My black/blue oranda

[jollysue]

My juvie blue (really black) oranda was fine two hours ago. Now he's stuggling to stay right side up. Is there anything I can do? When I found him he was floating upside down. He turned over and started struggling to stay right way up, when I opened the tank lid.

I gave bunches of peas just in case. The piggy goldie ate until he was full, but I couldn't see that my pretty boy was able to navigate to them.

Is there any hope?

 

[Davy]

I cant suggest anything you havent tried already bar move to a shallow holding tank, break the peas up into real small pieces and cover the tank so its dark (less stress on fish) and hopefully it will work out.

About 6 months ago I had real problems with my Orandas, I was feeding them Tetra fin sticks, turns out pre-soaking the food prevents them swelling inside the fish, the cause of my swim bladder problems, you should try this if thats the case.

Sorry I cant be of more help.

Davy

 

[jollysue]

Thanks, for answering, Davy.

Poor little guy. He's starting to be able to stay upright, so this one is passing, I believe, PTL.

I do feed him Aquarian flakes (by Watham) and Tetra Crisps. Aquarian softens very fast. A reason I like it in both tropical and goldfish flakes. Probably the crisps take longer. I'll see about wetting those first. I have also picked up Hikari Oranda and Lionhead pellets. I have stopped feeding them for now because I think they are too rich for the goldie. Should those be soaked too?

I ran across a thread or two of CRC's and saw his comments also. I think I will fast the beasties a day, take the goldie to the lfs, and watch their diet better>>give more peas and reduce their food.

Is there a method that works well to wet these foods? I'm guessing that they stick and then dissolve.

Thanks again.

 

[black angel]

When goldies come up to the top to feed (especially fantail shapes) they take in a lot of air when feeding which gets trapped in the gut causing them to flip or roll over.
Feeding flaked foods when dry causes them to ferment in the gut and this too does the same thing.
Starve your fish for three days to get rid of the air and feed frozen peas that have been boiled for 4 minutes, cooled and then de shelled. If he is having trouble reaching the peas then squash between your fingers and try and hand feed.
The solution is to stop feeding flake or pre soak it for a few minutes first so that it sinks, you can get small granular food that sinks called golden sinkers. Adding gelled foods as well helps as does daphnia.
Hope that helps too

 

[jollysue]

Thanks, black angel, yes that is further help.

I do feed daphnia occasionally, but the little bugger isn't fast enough with the water currents (double bio-wheels and air screen) to grab them, unless I remember to turn all the currents off, which always worries me, because I forget to turn them back on.

One of the Hikari is sinking pellets, which I like because they can nibble, hunt, and peck. It gives them something to do. But as I said it seemed to be too rich for the common goldie, so I have stopped using it until he goes to find his pond.

The common goldie eats the peas whole I think I can hand feed my boy when he gets his balance back a little more.
The Hikari floating pellets take a long time to sink.

I had been told at the lfs that this is a fancy goldfish terminal and genetic illness. I'm glad that it is a care and caution thing that can be helped.

Should I just fast or feed daphnia and peas in the morning and then fast for 2 or 3 days. My poor little black bumble bee.

 

[black angel]

I too have been known to turn off filters and forget to turn them back on )

With the sinking pellets try and soak them in a cup before you give them until they sink and this should help.
Simple sbd issues that are caused by feeding are simple to cure, and only genetic in the sense that its the way they are bred that causes them to turn turtle.
It gets more serious when changing the diet doesnt work and the cause is anything from a bacterial or viral disease to tumours which i'm afraid is common.

I would fast now for three days and then feed some peas only for two days and then gradually change his diet to include more veg and they also benefit from a piece of orange once a week as well. They like cooked rice as well

 

[jollysue]

Very cool!

He is on his fins today and looking for food .

I will watch their diets better. And will enjoy feeding the little extras when I get them. The nice thing about the common that I will miss is that I can depend on him eating everything he can get in his mouth.

I plan to take the common to my lfs to be rehomed to a pond. He is getting a little rough in his excitement and a little messy. Besides I want another oranda. They said they don't have any problem finding common goldies homes. Then I want to get a orange cap or some other oranda veiltail of a different color. I have an orange and the blue/black.

I just got large snails for the algae and possible excess foods. I was told they are mystery snails, but I think they are apples.

 

[black angel]

Nice to see he is doing better and the fun part is picking new friends.

 

[Davy]

Excellent I dont know who its more stressful on having poorly fish, us or them!

Glad there looking perkier.

Davy

 

[jollysue]

Thanks I'm delighted too

I was pretty concerned and just hoped it was gas or something like I had read of about bettas. I've gotten kinda attached to the little scamp.

They were very cute trying to comfort him last night. The orange O stayed by his side even when she thought there was food. and the common would come up and snuggle him, of course knocking him over.

 

[jollysue]

I have posted in inverts on how to raise the ph for the snails.

 

[J_acon]

so sweet

 

[jollysue]

Hehehe I got the Oranda friend. Tomorrow I will take the common (my goldie) in to lfs, and see what the new boy is called again.

He/she is a calico oranda with a black mouth and black eyes. His fins are black, his cap is orange, his body is mostly pearl. He is a fan tail. My others are veil tails. They had three that I had trouble deciding. Two were the calico ones. I was so tempted to take the other calico too and deal with the 4 goldies in 40 usg later. He is pretty young, but they charged an arm for him. The manager seemed pretty impressed with those two calicos.

His/her name is Goth because of the black lipstick like mouth and the big eyes that have black around them.

I will post a pic when he/she gets settled. He was pretty stressed by the move, and he got the cold shoulder from the community. He layed on the bottom for a long time catching his breath. But he came around. I'm sure when the common leaves tomorrow, they will gather him in if not before.