My fantail floats at the top of its tank after eating, paddling to stay in its position and not be spun round by the tank current. It looks bloated with one side being larger than the other. The fantail spends time at the bottom of the 75 litre (20 gallon) tank but only through sheer determination and very strong strokes - unlike its tank mate that swims up and down effortlessly. Once it stops its strokes it goes back up to the top.

I feed the two fish once a day in the morning. The diet is varied (flakes, brine shrimp and peas). The water parametres are fine and I make a partial water change every four days. The tank has been running for six months. The temperature is 26oC.

Once the fantail goes to the loo early in the evening, it is back to its normal power-swimming behaviour, going up and down effortlessly. This behaviour has been going on for about three weeks.

Please help?

Thank you.

Cygold, your fish has a problem with its swim bladder. Goldfish have very cramped space in their bellies, the intestines especially. Do you soak your food before you put it in the tank?
If the food is not soaked, and the fish eats it, it swells up with water inside the fish, and gets bigger. It will block the intestines, and that causes pressure on the surrounding organs, especially the swim bladder.
When you soak the food before you put it in the tank, it wil swell up before it hits the water, and the goldfish will make it smaller when eating, so its not that much of a problem compared to unsoaked food.

After the food is digested and the intestines are free again, thats when you see the fish swim normally. How much do you feed them with every meal?
With fish that have swim bladder problems, its best to feed them very small meals, but more meals.
I would go ahead and fast him for a day or two, and feed him peas for a few days afterwards, those have a laxative effect on the fish. Get the frozen kind, unsalted, from the supermarket, steam them and take the skin off, cut in bite size pieces and off you go! And remember, smaller meals, and try feeding him a small meal at night time too....
Tell us if he still floats after the pea meals...

Hello Ranchugirl,

Thanks for the information. I pre-soak all food for 5 minutes before feeding the fish, but the fantail still got ill. I will now introduce them to two or three small meals each day.

Thank you.

Hello !
I live to Paris (sorry for my bad english !!) , your informations are really interesting, i have the same problem with my ranchu, one of them died because he was so tired to float !!! I don't want the same end for my second ranchu, i tried to find solutions but i didn't find, but now i read your informations !!! A seller explain me how to look after my ranchu, i must catch him and when he wants to breathe, i must put in this mouth one or two drips or olive oil. I don't know if it's a good idea, i try and wait now. Spinach can be good like peas ???

My ranchu, gamera :
[img]http://www.artconspiracy.com/files/[kinoko]/poisson156.jpg[/img]
[img]http://www.artconspiracy.com/files/[kinoko]/poisson%20130.jpg[/img]

thanks for your answers

sorry for the wrongs links to my pics i hope now it's ok :

Thank you Ranchugirl for helping me with my fantail's floating problem.

As suggested, I have been feeding a smaller amount twice daily and the problem appears to have been solved.

My fantail lives in a 20 gallon tank with a slightly larger red cap oranda. I believe the fantail forced himself to gulp as much food as possible in order to beat the much faster eating oranda; thus, creating the floating problem. I am now faced with the pairs' almost constant begging whenever they catch sight of me.

And, hello Gamera. I think I will give the olive oil treatment a miss. Thanks for the input. By the way, that's a great photograph.

Thank you.

Thank you for the compliment about pics !! I tried the olive oil treatment but my ranchu float again, grrr, i don't understand !!!

Hello Gamera,

You could try feeding the Ranchu half the food you are feeding it now but twice a day - once in the morning and once at night. Ranchugirl gave me this advice and it worked for my fantail.

Also try the mashed peas - again half the quantity in the morning and half at night. It will help clear the system.

Other than this, I am afraid I have limited knowledge.

Regards

Thank you !!
I will try to my ranchu, perharps it's working !!