Can anyone help !

[candyfloss]

One of our goldfish has been floating upside down for a while now :( Someone told us not to feed it for a few days but it has'nt helped.Anyone got any other ideas.Thanks.

[krieve]

Fish floating upside down. This indicates a condition know as swim bladder disorder or flip over. This condition is common in round bodied goldfish. The swim bladder is actually two small bags of air inside the goldfish that when working properly gives the fish neutral buoyancy in the water. To control the amount of air in the swim bladder there is a duct (called the stom) that attaches the swim bladder to the esophagus. This allows air to be released from the swim bladder through the esophagus. The problem occurs when the stom becomes blocked or damaged. This damage can be from chronic digestive problems, internal parasites, bacterial pathogens, or a mass such as a tumor pressing on the stom that prevents air from being vented from the swim bladder through the esophagus. Also, chronic high nitrates have been identified as causing damage to the stom. Which leads to the fish floating.
Treatment: When floating is first noted stop feeding for 3 days then feed frozen peas that have been defrosted and shelled. This will help clean out the digestive system. If floating continues then pre-soak pelleted food in a container with 1 ounce water and a pinch of Epsom Salts. Soak for 10-15 minutes then discard the solution and feed the pellets. Try this only once or twice as regular ingestion of Epsom Salts will harm the fish's digestive system.
These methods work in the early stages of digestive related floating and can help control the floating to allow the fish to live a reasonably normal life. Once a fish begins to float upside down a good percentage of the time or all the time then it may be the beginning of the end. Goldfish really can't eat and digest food properly when upside down all the time and they

[willowbankbear]

One of our goldfish has been floating upside down for a while now :( Someone told us not to feed it for a few days but it has'nt helped.Anyone got any other ideas.Thanks.

Are ye sure its still alive? Thats usually the sign that the fish is on its last swim or dead Im afraid:~(

[candyfloss]

I'm sure the fish is still alive Willowbankbear .Its been like this for a few weeks now :(
I'll give the peas a go Krieve .Thanks.

[jambo]

is it an australian goldfish.

[Murchiemannie]

my son's goldfish has been "topsy turvy" for about six months now and is still very much alive. (you just have to crane your neck round and it seems to be normal) joke!!
Seriously they had two upside downers and the other one pegged it about three months ago, but his partner is still going strong.
The kids are so used to seeing him/her this way I'm sure they think it's the norm.

[candyfloss]

is it an australian goldfish.
Aye, i did think of that one already. But he was'nt like that when we first got him :)

[Billy Boy]

lol your gold fish has swimbladder,one of my one's had it and i treated it with interpet swimbladder treatment, i'am sure your local pet shop will have some,and soon lol as it cause's severe stress and will kill your fish,hope this help's,if you cannot get any swimbladder treatment pm me and i'll give you what's left of mine lol

[candyfloss]

Thanks Mr & Mrs BB, i'll see if i can get some tomorrow :)

[Rubha_an_Tuir]

This happened to my ex-girlfriends fish, does your tank have one of those pumps that bubbles water into it? switch that off for a wee while.
Crazy I know, but that was the advice we got with the same problem and the goldfish sure enough remembered which was was down, and fully recovered.

It may have been a wind up, but all I know is the fish recovered after we tried this. I hope it works.

RaT

[Errogie]

I can recall a dram of whisky in the tank as a last resort for a gold fish with balance problems and that seemed to straighten it up.

Don't recall whether it was a malt or a blend though!

[Fluff]

I can recall a dram of whisky in the tank as a last resort for a gold fish with balance problems and that seemed to straighten it up.

Don't recall whether it was a malt or a blend though!

I read that as well, a wee nip has helped other people. hmm... i wonder if they start floating upside down on purpose just to get a dram?

[krieve]

Don't do that someone poured some drink into my fish tank and it killed my fish. lol

[willowbankbear]

I bet it was, totally legless,finless , drinks like a fish? Doesnt sound like yer 1 could hack the pace Krieve:eek: . I bet ye were gutted

[krieve]

I was in primary school and my brother did it lol i was wild.

[candyfloss]

I can recall a dram of whisky in the tank as a last resort for a gold fish with balance problems and that seemed to straighten it up.

Don't recall whether it was a malt or a blend though!
I can remember my mum doing this when i had a goldfish when i was little, i don't think i'll try now though :eek:

[Cedric Farthsbottom III]

Could never keep a goldfish alive for two weeks,so i'm no use at all........sorry candyfloss:~(