Goldfish bobbing out of the water

[twintanks]

Been a long time since I was here....fish have been doing well! But I have a puzzle now. My old goldfish has been slouching in the tank corner, seemingly a bit constipated. He's on day two of a very light diet of shelled pea, just in case. But every so often he gets up and makes a dash for the surface, putting his head way above the water, before coming back down again and eventually going back to his corner. Fins not clamped, but dorsal is down....swims strongly, but is definitely not happy. There are three weather loaches in the same tank, they all seem to be fine. This is a 5 foot long tank (1.5 metres), approx 80 gallons (er, about 330 litres give or take a bit); Fluval 406; a few plants; aerator.
Water parameters: ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate around 20ppm. Just changed 30% of the water this morning. Dechlorinator used, as always.
I keep thinking gill irritation....but can't see any physical signs of a problem on the fish. The gills look normal in colour and fish is not laboured in breathing.
Any thoughts most welcome...treatments might be difficult to get at the moment, with all my shops closed, but there's always the Net.

 

[JuiceBox52]

Do a 75% water change


@Colin_T can maybe help

 

[twintanks]

Had given up hope of an answer....but thanks. I'm planning a second water change tomorrow, as it happens. Dont know what to do with the [at]Colin thing, though....is it an email? Fish is about the same, reasonably perky but still loafing on the bottom after brief swim-around and a bit of foraging. Will catch up on any further replies tomorrow...it's late now, here.

 

[JuiceBox52]

Had given up hope of an answer....but thanks. I'm planning a second water change tomorrow, as it happens. Dont know what to do with the [at]Colin thing, though....is it an email? Fish is about the same, reasonably perky but still loafing on the bottom after brief swim-around and a bit of foraging. Will catch up on any further replies tomorrow...it's late now, here.

I was tagging colin so he would see the post he can probably help, hes the disease guy around here

 

[twintanks]

Just a little update. Not much change in goldfish behaviour, now on more "greens" and passing thinner strings. Haven't fed much flake. However....one of the loaches yesterday exhibited red sores on the bases of its front fins and also small red inflammation patches behind each gill. I then tossed up between septicaemia and gill flukes, the latter might explain the goldfish's behaviour of bobbing up out the water, if he's caught them as well. If flukes, can't think how they got into the tank because no new fish have been added for about two years....only possibility would be the plants, but they've been in the tank for several months.
The affected loach does seem a little aggravated; I've only dealt with flukes once before, so not a huge amount of experience.
So, I'm chancing my arm and going for the flukes tomorrow. Joys of trying to be a fish doctor.

 

[Salty&Onion]

Just a little update. Not much change in goldfish behaviour, now on more "greens" and passing thinner strings. Haven't fed much flake. However....one of the loaches yesterday exhibited red sores on the bases of its front fins and also small red inflammation patches behind each gill. I then tossed up between septicaemia and gill flukes, the latter might explain the goldfish's behaviour of bobbing up out the water, if he's caught them as well. If flukes, can't think how they got into the tank because no new fish have been added for about two years....only possibility would be the plants, but they've been in the tank for several months.
The affected loach does seem a little aggravated; I've only dealt with flukes once before, so not a huge amount of experience.
So, I'm chancing my arm and going for the flukes tomorrow. Joys of trying to be a fish doctor.

Could you tell us your current water parameters freshly tested please?

 

[twintanks]

Nitrite 0, Ammonia 0, Nitrate 10-20ppm.
Test kits (liquid+ test tube, not strips) are still in date, although I do have new ones coming for nitrite and ammonia. A large 50% water change was done yesterday, and that followed a 30% one from a few days previously. Still just the one loach exhibiting redness. Others and goldfish are unchanged.

 

[Salty&Onion]

20ppm nitrate is a bit high.

 

[twintanks]

Wouldnt have considered that, for a goldfish. I don't let my tropical tank go much over that, but never had issues with 20-40ppm in a coldwater. If it starts heading for 40, I change.

 

[Salty&Onion]

Wouldnt have considered that, for a goldfish. I don't let my tropical tank go much over that, but never had issues with 20-40ppm in a coldwater. If it starts heading for 40, I change.

Do you happen to have some nitrates in your tap water?

 

[twintanks]

That's reading 0-5ppm.

 

[Salty&Onion]

That's reading 0-5ppm.

So your actual number in the tank is 15ppm + that 5ppm, = 20ppm.
But I could be wrong..

 

[twintanks]

That is how I would calculate it, yes. It is not unusual for our tap water to have a low nitrate reading; most times it is zero, but springtime I have noticed that, for whatever reason, it rises a little bit. Never been a problem, though.
Goldfish still passing stringy droppings, with occasional airbubble. Just on peas for food, right now. He swims well enough and has dorsal fin up a fair amount of the time, but goes down to the bottom with a bit of a clunk when he stops (I say "he", I've never really worked that one out!). I seem to have two problems in one, in this tank right now.

 

[FishGuest5123]

Could you tell us your current water parameters freshly tested please?

. If the goldfish is lunging at the top he may be trying to get out. Either something in the water or someone that he doesn’t like.

 

[twintanks]

The bobbing to the top isn't persistent, minute by minute; it's less than that, but still puzzling. Water parameters don't suggest anything but I have changed the water a lot over the past week.
The ONLY thing I can think of...and it's just come to me this morning...is the possibility that the dechlorinator isn't working properly. It's still in date, not due to expire for several months yet (API tap water conditioner). Bit of a long shot, maybe, cos the loaches are ok (bar one) and I can't imagine it would constipate a goldfish, but....