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Hello everyone I have this goldfish that seems to be sick or diseased. He is very sluggish, using one fin, his tail is curved inward, sinking and not going to the top of the tank and not feeding. I think it maybe Swim Bladder Disease but would like someone else's opinion and a good way to help make him better.

Thank You

Is this a regular Goldfish or one of the fancy varieties such as a Veiltail?

Does the fish try to pick food off the substrate?

Are the substrate particles (assuming you're using gravel) of a size that coyld be ingested by the Goldfish?

One issue that may possibly apply here is that Goldfish can, if they're over-eager to eat, swallow gravel particles. Which doesn't do them a lot of good.

However, there are other issues to consider as well.

Does the fish have any discolouration on the sides, particularly along the back and around the dorsal fin? Does the fish look as if it has a crooked spine? If these conditions apply, you may have an advanced case of piscine tuberculosis (which usually causes fishes to become misshapen as muscle degeneration takes a hold) and that, I'm afraid, is terminal by the time you see the fish looking even mildly deformed.

Does the fish have uneven bloating of the stomach, more ounced on one side than the other? Only swim bladder derangement can sometimes be brought about by constipation. If you can feed the fish something that has a laxative effect (boiled fresh peas - note fresh, NOT tinned, because tinned peas have additives that won't help your fish one bit!) have a laxative effect and may shift things nicely.

However, if the fish eats something with a laxative effect (live Daphnia will also loosen things up if you can supply that) and still doesn't reorient itself, then the cause is something more serious. And, of course, you have to get your fish to eat.

One problem with feeding Goldfish standard flake foods is that they come to the surface and start ingesting air bubbles with the food. The best way to feed Goldfish is to moisten the flakes beforehand so that they sink, and the fishes do not ingest air bubbles. In the wild, the carp that these fishes are descended from are actually middle to bottom feeders that take food from the surface only when there is no other option. To minimise the chances of future occurrences of this kind of problem with Goldfish, I recommend feeding flakes in the aforementioned manner - soaked so that they sink immediately - and feeding other foods that sink directly. Check your gravel particle size in addition just in case that could become an issue - usually with natural gravel, this is less of a problem than with ornamental gravels, but even so, it's wise to check this out.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002