Help - Cold water fish question!

Jules

I have three fish, one like a gold fish only every so slightly bigger one the same shape as him but kinda black/red and silver. then i have brainey.. who is a short fat fish with a red thing on his kinda of orehead area that looks like a brain.

Now...

Brainey has a problem, to me it seems like he has air stuck in him or something, he spends his days moving around the top of the tank, or lying still... i'm not making this up, and when i move him he tries to swin down to the bottom, and bless him he looks like he is trying so hard but he jsut goes back up the top of the tank like a balloon.... i know it sounds weird but i feel bad, want to know if i can do anything for him or if its best to put him out of his misery. And can you do that nicely for a fish?

fits

Have you had him for long?

Jules

Only about 2 1/2 months.

fits

Hmm, to be honest it sounds like hes on the way out.

You have him long enough that a good bacterial environment should be established at this stage. How often do you change the water? Is there any visible marks on his fins?

I dunno, I'm kinda talking out of my ass here as I'm new to keeping fish. Theres a good care sheet in the stickies.

Oilrig

Leave him alone for the mo. See what happens. Is he the only one at the surface? Water quality issues will generally drive fish up to the surface - water change overdue perchance?

If he does deteriorate and you feel you should put him out of his misery...

Scoop him out quick, onto a section of kitchen roll quick, double the kitchen roll over him and smack him flat quick. Pick the lot up & deposit in the bin.

you'll have noticed "quick"... best way for both you & him

Jules

I change the water regulary and the other two are happy swimning on the bottom or up the top. First thing i did was look for marks on him but there are none. And tbh i dont think i could squash him. I'd cry, lots!

fits

Jules wrote: »

I change the water regulary !

The full amount?

sorry to ask you all these questions, its just that, only about 10% of the water should be changed every week. And the filter, should be also washed in water from the tank...

Apologies if you know all this already.

Oilrig

Sit tight for a day or two and see how he fares.

Jules

Ok its offical i suck at keeping fish, the guys told me to change the water, not a bit of it and i clean the blue filter thing in tap water.

He has been like this for about a week now! Im a crappy fish owner!

fits

Jules wrote: »

Ok its offical i suck at keeping fish, the guys told me to change the water, not a bit of it and i clean the blue filter thing in tap water.

He has been like this for about a week now! Im a crappy fish owner!

Seriously, that care sheet (in the care sheets thread ) at the top of the page is deadly.

And you dont suck at keeping fish, I'm surprised they lasted so long if you were changing all the water!

Ah sorry, I have to giggle, I suck at keeping fish. We have Freddie two months and he's the longest *ever*.

colly10

Jules, if you havn't already put the fish "out of it's misery" don't do it. It's fine and will recover by itself. I used to have 2 fish, one lasted about 10 years and the other one which was a goldfish lasted about 13 and only died because my sister accidently poisioned the water.
This happens from time to time and is nothing to worry about, I don't know the reason for it but it will recover, it's possibly that it damaged one of it's scales or something like that. It just looks bad it's fine.
If you want to do anything remove a pint glass full of water from the bowl, empty it, add 2 teaspoons of salt to the glass and fill it with water and mix it all up and pour into into the tank (it won't damage the fish as long as your not putting in much)

Btw fill the tank to near the top with water (assumimg theres a lid) to give them as much space as possible

Lauragoesmad

Sounds like a swim bladder problem. Cold water fish are prone to them. Its like a bubble in a fish that should be half full with water to keep them weightless in the water. Sometimes it gets filled with too much air and the fish cannot swim down to the bottom or it gets filled with too much water and they cannot swim to the top. Any good pet shop will have stuff to fix this problem. It happened to one of my coldies. They look so pathetic when it happens dont they! Poor little things.

LuckyStar

Jules wrote: »

i clean the blue filter thing in tap water.

No don't do that! You're supposed to clean it in water from the tank so as not to kill the bacteria. Any fish book or website would have told you this.

Sounds like the fish has swim bladder problems.

By the way the fish you have is probably an Oranda, the multi coloured one sounds like a Shubunkin. I don't know how much research you did before getting the fish but Orandas are not as hardy as regular goldfish.

LuckyStar

fits wrote: »

Is there any visible marks on his fins?. I dunno, I'm kinda talking out of my ass here as I'm new to keeping fish.

Fin damage rarely stops a fish getting about. I had a fish live for years with no tail.

fits

LuckyStar wrote: »

Fin damage rarely stops a fish getting about. I had a fish live for years with no tail.

yes I figured that much out from Finding Nemo

I was referring to the fact (albeit badly) that you can somewhat evaluate a fish's health from looking at their skin and fins (rather than looking for chunks missing).

hadook

You can get drops for the tank for swim bladder disease from any pet shop and this sounds kinda like what it might be.

I had a fish with swim bladder and he recovered after adding the drops to the tank. What killed him was the pint of Guinness someone poured into the tank during a house party while I was away one weekend.

Things I Learned From This: Fish in shared houses should live in padlocked tanks

Lauragoesmad

hadook wrote: »

What killed him was the pint of Guinness someone poured into the tank during a house party while I was away one weekend.

I'd flip if someone did that. Bast*rds!!

hadook

Lauragoesmad wrote: »

I'd flip if someone did that. Bast*rds!!

We never could prove who did it but I stopped keeping fish for nearly 5 years after that.

Jimkel

Swim bladder Problem, Get the treatment, dont feed for a few days, raise the temp by 1 degree if you can and turn the lights out in the tank for a few days. Always works. If it's not swimbladder then It's probably Dropsy but I doubt this if the other fish are ok.

They are all goldfish by the way just different line breeds. The Brainey one is most likely an Oranda.

Jimkel

LuckyStar wrote: »

No don't do that! You're supposed to clean it in water from the tank so as not to kill the bacteria. Any fish book or website would have told you this.

Sounds like the fish has swim bladder problems.

By the way the fish you have is probably an Oranda, the multi coloured one sounds like a Shubunkin. I don't know how much research you did before getting the fish but Orandas are not as hardy as regular goldfish.

HAHA you got there first:D

LuckyStar

fits wrote: »

yes I figured that much out from Finding Nemo.

Finding Nemo is your reference for fish care? Well whatever works for you...

fits wrote: »

I was referring to the fact (albeit badly) that you can somewhat evaluate a fish's health from looking at their skin and fins (rather than looking for chunks missing).

Most fish actually have scales, not skin. Maybe Finding Nemo didn't mention this. :rolleyes:

fits

LuckyStar wrote: »

Finding Nemo is your reference for fish care? Well whatever works for you...

Nope finding nemo is not my reference for fish care...:D
My name is fits and I like to make the odd joke...:p