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Laurenbriggs88 Laurenbriggs88
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  • Posted on: 20/2/2015 16:59
URGENT HELP NEEDED #1
Can some one please please help me!!!! I have a 3 gold fish in a big tank and ome has seemed sick for sometime. It seemed he had swim bladder. I used treatment for it and also changed his diet (peas, bloodworm, pellets) he seemed to get better for a while but I have come home today and he is floating upside down like he was dead at top of tank!!!!

I have removed him from the tank as the other 2 fish started to seem stressed keep swimming near him etc!

I have tested water in tank all is fine!

Does anyone please know what could be wrong with him or is he just going got I die? :( his fins seem to be poking out more also

He is still breathing but just isn't moving. I don't want him to suffer any more but if there is anything I can do to save him I will try it!

Please all advice welcome
Laurenbriggs88 Laurenbriggs88
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  • Posted on: 20/2/2015 17:05
Re: URGENT HELP NEEDED #2
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Laurenbriggs88 Laurenbriggs88
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Re: URGENT HELP NEEDED #3
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fcmf fcmf
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  • Posted on: 20/2/2015 21:12
Re: URGENT HELP NEEDED #4
So sorry to hear this. From what you've described and from the photo, I'm 99.99% sure that he has developed dropsy, and the prognosis (outlook) isn't too optimistic, I'm afraid.

When I had fantail fish, they frequently suffered from swimbladder problems, and one even spent frequent periods of time floating on the top as you describe over the course of 9 months. A dose of aquarium salt sometimes helped the situation overnight and, if that didn't work, then the swimbladder treatment. However, in this case, if the scales are resembling a pinecone in the way they're sticking out (and the fact that you mentioned them suggests that this is the case), then it's dropsy.

DON'T feed him but you could try one of two things:

- if you have, or can get some medication for dropsy this evening (from a pet/aquatic store that is open OR you may need to contact a vet with aquatic expertise), that would be my recommendation [I see that Interpet's Anti Internal Bacteria treatment treats this but there will be other brands that treat dropsy].

- if you don't/can't get that this evening, then try a dose of some aquarium salt if you have some of that - and raise the temperature slightly where he is. This MIGHT help.

Let us know how he is now, and if you have or can get either of these ie treatment for dropsy or aquarium salt. We'll then advise further if we can help in any way. Fingers tightly crossed for you/him!

PS. [Post edited with this afterthought]: Also, do you have a larger container that you could put him in? The basin he's in will be fine for a short while but something a bit bigger would be better if you have it.
Laurenbriggs88 Laurenbriggs88
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  • Posted on: 20/2/2015 21:55
Re: URGENT HELP NEEDED #5
Thank you so much for your reply

I have moved him into his own 10liter tank as that is all I have as I don't want to put him back with the other fish as they have only just seemed to start acting normal again. He has a plant in the tank and all his is doing is laying on the bottom sideways next to the plant not moving. He is still breathing though.

I tried swim bladder treatment a couple of weeks ago and it didn't seem to help. I also tried aquarium salt Afew days ago and that didn't seem to help either :(

There are no shops open until the morning and I don't think he will make it that long by the looks of him.

I just feel really bad because I have done everything I could to try help him over the last month and now he is really bad and I don't like to see him suffer but at the same time I can't just kill him incase he does by a musical get better. Sounds so silly as its a fish but I have had him for 2 years and he was the first one i picked.

After the blood worms and peas he seemed to get abit better Afew weeks ago but by looking at him now I think he isn't going to make it much longer and with shops shut I don't think there's anything left that I can do
fcmf fcmf
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  • Posted on: 20/2/2015 22:09
Re: URGENT HELP NEEDED #6
It sounds like you've done absolutely everything that you possibly can do, and I'm glad that you've moved him into the 10-litre tank, just to give that final opportunity for a miraculous recovery. However, as you recognise yourself, it's not looking too hopeful.

I completely understand everything that you're saying. Also, a goldfish is as important a pet as any other pet - I can wholeheartedly vouch for that, and for the heartbreak endured when their time is up, so there's absolutely no need to feel silly at all.

I'll keep my fingers tightly crossed for you and him. Best of luck.
Bouncinsheep Bouncinsheep
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  • Posted on: 21/2/2015 0:51
Re: URGENT HELP NEEDED #7
FX for you both!
[img align=center]http://www.fishkeeping.
Laurenbriggs88 Laurenbriggs88
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  • Posted on: 21/2/2015 16:34
Re: URGENT HELP NEEDED #8
Ok so today he still looked the same early this morning. I thought he was actually dead. I went to scoop him out with the net and all of a sudden he come to life. Swimming normal. I put a pinch of salt into the tank this morning so I'm not sure if it is that.

Just checked on him again and he is swimming around but as soon as he stops he goes onto his side.

He seems better then yesterday as he is actually moving and not going upside down now only on his side. I'm going to feed him some peas in a min to see if he eats them

Advice still needed as I would like to make him better :(
fcmf fcmf
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  • Posted on: 21/2/2015 18:50
Re: URGENT HELP NEEDED #9
Good that he is still alive.

The situation sounds quite 'touch and go', though. A dose of internal bacterial medication might just do the trick and resolve the issue (as it did my goldfish when he was in a very similar state a few years ago, and he seemingly miraculously pulled through, and then lived for another 4.5 years after that) - on the other hand, it is quite strong and might just be enough to 'push him over the edge'. Weighing everything up, though, I doubt he's going to improve as he currently is (even although he's not upside down today), and therefore I would definitely give him a dose of this.
Laurenbriggs88 Laurenbriggs88
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  • Posted on: 21/2/2015 19:32
Re: URGENT HELP NEEDED #10
Yes I will get some tomorrow. I added salt today and that seems to have perked him up. He is currently sitting upright. I've put some peas in and he ate a tiny amount but not much so will keep eye and see if he eats any more.

The swim bladder treatment I added yesterday says not to add any more till day 4. It was such a tiny amount I don't see how it could possibly do anything but I followed the measurements correctly to what it says.

I just don't see how that tiny amount can help

If I go get anti bacterial tomorrow should I change his water first as it would still have swim bladder stuff in.

Because he is in 10l of water I only added 1ml and can that really help him if it is swim bladder?

Thank you so much for replying I really appreciate it :)