Pet Forum / Aquaria / Goldfish / April 2004

 Have you tested your water parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and PH)?
 Mel.

 > We have a tank with three fish in it. Two RedCaps and One Fancy
Goldfish.
 > One of the Recaps he is about 2 years old, ( Previously the most
energetic
 > fish ) has for the last four weeks been seemingly unable to maintain his
 > buoyancy.
 >
 > He simply sits on the bottom in the corner and stays motionless for most
of
 > the time.  He is eating a bit but not much. In order to swim, he really
has
 > to put a lot of energy into it, so feeding is tough for him.
 >
 > He also, seems to do a rocking motion when he breaths, rather like
watching
 > an asthma patient struggle for breath.
 >
 > We have tried Changing water, adding stress coat, and salt etc. Making
sure
 > the water is Oxygenated and the filters are clean. The other fish are
not
 > affected, but seem to worry about him and one of them tries to stay
close
 > sometime, but he just nudges them away like a grumpy old man.
 >
 > Has anyone got an idea what is wrong, I think he must have a problem
with
 > his swim bladder, but I don't know what to do.
 >
 > No stock answers please, just well thought out ones
 >
 > Many Thanks - terry
 >
 >

it still sounds like something wrong with the water.  how big is the tank?
if you got decorations in there or gravel, move the fish to a tub of fresh water with
an air stone and clean the tank completely.  sometimes toxin things build up or blow
in.  what do you feed them?  overfeeding may be the single biggest cause of swim
bladder problems.  http://puregold.aquaria.net/
Ingrid

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