Bloated goldfish...

callie35

About 2 months ago i found one of my goldfish 'dead' on the ground, apparently jumped out of the bowl overnight. However he tweaked his tail so i put him back in the water & he came back to us! A few days later both fish developed a purple patch on their forehead along with a white slimy patch. I got slime medicine which cleared it up.

About two weeks later the 'jumper' started to bloat out, he's really like a big ball now but his behaviour's fine, he swims normally & is active, doesn't appear in any distress. His scales are also protruding and now are getting quite red in places. The other fish is absolutely perfect.

I use bottled water, now using 'Disease Safe' and i have a filter in the tank but he's just not getting any better. I've heard of feeding him a pea but is that really wise or just an old wive's tale...?

cichlid child

Bloated fish is usually caused by a bacterial infection. There are medications available but try performing a 25% water change every other day and increase the quality of your fish food.
There are medications on the market but if your water is not right buying medication is not going to do anygood.
check out
www.irishfishforum.com.

callie35

Hi, i met a very helpful guy in the aquarium shop who gave me an anti-bacterial water treatment. Fishie is still in great form, behaving/swimming/eating normally but now the tips of his scales are black. He doesn't seem at all distressed so i'm hoping it the scales that were affected by the infection just dying off. What do you think?

gnxx

Black patches can indicate ammonia poisioning.

Can you test the water for ammonia and nitrites?

How many fish and what size tank do you have?

Is the tank heated?

callie35

Two goldfish, one of which is perfect in an 8 litre tank... It has a filter but isn't heated. I guess i could get a water testing kit when the weather thaws but i do use bottled water cos my well water wasn't suitable for them. This problem only began a few days after he jumped out of the bowl so i don't think it's the water...

gnxx

8 litres is very small for two goldfish. They produce lots of waste.

Unfortunately, goldfish have a tendency to jump out of tanks when the water quality is failing. I would suspect ammonia poisoning.

Check that the filter is in fact working -- IE the water is flowing through it.

Siphon out any food or detris at the bottom of the tank. This will degrade and produce more ammonia/nitrite.

By any chance, have you covered the top of the tank to stop the fish from jumping out?

callie35

Purple the goldfish passed away two nights ago, nothing seemed to clear his skin up so he's better off in the big fish-pond in the sky. Got Gold a new buddy today so she's swimming around again...she'd been so quiet since he died. Even as he was 'on his way out' she kept nudging his belly, was quite sad to watch. Might get a bigger tank once the weather thaws.... Thanks everyone for you help!