[newtofishkeeping]

Hi, I am new to fish keeping, I have a big tank set up with 2 danios, 2 minnows and a goldfish. My danios bred approximately 6 - 8 months ago. I was oblivious until I found 17 babies when cleaning the tank. Of these 17 I have 5 left. I keep them in a small fish bowl, with no filter but do a 25% water change every day and am careful not to overfeed them. I feed them on tetra mini food. I don't want to feed live food.

My worry is, 1 of these babies spends his life floating on the top and has been this way for a few months. He struggles to swim and goes in spirals. I can actually see an air bubble in what I assume is his swim bladder. I've tried peas and putting a salt solution in the water but he's no better. He eats etc but I feel very sorry for him.

The other issue is 2 of the other babies have kinked tails which both appeared overnight at the same time.

All advice greatly appreciated. I have nothing to test water pH etc, and to be honest don't want many more fish. I acquired my adults from my brother who no longer wanted them.

Thanks,

 

[Sakura8]

Hi newtofishkeeping and welcome to the forum. I'm sorry to hear about your baby danios. In regards to the babies with the kinked tails . . . do you know how big the fish bowl is? It's possible that the same size of the fish bowl is stunting their growth and causing deformities. Depending on the size of the babies, a larger tank such as a 10gal may be in order to prevent further deformities.

The baby with the swim bladder problem. If it is an air bubble, there's a possibility that the bubble will dissipate or absorb and he will regain control of his swim bladder and be fine. Sometimes fish do get air bubbles into their system, or literally get gas. However, there's also a possibility that what you see is something else entirely such as a parasite or even a tumor. You would probably have to look very closely with a strong magnifying glass to even get an idea what it could be though. If the baby has not improved after a day or so, you may want to euthanize him.

 

[newtofishkeeping]

Thanks for the info. Well the babies were in a large mixing bowl and have since moved to a small fish bowl, probably only 2 gallons. I didn't expect babies, hence the lack of suitable equipment. They all seem to hang around the bottom of the tank. They're probably about 2cm long now, but their tails kinked in the mixing bowl so maybe that was it (it was too small). My main tank is 12 gallons, but I'm afraid to put them in there incase the goldfish eats them, or they get sucked into the filter (I even had an adult with its tail stuck once). They will need to move soon though as its getting colder (in the UK) and we've a heater in the big tank.

My baby with the swim bladder problem has been this way for months and months. I keep hoping he'll just die if i'm honest. I am a bit too soft to euthanase him, but I feel i'm being cruel keeping him going. Never thought it could be something else. His growth is slower than the others too.

 

[thekoimaiden]

Welcome to the forum! I might be able to help with some of your issues. Those babies really do need to be in a larger tank and your main tank would be a good start. As you said the issue is your goldfish (sponges can be put over filter intakes). There are more issues with your goldfish than just him eating the babies.

Goldfish get rather large when given proper care. The suggested minimum is at least 20 US gal for one fancy (double tails, round bodies) and 50 or more US gal for one single-tailed streamline. If you have a single tail, really the best place for him might be the pond. A fancy variety will be much easier to house in an aquarium.

Personally, I think the best option is to upgrade to a larger tank for your goldfish (who are also social critters and should be kept with at least two other goldfish) and to move the babies into the 10 gal. That way they will have more room to swim. Danio are pretty active little guys and need a lotta room to move.

 

[newtofishkeeping]

Thanks for your post. He is a fancy goldfish with 2 tails. The fish shop we bought him from said he'd be ok in a 45 litre tank so i'm disappointed to hear he needs a bigger tank. He did have a friend as I know they need to be in a pair, but the friend died of swimbladder problem and the fish shop told me to wait a while before getting another friend to let the tank settle. I will get him another friend though.

I don't have the space to upgrade to a bigger tank as believe it or not, the current one is already an upgrade. I initially had a baby biorb and soon realised how cruel they are so I replaced it.

I'm wondering whether to put the babies in the big tank with the goldfish anyway? They are a good 2cm now, do you think he could still eat them. He's about 4 or 5 cm long but much bigger from top to bottom

I still don't know what to do with my floating fish, he's also shaped like a banana, probably because he spends his life floating upside down poor thing.

 

[Sakura8]

If it helps, I had an employee at an actual fish store tell me a goldfish would do fine in a 5 gallon with a betta. SOOOO NOT TRUE.

I wouldn't get the goldie another friend unless you upgrade to the larger tank that thekoimaiden suggests. It's better for him to be lonely right now. As for the babies, all you can do is try. Danios are quite fast and fancy goldies are rather slow so there's a good possibility that they'll outswim him.

I'm afraid that your floating baby has a genetic problem with his swimbladder and won't get better. The kindest thing to do would be to euthanize him but I totally understand if you can't do that. It's not an easy thing to do. If you decide to let him be, he will probably pass on his own within a few weeks to a month.

 

[thekoimaiden]

It's unfortunate but many people aren't informed about proper sized tanks for goldfish. They can get quite large when taken care of. It is pretty common for them to get to 11cm.

I'm with Sakura. Go ahead and try the babies in the main tank. Fancy goldfish can be quite sluggish (and lazy). The weaker ones might get eaten, tho.

 

[newtofishkeeping]

Thanks so much for your advice its really good to get some reassurance. I won't get another goldfish then, I wish I'd never got this one now.

I'll will try putting the babies in the main tank soon and see what happens. I'm quite attached to them now, as had them for months.

Thanks again