing my own experience ) and he got better and from this point
he is right side up again but he can no longer swim sits in the bottom of the tank which i have to hand feed him
sink goldfish food everyday and he lived for another two years. BlackMoors are strong fish so dont give up!!!

Hi and welcome to kokos

As everyone has said, this is probably a water issue. I wish we had those exact numbers. High nitrates can flip a fish just like this,so easily.
When did you last rinse out your filter media and do a very large water change Kristen -a 90%/8 or 9 gallon one ?

The problem here is that 2 gallons a week water change is not going to be enough for the needs of your 2 fish in so small a tank. As they grow, and over time, that water changing schedule ceases to be sufficient and has to be upped. In a 10 gallon with 2 fish you would be safer doing a minimum of 30% or 3 gallons every second day especially with a a single tail larger growing fish like a comet in there.

Even if all your water readings are 'within normal range' (did that include nitrates by the way?), the accumulation of bacteria is not. That keeps on and on climbing. The bad bacteria are only reduced via those water changes and they multiply by binary division at the rate of hundreds per day. So I think that's probably what's going on here and it is not difficult to get back on track- just a little arm power

Every week or two in a long established tank it is quite safe to clear this bacteria build up with a very large temperature and pH matched water change of about 70%. This cuts back the bad bacteria drastically. Your filter sponge -where the good bacteria are living, should be rinsed out (but not thrown) every few weeks too.

Are you using Prime?Amquel?which water de-chlorinator do you use?

What do you feed your fish?

Can you do a large (7 or 8 gallons minimum) temperature and pH matched water change and post back with how he is so we can take it from there?

Kristen, anything new on the fish? Any improvements?