My fish is at the bottom of the tank, breathing slowly. What's wrong?

Thanks for reaching out about Nemo. Have you tested water quality for pH, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates? Having difficulty breathing is a common cause for raising to the surface to breath. Gills can be damaged by poor water quality, disease (parasites, bacteria, viruses), toxins and more, so determining a diagnosis will help with a treatment plan. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. Correct water quality, provide more oxygen via an airstone. Good luck.

The first thing that needs to be done is a water quality analysis. If you don't have a test kit, most pet stores sell a basic test kit that measures pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. If any of those are amiss, correct that problem. Laying on the bottom of the tank is often a sign of swim bladder disease. This could be an infection, fluid accumulation or a mass pressing on the swim bladder. All of these create a situation where the swim bladder can not contain air, that allows them to control their buoyancy in the water column. The best treatment for this is seek assistance at a veterinary clinic with experience with fish, and have systemic antibiotics prescribed. A radiographs would be helpful in diagnosis. A good fish veterinarian would probably be able to aspirate the swim bladder and collect a sample for diagnosis. The majority of antibiotics available for fish over-the-counter are not good for internal infections and could possibly make things worse. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Kirky and including a photo, although the photo is out of focus. Swimming to the surface and gulping air is typically and indication of gill disease. Gill disease can be caused by poor water quality, bacterial infections, gill parasites, and metabolic disorders. First, check water quality for pH, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Correct problems. Make sure to treat tap water for several hours prior to adding to the tank. If water quality is correct, a veterinary visit for assistance in a diagnostic/treatment plan. A gill clip can be examined under the microscope to determine parasitic or other gill disease. Antibiotics added to the water typically cause more problems than benefit, altering biological filtration. Good luck.

Check water chemistry first. Use a home test kit or submit a water sample for testing. The local Petco may do this for free or for a small fee. Aim for an absence ( 0 ppm) of ammonia and nitrites with nitrates at 20 ppm or less. Perform partial water changes, no more than 30% at a time, to stabilize chemistry and/or to improve water quality. Use only conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent stress or shock. Check water temp as well. Any of these can drive a fish to the surface. The "flashing" (darting about) can be due to infection (bacterial, fungal or parasites). Consider a broad spectrum antibiotic or an "all in one" product to treat multiple infections. Look in the Aquarium section of the local Petco for options. Follow label directions carefully and remove the carbon filter insert during treatment if indicated.

Thanks for reaching out about Tunky. Laying on the bottom of the tank is often associated with swim bladder disease, where the bladder is filled with fluid or infection, and not air, leading to difficulty with buoyancy. As always with fish, test the water quality for pH, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates- correcting any abnormalities. If those appear within normal limits, a visit to a veterinarian with experience in fish, is recommended. Systemic antibiotics should probably be started, which usually mean injections. good luck.

There are several causes that can provoke these signs fro water imbalances to specific diseases like swim bladder ones. This problem requires a quite radical but logic approach. Begin by submitting a water sample for quality testing. Most pet stores will do this for free or a nominal fee. High ammonia levels, PH imbalances may be responsible for that. Oxygen concentration and quality of the filters should be determined as well. If water quality is good and there are no major imbalances, your fish should get examined to look for any sign of bacterial/fungal infection and eventually water should be treated. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

The bowl looks definitively a bit small for the two fishes. To understand exactly what is going on you need to approach this problem radically but logically. Begin by submitting a water sample for quality testing. Most pet stores will do this for free or a nominal fee. Clinical examination should always include a water quality check, even if you have done so already. Water testing should be performed with a quality test kit, measuring NH4, NO2 and NO3. High ammonia levels, PH imbalances may be responsible for these signs. Oxygen concentration and quality of the filters should be determined as well. If water quality is good and there are no major imbalances, your fish should get examined to look for any sign of bacterial/fungal infection and eventually water should be treated. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.