If a goldie looks bent in the middle, but still active otherwise, what should I do?

Depends on the cause of the bending. Is it due to a physical injury or to internal disease / parasites do you think?

What other symptoms is the fish displaying and can you tell us a bit more about the tank set-up?

I don't know how he could have gotten physically injured, though I am sure it is not impossible. I don't see any external signs of parasites...

The tank is a 20 gallon, with the sick guy (Izzy) and his pal Slash. They are both "feeder" types. They are about a year and a half old, and are a little bigger then when I got them but not by too much.

The fish is displaying the crazy behavior Axl did before his demise, or similar to it. Extremely active flying around doing somersaults and 360 spins.

I change the water once a week, about 30%. The levels are all their normal selves, as I had done a test the day before the behavior started, and tested again the day I noticed it and today as well.

Nutritional deficiencies can cause a fish to become bent like this. What do you feed them?

Flakes and Pellets, just started implementing peas since coming here

Do you have a deep gravel bed? The "whirling" sounds like a bacterial infection and would need to be treated with antibiotics. Have you always done the 30% water changes weekly? I just ask because the "feeder" types should be huge within a year, not slightly bigger, so Im just wondering about water quality. If at some point there was excessive bacteria buildup under the gravel, stirring it up once you did a water change could cause an infection.

BTW I love your fish's names.

Yes, I always have changed the water...you're right, I am starting to think gravel is a big mistake.

How do you suggest I treat this?

Glad you caught on to the GNR naming, hehe.

Anybody????

Sorry to bump this again but no one seems to be able to help me that I have contacted so I am hoping the right person comes along here...

Personally, I'd treat with a good medicated food, like Medigold, which gets right inside at an infection. I'm not convinced it IS an infection, to be honest, but at least the Medigold won't hurt the fish or crash the cycle. You can order this online from Rick's Goldfish Connection (see the links page).

As for the gravel, I've never had any problems with it as long as it's clean clean with regular vacuums, but if you want to get rid of it then remove it a quarter at a time over a month (1 quarter per week), otherwise you run the risk of crashing the cycle.

Can I just ask: what's the pH in the tank? You mentioned before that you only use bottled water (is that right?), so what's the pH of this, and does it change when it's been in the tank for a while? A fluctuating pH could easily cause odd behavioural symptoms.

Hope this helps.

I've read that electricity somehow getting into the tank as well as vitamin C (i think vitamin C, but not sure) can cause a bent spine.

Hope this helps as well

I mean vitamin C deficiency, sorry....

Do you have any pictures?

My "fish doctor" friend who owns the local pet store finally returned from vacation in Florida today and I brought down Izzy and showed him his condition.

He told me, as EvolSteevol said, it may be a Vitamic C problem. He also said, the more likely scenario, was that he got some kind of an electric shock and told me to check my filters and heater and such to make sure they were working fine. I said if one got shocked, wouldn't they all? He said not in all cases, if Izzy was right on the device when something happened.

Anyway, based on all the various replies I've gotten, I'm treating him in a few different ways...

What are these "few different ways"?

There are many potential causes for a "bent" fish, and I think most of them have been touched on - poisonioning, exposure to harsh meds, nutritional deficiencies, electric shock - but once a fish is bent, it usually stays bent. IMO electric shock is pretty unlikely given that you had one fish suffer this same fate, and now, (awhile later I presume) you're seeing it with another fish. If there was some ongoing electrical problem, you would have probably seen these 2 fish suffer ill effects a lot closer together, and probably would have felt the current yourself when doing maintenance on the tank. Definitely do check to be sure, though.

You could try medicated feed, but it sounds as if your little guy has had some severe damage done, and especially since you've had another fish die showing similar symptoms, it doesn't look too good.

Definitely do test your pH. Why are you using bottled water? Even "spring" water doesn't always have the minerals and elements goldfish need. The water could very well be part of your problem.

Axl demonstrated bizaree behavior, but he was never bent. Sorry if I confused people there.

This morning I woke up, and Izzy was straight! I mean, he certainly isn't 100 percent healed but he looks much better.

The hospital tank seems better then the reg. lately,

Funny, he's still alive and others are dead.