My beloved fantail goldfish of 5 years (Pog) is acting very abnormal. Here's a video below that i took about an hour ago:
IMG_0820 | Flickr - Photo Sharing! The video is a little under 2 minutes long but it shows all of the symptoms if you watch the whole way through
There was a freak accident while I was at work-- the automatic feeder malfunctioned and dumped probably 3 weeks worth of food into the tank. I noticed the water was extremely cloudy when I got home and when I saw what had happened I knew I had to change 100% of the water. I tried to vacuum up the food/ waste too but it was impossible so I removed the gravel to be washed.
Pog's behavior is scaring me (I posted the symptoms in the form below). I tried to Google it and it sounds like the extreme amount of food he ate crushed his swim bladder. The cure is supposdly cooked peas-- but he won't eat them, he just spits them right out and swims away. There are also some new behaviors from Days 3-4 that I couldn't figure out online.
I have to go home to Boston for Christmas today or tomorrow... it's a 2 hour drive. I really don't think he's going to make it in the 5 gallon travelling bucket. Is his behavior normal healing? Can I leave him here..? I can come back in a week or so to feed him, but I'm afraid he'll be dead. But I'm also afraid he'll be dead 30 minutes into the car ride to Boston so I'm totally stuck.
Any help would be immensely appreciated!! I love my fish like someone would love a cat or a dog.
1. Size of tank?
20L
2. Water parameters
I don't know... I left all of my testing supplies out of the state. There's a (probably unreliable) ammonia sensor that is reading "safe." I will try to run and get a testing kit now if that will help
3. Temperature?
About 71-72
4. FW (fresh water) or BW (brackish)?
Fresh water
5. How long the aquarium has been set up?
5 years
6. What fish do you have? How many are in your tank? How big are they? How long have you had them?
Just the one fantail goldfish. You can see how big from the video. I've had him 5 years.
7. Were the fish placed under quarantine period (minus the first batch from the point wherein the tank is ready to accommodate the inhabitants)?
N/A
8. a. Any live plants? Fake plants?
No live plants, a few fake plants I've had in there for about a month
b. Sand, gravel, barebottom?
There was a layer of gravel but I had to remove/ clean it. I haven't put it back in the tank because I don't want to stress him
c. Rocks, woods, fancy decors? Any hollow decors?
None
9. a. Filtration?
20 gallon HOB. I know it should be more but it's never been a problem with just the one goldfish, and I change the filter once every 2 weeks
b. Heater?
No
10. a. Lighting schedule? What lights are used?
I turn the light on about half the day usually. The light is flourescent
b. Any sunlight exposure? How long?
None
11. a. Water change schedule?
100% 2 days ago, and I've been vacuuming up the waste since then once a day because of the lack of gravel
b. Volume of water changed?
100%... all 20 gallons
c. Well water, tap water, RO water?
tap water
d. Water conditioner used?
no, i left everything in Boston
e. Frequency of gravel/sand (if any) vacuumed?
every time I change the water, which I try to do once a week but is usually every 10-14 days
12. Foods?
a mix of flakes and pellets
How often are they fed?
twice a day, just a tiny bit
13. a. Any abnormal signs/symptoms?
Day 1 he was floating at the top, tilted to one side, and not wanting to sink down. Day 2 he was just sitting on the bottom, gulping water very heavily, and occasionally darting to the surface to gulp a massive bubble of air, but sometimes he couldn't make it all the way to the top so he would rest and try again later. Days 3-4 he isn't gulping water quite as severly, he is on the bottom of the tank, swimming WAY faster than usual sometimes and bumping into the sides of the tank when he sees me, swimming in circles, or just sitting there listless for long periods of time. He will swim into the middle of the tank now, so I thought his swim bladder might be improving, but he doesn't spend much time in the middle. 90% of the time he's just sitting on the bottom. He also has a red streak or two in hs tail.
b. Appearance of poop?
white, sometimes stringy
c. Appearance of gills?
normal
14. a. Have you treated your fish ahead of diagnosis?
no... I tried to feed a pea but he spat it right out
15. Insert photos of fish in question and full tank shot if necessary.
IMG_0820 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
IMG_0820 | Flickr - Photo Sharing! The video is a little under 2 minutes long but it shows all of the symptoms if you watch the whole way through
There was a freak accident while I was at work-- the automatic feeder malfunctioned and dumped probably 3 weeks worth of food into the tank. I noticed the water was extremely cloudy when I got home and when I saw what had happened I knew I had to change 100% of the water. I tried to vacuum up the food/ waste too but it was impossible so I removed the gravel to be washed.
Pog's behavior is scaring me (I posted the symptoms in the form below). I tried to Google it and it sounds like the extreme amount of food he ate crushed his swim bladder. The cure is supposdly cooked peas-- but he won't eat them, he just spits them right out and swims away. There are also some new behaviors from Days 3-4 that I couldn't figure out online.
I have to go home to Boston for Christmas today or tomorrow... it's a 2 hour drive. I really don't think he's going to make it in the 5 gallon travelling bucket. Is his behavior normal healing? Can I leave him here..? I can come back in a week or so to feed him, but I'm afraid he'll be dead. But I'm also afraid he'll be dead 30 minutes into the car ride to Boston so I'm totally stuck.
Any help would be immensely appreciated!! I love my fish like someone would love a cat or a dog.
1. Size of tank?
20L
2. Water parameters
I don't know... I left all of my testing supplies out of the state. There's a (probably unreliable) ammonia sensor that is reading "safe." I will try to run and get a testing kit now if that will help
3. Temperature?
About 71-72
4. FW (fresh water) or BW (brackish)?
Fresh water
5. How long the aquarium has been set up?
5 years
6. What fish do you have? How many are in your tank? How big are they? How long have you had them?
Just the one fantail goldfish. You can see how big from the video. I've had him 5 years.
7. Were the fish placed under quarantine period (minus the first batch from the point wherein the tank is ready to accommodate the inhabitants)?
N/A
8. a. Any live plants? Fake plants?
No live plants, a few fake plants I've had in there for about a month
b. Sand, gravel, barebottom?
There was a layer of gravel but I had to remove/ clean it. I haven't put it back in the tank because I don't want to stress him
c. Rocks, woods, fancy decors? Any hollow decors?
None
9. a. Filtration?
20 gallon HOB. I know it should be more but it's never been a problem with just the one goldfish, and I change the filter once every 2 weeks
b. Heater?
No
10. a. Lighting schedule? What lights are used?
I turn the light on about half the day usually. The light is flourescent
b. Any sunlight exposure? How long?
None
11. a. Water change schedule?
100% 2 days ago, and I've been vacuuming up the waste since then once a day because of the lack of gravel
b. Volume of water changed?
100%... all 20 gallons
c. Well water, tap water, RO water?
tap water
d. Water conditioner used?
no, i left everything in Boston
e. Frequency of gravel/sand (if any) vacuumed?
every time I change the water, which I try to do once a week but is usually every 10-14 days
12. Foods?
a mix of flakes and pellets
How often are they fed?
twice a day, just a tiny bit
13. a. Any abnormal signs/symptoms?
Day 1 he was floating at the top, tilted to one side, and not wanting to sink down. Day 2 he was just sitting on the bottom, gulping water very heavily, and occasionally darting to the surface to gulp a massive bubble of air, but sometimes he couldn't make it all the way to the top so he would rest and try again later. Days 3-4 he isn't gulping water quite as severly, he is on the bottom of the tank, swimming WAY faster than usual sometimes and bumping into the sides of the tank when he sees me, swimming in circles, or just sitting there listless for long periods of time. He will swim into the middle of the tank now, so I thought his swim bladder might be improving, but he doesn't spend much time in the middle. 90% of the time he's just sitting on the bottom. He also has a red streak or two in hs tail.
b. Appearance of poop?
white, sometimes stringy
c. Appearance of gills?
normal
14. a. Have you treated your fish ahead of diagnosis?
no... I tried to feed a pea but he spat it right out
15. Insert photos of fish in question and full tank shot if necessary.
IMG_0820 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!