Goldfish floats near water surface

**goldie88** · 06-28-2012, 01:17 AM

I've accidentally post this on the fish disease forum, but then I found there's a goldfish section and I'm not sure how to remove the other post:

I have a lionhead goldfish and recently (about a week), it had been floating near the water surface, always at the same location, but it doesn't float on its side or upside down, just in normal position. It's dorsal fin is a bit clamped but other fins are fine. It has quite a big belly but it had been like this since I bought it which is a month ago. It's scale is a bit sticking out on the belly bit where it's big, but upon looking at my other active lionhead, it's scale is also like that(but no skinny belly). It does goes to the bottom of tank to search for food on gravel but then it quickly comes up again. Somehow I find it quite difficult to swim down (he has a big wen).

He eats well and water is 0 nitrite, 0 ammonia and 10ppm nitrate

**Funfin** · 07-01-2012, 07:46 PM

Do you have enough water aggiation at the surface? That helps to oxygenate the water. It sounds maybe like your goldfish can't get enough oxygen.

**madagascariensis** · 07-01-2012, 11:21 PM

There are a few things that we need to know before
being able to answer your question. things like tank size,
filtration, temperature, water parameters(ammonia, nitrite, nitrate)
and maintenance schedule.

One very common mistake people make is to buy a young goldfish and put it into a 10 gallon tank not knowing that goldfish get 12 inches long, are heavy waste producers and should be kept with some other goldfish since they are social. If this applies to you, then you don't need to answer anything. Go get a 55 gallon tank and then come back if there still are problems.

**Zander** · 07-01-2012, 11:29 PM

Well the more apparent solutions have already been mentioned, but a very common issue goldfish have is swim bladder disease. It causes them to float. It's very common in fancy goldfish because they are so inbred. It is caused by them swallowing too much air when they eat. Are you feeding them flake food? And if so, are you letting them eat it off the surface? If yes to both, then in the future you should pinch the food and give it to the fish below the surface.

The solution I've been told is to give them a pea. Check this link:

http://www.wikihow.com/Fix-Swimbladd...se-in-Goldfish

BTW you said you have a Lionhead but yet you mentioned it had a dorsal fin. If the lionhead has a dorsal fin then it's an Oranda.

**madagascariensis** · 07-02-2012, 01:46 AM

Zander has a good point, but swim bladder disease can also be caused by overfeeding. The large amount of food(that also swells when becoming wet) presses the stomach against the swim bladder, causing all kinds of issues. As already mentioned, give the goldfish boiled de-shelled peas or just don't feed them for a while.

**goldie88** · 07-04-2012, 06:12 AM

Thanks. I've already gotten some goldfish experts help and advice and I'm currently treating it with Epsom salt and antibiotics as I figured it has developed early stage of dropsy with its scale sticking out a bit.

There's enough oxygen in the tank as I have air stone in there. It's a 40 gallon tank with build in filter. Temperature is around 17 but I've recently bought a heater and kept it at 20. I do feed it flake food and they come up to the surface to eat. Ammonia and nitrite are 0, nitrate is very low. pH is 7.0
30% water change every week, used Prime as water conditioner.
I fed them once a day and in the amount that they can consume in 1-2 minutes

Thanks anyways for the replies!