Is my goldfish dying? It's floating upside down and not moving.

I am sorry your goldfish passes away. IT is most likely nothing you did wrong. I would be concerned that the fish was sick before you every purchased it. Sometimes from local pet stores the fish are sick and the stress of transport can cause them to pass. I would contact the pet store and ask them if they have had any other fish pass away. I am so sorry for your loss

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.

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.

Thanks for reaching out about Gilger. Sorry for your loss. My thoughts are that Gilger was weak and ill, and became stuck under the rock. Causes of this range from water quality problems to viral infections, but water testing and a necropsy are the only ways to come to a conclusion. Test the water quality for pH, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Good luck.

I would suggest to try to stimulate him and see if he moves more. You can try to feed him as well. If he does not move and he is lethargic there may definitively be a problem; unfortunately the signs in this case are quite generic and a logic and radical approach would be required. 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.

Since the others in the tank are behaving normally, this one may be sick or injured. Ideally, it should be separated into a quarantine or hospital tank Check water chemistry first, even if you've done it already. You can 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 (0ppm) of ammonia and nitrites, with nitrates at 20ppm or less. Perform partial water changes to correct or stabilize water chemistry. Use only conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent additional stress or shock. Goldfish are cold water fish and do best between 68F and 74F. Change no more than 30% of the volume at one time. In the absence of other symptoms or injury, medications cannot be recommended. You can use plain aquarium salt (NOT table or Kosher salt) as a general tonic to decrease stress, increase gill function and aid in recovery. Dissolve 1 tablespoon of salt per 2 gallons of water in a cup of tank water and gently pour it into the tank. Treat for 10-14 days then perform partial water changes to decrease salinity.

Goldfish sit at the bottom of a tank when they are not well, often because toxins have built up in the water. Goldfish are usually active, and lethargy is a sign of illness. Maintaining good water quality is essential for proper aquarium care. In the enclosed, finite space of a fish tank, toxic elements, such as ammonia and nitrates, can build up in the water causing disease and killing fish. The only way to detect and control toxins is to perform regular chemical tests on the water and to perform gradual water changes to remove impurities and maintain the proper water parameters.