please help! my calico, fancy goldfish, 4-5 yrs old is constipated and it has been going on for 2-3 days now. peas don't seem to be working. but he seems fine other than the fact that he's flipped to his side, with bloated belly. i only feed him peas. what could be wrong? i also changed the water, 25%. what else could i do?
please help! thanks!
Full Version: Goldfish Constipated
Hi there 
Could you try and answer as many of the questions posted on top, then we can try and help you figure out what's going on with your fish
Could you try and answer as many of the questions posted on top, then we can try and help you figure out what's going on with your fish
hi Chrissy,
i'm not sure about the ammonia, PH and all...but i have a 10 gallon tank, filter is plastic (Bio something for 10 gallon), change water once every week, 3 fish (2 calicos, 1 small pleco), no chemicals in water added ever, have lots of live green plants in tank, feed organic peas only.
the 4-5 yr-calico, Windsor, is the one who's constipated. the others are fine. i even separated the pleco, took him out of tank just in case. pleco's so fine. the fish are small by the way.
i'm so worried about Windsor. he's such a beautiful fancy fish. this is the first time he's been constipated this long. he's been constipated before, but not this long. and peas worked fine.
please help!
i'm not sure about the ammonia, PH and all...but i have a 10 gallon tank, filter is plastic (Bio something for 10 gallon), change water once every week, 3 fish (2 calicos, 1 small pleco), no chemicals in water added ever, have lots of live green plants in tank, feed organic peas only.
the 4-5 yr-calico, Windsor, is the one who's constipated. the others are fine. i even separated the pleco, took him out of tank just in case. pleco's so fine. the fish are small by the way.
i'm so worried about Windsor. he's such a beautiful fancy fish. this is the first time he's been constipated this long. he's been constipated before, but not this long. and peas worked fine.
please help!
someone please help!
Hi hopefulgirl, !
We have a saying around Kokos: take care of your water and it will take care of your fish. This means that we are really all water chemists, not fish keepers!
Your fish is probably floaty due to poor water quality. 10 gallons is not nearly enough for 2 fantails and a pleco. Goldfish of any type and any size need at least 10 gallons of water each. They also need strong filtration-- 100gallons per hour per 10 gallons. The ideal setup for you would be a 30-40gallon tank with a filter that processes 300-500 gallons per hour.
Have you read up about the nitrogen cycle? http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/cycle.html
It is really vital to know what your water parameters are at all times. How long has your tank been running? It's possible that your tank isn't even cycled, and toxic ammonia and nitrite can climb to deadly levels. You should get a drop test kit ASAP and let us know what your parameters are.
I would do a BIG water change ASAP. If ammonia, nitrites, and/or nitrates are high, sensitive fish can go belly-up. You should be doing large water changes every 3 days to keep the levels low.
You said you don't add chemicals to your water. I hope this doesn't include water conditioner. Tap water contains toxins and heavy metals such as chlorine and chloramine which are DEADLY to fish. Adding a water dechlorinator that neutralizes these, making the water safe for fish. (You can also evaporate them by leaving water to sit for 24 hours.)
You should also think about getting a larger tank for them. If you can't afford one, a large Rubbermaid tub works great as a temporary tank. Getting a better filter that filters more water per hour will also help.
Good luck, and let us know how it's going!
!We have a saying around Kokos: take care of your water and it will take care of your fish. This means that we are really all water chemists, not fish keepers!
Your fish is probably floaty due to poor water quality. 10 gallons is not nearly enough for 2 fantails and a pleco. Goldfish of any type and any size need at least 10 gallons of water each. They also need strong filtration-- 100gallons per hour per 10 gallons. The ideal setup for you would be a 30-40gallon tank with a filter that processes 300-500 gallons per hour.
Have you read up about the nitrogen cycle? http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/cycle.html
It is really vital to know what your water parameters are at all times. How long has your tank been running? It's possible that your tank isn't even cycled, and toxic ammonia and nitrite can climb to deadly levels. You should get a drop test kit ASAP and let us know what your parameters are.
I would do a BIG water change ASAP. If ammonia, nitrites, and/or nitrates are high, sensitive fish can go belly-up. You should be doing large water changes every 3 days to keep the levels low.
You said you don't add chemicals to your water. I hope this doesn't include water conditioner. Tap water contains toxins and heavy metals such as chlorine and chloramine which are DEADLY to fish. Adding a water dechlorinator that neutralizes these, making the water safe for fish. (You can also evaporate them by leaving water to sit for 24 hours.)
You should also think about getting a larger tank for them. If you can't afford one, a large Rubbermaid tub works great as a temporary tank. Getting a better filter that filters more water per hour will also help.
Good luck, and let us know how it's going!
I agree. 25% weekly when you are overstocked is no where near enough to clear the water of dangerous build up of toxins and bacteria. I should do an immediate 100% temperature matched (use your finger to test) water change and post right back with improvements. It may well be all that is needed. In a 10 gallon, with 3 fish you would need to be doing 25% changes daily( in an extablished well cycled tank ) to keep the water safe.
Hopefulgirl, how is the situation now - any progress? 
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