Help! My fish looks like it might explode!

nahatalie

Hi,

I have a shehunkin and a comet of the same size in a large glass tank with a good filter which also produces bubbles so the water is clean and aerated. I clean them out every couple of months before the water gets too dirty.

Up until now, they have both been extremely healthy fish, almost with personalities! Every time I walk past the tank they go mental and swim about very fast wanting to be fed. They are the most active fish I have ever had!

Anyway, the shebunkin is in normal, fine health, fins erect, lots of movement, health appetite, good colour, clear eyes etc. The comet also boasts these healthy features, but over the last few days I have noticed a worrying change in his physique...

He seems to have a bulging stomach! Either side of his "waist" is bulging, it look like he swallowed a mini balloon! So much so that his scales look like they stretched a bit. He seems happy in himself, just sleeps a bit more than the other fish now, but still gets excited if I approach the tank.

I have not fed him for almost two days as i wondered if I fed them too much, (although the other fish is fine) so I tried to allow him to pass whatever was "blocking" him, but this has made no difference. I don't think he has passed any waste for a while, I looked this morning and he had a thin white almost clear dropping...I'm convinced he is blocked in some way. I suppose there is nothing I can do for him really? I wondered if he somehow swallowed some gravel, but I'm sure the gravel I use is too big. He is swimming fine, so it's not his swim bladder.

Is there anything I can do for my fish?

VJH

not a clue thought I would bump for you anyway - hope he is ok
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Vicky, Daisy and Ruby xx
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_Jules_

I'm sorry to say it sounds as if he has Dropsy.

I think it is caused by an internal bacterial infection which is virtually impossible to treat. It would be best if you moved him into an isolation tank until the inevitable happens Sad

, so that he doesn't pass the infection to your other fish.

If you google Dropsy you will find loads of info and piccies.
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Jules and the Ark

poppydog83

what is dropsy? a condition of the bowels im assuming

nahatalie

Ok thanks,

I googled dropsy (bacterial/viral infection with a number of possible causes. I think it's a blanket term used to describe the appearence of the condition), and the diagrams and photos didn't really match what my fish looks like, but perhaps my fish is in the early stages. My comets' bulging is more local, just the back end of him is swollen whereas in the photos the whole fish is swollen. But it must be this condition perhaps in the early stages. The causes state that this disease is often caused by dirty water, but the tank looks pretty clean and I do have a filter. I will clean them tonight and see if I can find some sort of hospital tank for him, though it says dropsy isn't particularly contaigous.

He is still swimming around fine and still has a verocious appetite! If there is nothing I can do, I hope he isn't in pain, if fish feel much pain.

It's a shame this is happening, as I need to give them to new homes in 6 weeks. My students will be more than willing to take them, but I'm not so sure now if one of them is sick. He might pass to the giant lake in the sky before then anyway...sounds silly but I got quite attached to these critters lol. Imagine what I will be like when I get a dog! Letting it go to the bridge would devastate me...

Thanks for your help!

Lisa_Ianniello

my fish just died today from the same thing.
____________
Lisa Ianniello

I Love You Calvin, My Big Silly Pups.

LauraJane

you should really clean out the tank more often, even if the water is clear it can still contain ammonia & nitrites which are highly toxic to fish.

nahatalie

Yea I clean it out when the filter pad starts to go off colour (suggesting the build up of toxins is increasing), which is about every few weeks. It's a pretty large tank with only two fish in it so I shouldn't think the concentration of toxins is too much, but I shall clean them out more often from now on, thanks.

Anyway, I know hes just a goldfish, but thought I would give you an update on him he he. I think I noticed his belly about two weeks ago, and there has been no change. It has not improved, but it has not got worse either. It is only mildly bulging at the moment, and as there is nothing I can I do, I am pleased that he hasn't got worse. It's a case of waiting I suppose.

The good news is, the other fish is not showing any signs of illness. In fact, they are both swimming around the tank, fins erect and very active, and they are both hyper when I feed them, or even go near the tank lol. So, in himself, Sashimi (the ill fish) is feeling well, to look at him, you would just think he is fat lol. But I am pleased that he is still active and hyper like he always was. Hopefully, even if his tummy doesn't go down, I hope he can live a happy, pain free life with his friend! (I know he's not in pain right now as fish tend to go all lethargic and clamp up thier fins and sit at the bottom when they are sick-not sign of this form Sashimi!)

Josh

Sorry but i had to giggle when i read the title Razz

tigger2503

Do you completly clean out the tank as oftern this causes more harm to fish you should only really do a quarter tank water change and always make sure the clean water your putting in has been standing for 24hrs. You can buy test kits for nitrate and amonia levels which are really helpful to get the lvls right and they are pretty cheap too.
Sometimes fish can get a blockage due to the dry flakes they are fed its a bit like being constipated (you can normally see the trail of poo behind then), I feed mine a de shelled cooked pea this always helps clear their system out and they go made for it too. Most fish are over fed they are much better with less, I feed mine every 2 or 3 days.

Asho_DirtyPoo

If it doesn't match Dropsy - it may not be dropsy.

There are other things that can cause this bloat.

Try spliting open the skin of a pea, and feeding him the mushy inside part. That can help if it is constipation.

Is your food floating food? (ie flakes, or floating pellets)
This could cause the fish to take in too much air when at the surface biting at the food. If this is the case, sinking pellet food can alleviate this problem.

Take a sample of the water in to your local pet store and ask them to do a test on the water. That way you'll know if your ammonia, nitrate or nitrite levels are too high, and be able to fix whatever the problem may be. You can also describe the fish's symptoms to them when you're there and see what they think.

Do a few small water changes (like, 10%) daily and see if that helps.

Googling "fish diseases" and then looking through the lists that come up at the symptoms may help you determine what best fits this specific situation.

Good luck! I hope it's not dropsy...

EDIT: Also, do a 25% water change once a week, permanently. Then rinse the filter media, in tank water, once a month or so. If you use non-tank water it kills the bacteria on the filter, which is essential to removing ammonia from the tank and converting it into nitrates, when then get converted into nitrites (I may have the a and the i backwards there) which are then up to you to dillute in the water by weekly water changes.

DOUBLE EDIT: *LOL* Neverrrmind. This was originally posted like, 6 months ago or more wasn't it? Oops. Ah well, I'll leave the info here for future people with problems.

nahatalie

Ha ha ha...Thanks anyway! The split pea idea came a wee bit late I'm afraid lol, but thank you for the advice and when I next keep fish I will definitely give it a go if it happens again!

I may as well give a belated update on my beloved large goldfishies! I had them when I was living in Japan, and as I decided to return to the UK after 1 year, I left them in the care of my successor (person who took over my flat and job) and luckily, as he is an animal decided to keep the fish and salamanders I had (would have been far too silly / risky to ship them back to the UK lol).

Unfortunately, Sashimi died two days after I separated him/her from Sakana. He went downhill fast, but as far as I know, the other creatures are alive and kicking and enjoying life back in Hiroshima with thier new owner!

Poser_Doll

Hey, how big is your aquarium?
if it isnt big enough, it can do harm to your fish.
Ie- short lifespan, if one fish gets sick the others get infected rapidly, and stuff like that.

Do you over feed them?
its often reccomended that you feed goldfish once every 2 days.

nahatalie

He he he...it makes me laugh that this thread has resurfaced yet again lol. Again, thanks for the advice but the remaining fish lives back in Hiroshima where I used to live, with a new owner as I obviously couldn't take a fish back to the UK with me...