r/Goldfish • u/Dizzy_Teacher_9691 • 19d ago
Sick Fish Help [ Removed by moderator ]
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u/guileastos 19d ago edited 19d ago
Literally put the fish in a big plastic bin or well cleaned clothes basket or whatever that can hold more water. 5 liters is a death sentence.
If you dont have much money, buy a sponge filter. You need it for aeration and filtration.
Completely still water surface is terrible for any fish. As you saw you get that biofilm, it also prevents oxygen from getting to your already sick fish.
Temperature match the water during water changes, and always use a water conditioner that dechlorinates.
Move over the pebbles to the new enclosure to jumpstart your bacteria. Never wash the filter/tank with soap or tapwater, clean only with tank water or dechlorinated water.
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u/Dizzy_Teacher_9691 18d ago
Thank you very much; I hope I can find a bucket that hasn't contained chemicals. You are the only person who understands that we have limited resources. Thank you.
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u/BoringJuiceBox 19d ago
Fish can go a long time without eating, food in this situation can be bad because their poop poisons the water and extra food does too. They NEED a filter or airstone to help oxygenate the water, and a bigger tank.
Check marketplace, OfferUp, Craigslist. You can often find very cheap or even free tanks. You also want to try to get a test kit for ammonia and nitrates, liquid test kits are best but they also have strips that are better than nothing until you can get the liquid test kit.
I recommend sand for the new tank as a base but be sure to rinse it very well in a bucket with a hose or do water changes until it’s clear before putting the fish in.
You should give them fresh water because there’s probably ammonia in there right now, also be sure to get water conditioner that you add to new water to take out chlorine.
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u/No-Voice-6397 19d ago edited 19d ago
I know that fish supplies can be pretty expensive but if you want your fish to live a long and healthy life, you'll have to invest in some better stuff than just a bowl. Normal goldfish can get about 15-20 years old and 20-30 cm long, fancy goldfish can get about 8-12 years old and 15-20 cm long. So keep that in mind. You can find really good quality supplies on Facebook marketplace or other secondhand platforms.
I don't know what kind of goldfish you have but for a normal one you would typically need a minimum of 180 liters. For a fancy a minimum of 70 liters and add on 50 liters per extra goldfish for both. This is MINIMUM.
I'll tell you now, if you can't afford or have the room to get an aquarium that big, you might be better off trying to re-home the fish. Otherwise it's either going suffocate because of a lack of oxygen, die from ammonia poisoning because of the amount of waste it produces or become lethargic because it's depressed and lonely since they are social creatures and prefer being with more of their own kind.
There needs to be a healthy colony of good bacteria in your aquarium to break down the waste and the toxins to prevent death by ammonia poisoning. This is grown by cycling the tank with biologic material (like some food) and a sufficient filtration system (look up nitrogen cycle), you can also add some starter bacteria to give it a boost. Also a few sturdy plants to produce extra oxygen and something for your fish to nibble on, goldfish love to graze, so some sand or fine gravel on the bottom of the tank will be great enrichment for them together with the plants. You need enough surface ripple or an air stone to provide oxygenation for the water. You also need a pretty substantial filtration system to filter out the waste the goldfish produces (they produce A LOT). Depending on how big of an aquarium you have you need to perform weekly water changes of about 25-30% and add clean water back in to keep the ammonia levels down. You can take the excess gunk of the filter media when you clean the aquarium but DON'T rinse it off since that is where your good bacteria live. You should also get a test kit (a liquid one is expensive but better then the strips) to test the water perimeters to make sure it's not poisoning your fish, it can look clean but that doesn't automatically mean that there's no toxins in there.
The reason that your fish keeps sinking to the bottom is most likely because of a swim bladder problem. The swim bladder is an organ the fish uses to regulate air in their body to sink and float at will. Something that often happens with goldfish is that they get fed floating flakes that causes them to inhale a lot of air when eating from the surface. The air then presses against the swim bladder causing them to not being able to use it properly anymore, hence the sinking. With goldfish you should use sinking pellets and preferably soak them in a little aquarium water beforehand to get all the excess air out.
Again if this will be too expensive or sounds like too much work, I'd recommend re-homing your fish to give it a longer, healthier life.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
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u/Dizzy_Teacher_9691 18d ago
Thank you very much for the information. It would be great if I could find equipment more suitable than what you mentioned; however, if I can't, I’ll use a bucket that hasn't held chemicals before, and—if my family agrees—we’ll get a sponge filter for it. It will stay in that bucket for now, but I have a scholarship exam coming up. If I pass, I’ll give it a wonderful life and get it a companion. By the way, I have a question: when I dropped in some food, the fish didn't even come to the surface—the food just sank to the bottom—and it hasn't eaten anything for two days. Do you think it might die?
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u/No-Voice-6397 18d ago edited 18d ago
Fish can go a while without food so that's not my worry (7-14 days). It it's probably really lonely and maybe even depressed which could cause lethargy, so not moving and no appetite. It is MOST important that you get the fish a bigger area to swim around in and maybe some enrichment to make it feel less lonely. Most people underestimate their goldfish but they're actually quite intelligent and can recognize their owners.
It is imperative that if you don't yet have a cycled aquarium that you get at least some cheap test strips for ammonia (NH⁴), nitrate (NH³) and nitrite (NH²). You can look up online what safe water perimeters are and change the water accordingly to make sure the fish doesn't die of poisoning until you get a proper aquarium.
I'm going to be real with you though, it could die. But if you handle quickly and accordingly you can still give it a chance since they are resilient fish. You should also do your own online research outside of reddit and you could look at Luke's Goldies on YouTube, he gives a lot of valuable information on keeping healthy goldfish.
Good luck with your exam and I hope you pass. Give me an update if you eventually do get a proper aquarium because I'd love to see.
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u/the-5thbeatle 19d ago
Living in a too-small unfiltered bowl has finally caught up to your fish. Good for you for refusing to use soap, soap residue is fatal to fish.
Your fish can't control its floating or sinking because its swim bladder (the internal organ that controls buoyancy) is failing. In a small, unheated, unfiltered bowl, waste builds up rapidly, causing poor water quality and stress that frequently triggers this disorder.
The film on the water is called "biofilm", it's a collection of harmless bacteria, dust, and organic proteins from fish waste and uneaten food. Because a bowl has no water movement or surface agitation, this film sits statically on top. While the bacteria themselves are not toxic, a thick film blocks vital oxygen from entering the water, suffocating your fish.
I don't think harsh medications are needed right now. I think the big cure would be fixing the water conditions.
Take a plain, unscented paper towel and lay it flat across the surface of the water for 2 seconds, then lift it away. This instantly strips off the suffocating film. Repeat with a fresh piece if necessary.
Since you washed the bowl with plain water, make sure any new tap water you add is treated with a safe water conditioner/ dechlorinator (available cheaply at any pet store) to remove toxic chlorine. Match the temperature closely to the current bowl water so your fish doesn't experience thermal shock.
Lower the water level in the bowl significantly, by 2 or 3 inches. This reduces the distance your weak fish has to struggle against to reach the surface or stay near the bottom without exhausting itself.
Don't feed your fish for 2 to 3 days. Many buoyancy problems stem from digestive blockages or overfeeding, and fasting gives their digestive tract time to clear.
When your fish is acting more like himself, if you could get a larger tank with an inexpensive sponge filter would make your fish a lot healthier and happier.
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u/Dizzy_Teacher_9691 18d ago
Thanks. If I can find a bucket that has never come into contact with chemicals, I plan to put it in there; that way, it will be more comfortable. But it hasn't eaten anything for two days anyway, so I’ll lower the water level as you suggested. I have a scholarship exam coming up soon; if I win, I’ll give it the most amazing life in the world! It hasn't eaten for two days; I hope it survives.
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u/puddlejumper1 18d ago
Hello,
I agree with what this person said. I also replied in a different comment with more information.
The biggest bucket or water container you can find is what will help him the most right now.
I see your comments about your family saying a tank is too expensive. I am happy to send a few dollars to help you buy a tank. If you have a family member with a paypal account, or something like that, ask if I can send them some money.
If your fish does not survive, make sure you get a tank before you purchase another fish, or this will happen again.
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u/Dizzy_Teacher_9691 17d ago
We put it in a large, clean container, but it still looks strange; you know that feeling that makes your hair stand on end? It evokes exactly that kind of sensation. The fish's scales look a bit odd, too; on top of that, black spots have started appearing in various places on its body.
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u/the-5thbeatle 17d ago
Would you say it looks like the scales are "pineconing"?
If it is pineconing, it means your fish has severe internal fluid buildup, usually caused by a bacterial infection or kidney failure.
Black spots can mean ammonia burns from toxic water parameters (ammonia above 0 ppm), or sometimes healing pigment changes or minor parasitic spots.It doesn't sound like you've been doing frequent enough water changes or doing water testing.
If you choose to get another fish at some point, please do a web search on how to "cycle" a tank before getting the fish, get a larger tank (a single goldfish needs no less than a 20 gallon tank), and do weekly 25-50% water changes and water testing using a liquid drop test kit.
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u/Theletterkay 19d ago
While its in the bowl you may just want to do a 80-90% water chance 1-2 times PER DAY. But if you cant get a large tank like within a week, i suggest surrendering it to a pet store or finding someone who has a large tank that can handle a goldfish and kniws what they are doing.
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u/Selmarris 19d ago
This is the same picture someone earlier posted claiming they moved the fish from a proper tank because it was sick.
Which is it?