sick fish

[stroma88]

i was wondering if anybody could help me.
i found my wee goldfish lying on his side today at the bottom of the bowl. i researched online and i think it is ammonia poisning as he also had some black marks on his side.
i did a 50% water change and used tap safe and disease safe but im wondering how long it should take him to start swimming again. its been a few hours and the black seems to have mostly gone but hes still lying there.

i know putting the filter on would be a good idea but hes only in a litle bowl and im scared hel get bashed around if he cant swim.

any advice would be great
thanks

kirsty
xx

[teenybash]

Sorry about you wee fish. To aeriate the water a little you can simply blow gently through a drinking straw every now and then as this might stimulate him enough to try moving......hope he comes alright.

[Leanne]

The ammonia is a really problem - do you have a test kit? The ammonia is more likely to kill it than the stress of a 100% water change. If it is high, or you suspect it is do a 100% water change. Don't clean your filter just change the water. Hope your fish survives.

[teenybash]

You might also consider shallow water, warmth and a little live food.....even a chopped up garden worm..............

[stroma88]

thanks for the advice!
did a full water change and put the filter on. (even gave him a drop of whisky!) he got pushed around a bit but i think it encouraged him to swim. went to bed and he was still lying on his side but this morning hes pretty much back to normal!

x

[router]

i would strongly advise a bigger tank, an external filter that does atleat 10 x the amount of water and get yourself a testing kit. Unfortunately fish are not hardy creatures

[teenybash]

Glad your little fish seems to be on the mend.........I kept gold fish for years in an aquarium. The final one, called fergus died when he was 22, the rest were all around 18 to 20 yrs.

[stroma88]

yea im def gonna go get a testing kit. we were actually going to be buying a new tank for him this week anyway. was worried he wasnt going to live to see it!
he is suprisingly hardy for a fish. hes managed to cheat death a few times already. he jumped out the bowl once. came home and he was lying on the carpet! saw his gills move so i threw him back in and a few days later he was fine.
yea, i cant believe they live for so long. i have a friend thats got one in their twenties too. my ones only 2 1/2.