Newbie Bubble Eye Prob!

Hi,

A while ago I was advised by a pet shop that a bubble eye could live with other fish in their tank not long after I found out this wasn't the case and had to buy a new tank and new tank mate of similiar breed for him.

However I seem to have a persistant problem with what I think is his swim bladder it started a couple of months ago when I saw him swim upside down I was advised to put in a container so he'd have somewhere to stay in, add tank salt and treat him with swim bladder medicine. Also I started soaking his flakes and on occasion feeding him pea's and it did go away. Now though I have noticed he is really bloated massive infact and behind his eyes on each side is a lump and the scales stick out a bit. I think it's back but I don't know what to do should I starve him but then he lives with another fish?

He also seems to have really huge airbags infact on one side I'd say it looks like it is starting to cover his eye with what can only be discribed as a white film.

Please help he is usually the most strongest fish who's lived the longest and is always keen to eat although I am wondering if this is the problem ie is he contipated?

Sounds like his kidneys are damaged which ends up as the scales standing out due to dropsy. What all this means is a bacterial overload in the fish and he cant fight it. Dropsy is usually the only thing you see that gives you a clue the fish is sick and usually its fatal.
If you want to try and save him then you need to get him his own quarantine tank of around 5 gallons and a small heater and epsom salts which you can get from a chemist. Once the fish is in quarantine, raise the temperature really slowly to 80f and then add 1/8th of a teaspoon of the salt per gallon, so just over half a teaspoon.

Ok right I've got a smaller tank although I'm gonna have to get a heater, are they alright in plastic tanks? Also I know I'm being a pain but should I feed him and what?

Do you think I have any hope of saving him? Is this been caused because the water isn't clean enough or the food is rubbish? I give up I've had different pets over the years and who knew a gold fish would be this stressful to look after!

Oh I forgot one last question is epsom salts the same as aquarium salt as I have that?

Sorry again

no, epsom salt is different. You should be able to purchase it at any drug store (i just bought a box of it at Rite Aid yesterday).

Keep feeding him as long as he's eating as he's going to need his strength to fight off the infection.. A plastic tank should be fine, but because of the tank size, make sure you clean it out often as the water will get bad fast as goldies produce lots of waste. Also will probably want an air pump so there will be enough air in the tank.

It's possible that if you're overfeeding that the water went bad, but it's equally possible that he came with the infection.

So you think he definatly needs to have his water temp up? I'm sooo rubbished at this basically what should I add to the water to make it clean and how often should it be changed. Also how do you check the Ph balance?

I know your probably thinking what an idiot but I actually never intended owning a gold fish I had to adopt the bubble eye after my brother was mis-informed by the pet shop when buying gold fish. So presently I'm trying my hardest but just getting really stressed!

Unfortunately I can't give you a solid answer about the heater because I'm not positive, but...

There is no product that will clean the water, but fish create waste in the form of ammonia, which is also created by any uneaten food. If you check out one of the pinned threads on cycling it will explain the process of how ammonia turns to nitrite, and then nitrate. I won't go into it that deeply here, but suffice to say these build up in the water and make it "dirty". In this poor quality water fish can get stressed, and sick, and die.

BUT, it's very easy to clean water. All you have to do is once a week remove 25% of the tank water and replace it with fresh dechlorinated water. I would also suggest purchasing (if you haven't got one) a gravel vac at your local pet store and that will suck up all the muck (fish poo and uneaten food) that sits in the gravel. ou'll be surprised how dirty gravel gets becaus you generally don't see all the junk that's in it.

[edit] also, to check water stats (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph) you'll need to buy a freshwater testing kit. they sell these at the pet store too

Not again your probably thinking......but I did buy this bottle of stuff called tap safe is that the sorta thing to get dechlorinated water also should I add aquarium salt too?

you really don't need to worry about having questions, it's part of being a better pet owner.

your tap safe is dechlorinator so you're good there. As for aquarium salt, that really depends on who you ask. i don't use it myself for much of anything and don't notice any difference, but others swear by it.

You need epsom salt as this draws fluid away from the body.

Hopefully I've attached two pictures for you to see my goldfish and what I mean by bloated and perhaps even though they are slightly fuzzy the lumps to the side of him. Today I'm off to buy salt and a heater to put him in to try and save him. I have to admit though it really puzzles me because when he thinks he's getting fed he darts about and has loads of energy. However once he eats it's like he struggles even more with his buoyancy to me it looks like his head is tilted to the floor.
Do you think I should keep feeding him?

Need a closer pic from the top and one thats in focus to see where his scales are standing out from. He doesnt seem too bad and from pics of these fish ive seen they usually swim head down anyway.

I'll try and get a better picture but my diggy cam is not soooo great. Don't you think he looks like a balloon he's not normally that fat. Who could believe keeping fish could be such a stress!

He does look like hes bloated at the front, try your best with a pic.