My goldfish seems to be sick. The water was just changed this Sunday, and the filter cleaned as well. Now the water has clouded, and he and the other fish seems to have trouble breathing. He is laying at the bottom, leaning on his side, and occasionally swimming to the top and trying to jump out of the tank. The ph is fine, there is no ammonia in the tank, the nitrate level is low, and the temp is about 76 degrees. Please help! We are going to try a water change, but what else should we do? What's wrong with him?!
2008-04-24T19:08:14Z
Also, the water is warmer than usual, and the filter is warm to the touch (warmer than we've noticed it before). The filter is a Rena Cannister. I've had the filter for a couple years, could the filter possibly be overheating and then overheating the water?
destiny_waits20022008-04-24T19:17:18Z
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Sounds like you need that water change and fast. What's your Nitrite reading?, how many fish and what size is the tank?. I'd do a 1/2 water change straight away (making sure the gravel is vaced) as well as increasing aeration, then drop to a daily 20% changes. Fish that try to jump out of the tank are usually trying to get away from parasites and because all your fish are displaying symptoms, this is highly likely. Treat promptly with an anti-parasite medication, such as Methylene Blue. It may be necessary to raise the water temperature to improve the effectiveness of the treatment.
Can you get a reading for that temperature?. If its too high you need to bring it down but if you do this too quickly it will be highly stressful (and even fatal) for your fish. If you think the filter is causing it, switch it off and leave the water to cool naturally. You'll need to replace it as soon as possible. Ref: cloudy water, is this an established aquarium?. Cloudy water is usually a result of excess feeding, overcrowding or a bacterial bloom.
Add: I noticed the temp at 76c, this is nothing to worry about. Warmer temperatures decrease the oxygen levels but this is not a dangerous level for your fish.
Fish have a difficult time staying upright and may hang in the water. Goldfish are especially prone to problems with the swim bladder.
Some hobbyists feed their fish peas to treat this infection. Perhaps this works by helping in the digestion process. Try this: stop feeding the fish for a few days, give the fish optimal water conditions by performing frequent small water changes (10% every week) and see if the problem clears up.