Floating Goldfish - Help Please

[wolfie]

I have 2 goldfish in a 10 gallon tank. I had been feeding them goldfish flake food since I got them (about 6 months ago), but recently one of them (Scooter) started floating after he ate. Now he's floating all the time!

So I looked it up online and it seemed that Scooter might be taking in air when he eats, so I should get a sinking food. I went to the petstore and told them my problem. They asked "is your fish floating on his side?" and I told them yes, and they said that Scooter has gas, and I needed a special food for him.

They told me at the petstore to feed it to him for a few days, and then once he gets better I can feed him fish flakes again. But he's not better yet - and it's been 4 days. Anyone have any advice?

[G.P.girl]

oh! my friend was just telling me that the same thing happened to her goldfish! the vet said to get some broccoli and you know how there are those little green ball things on the end? well take some of those off and feed it to him and it should work. but don't give him too much. an dit shouldn't take long for him to go down,

[wolfie]

okay, thanks! I'll try that and let you know how it works.

[G.P.girl]

ok i hope it works

[CathyBogart]

Did it work?

[lv4dogs]

i should show this to my uncle, he has a black goldfish (the kind with the huge protruding eyes) that floats upside down! Hes been doing this ever since they got him about 4-5 years ago from a carnival. It actually started a couple weeks after they got him, he was in a bowl then they transfered him to an aquarium & that is when it started! He tries so hard to swim to the bottom of the tank then as soon as he stops he floats back to the top upside down. They have other fish (one was gotten from the same carnivalk the same day) & none of the others do it.

[G.P.girl]

that's the same thing my friend said. but she said that after about five munites he went back to normal

[G.P.girl]

did it work?

[Toby's my baby]

did it work?? I hope it does!!

When I saw floating goldfish as the name I thought it meant your goldfish died! I was thinking that was odd because I woke up to day and my betta fish was dead Glad to see you still have your fish hope the broccli thing works, good luck!

[wolfie]

Oops - sorry I didn't reply earlier!

I tried the broccoli, but he's still floating. (he did like it though ) I'm trying not feeding him at all for a couple of days now, to see if that works. (They can go for a few days w/o food with no problems)

And I'm sorry about your betta Toby's my baby! he's at the big tank in the sky now...

lv4dogs, I hope that Scooter doesn't do this for years too! But at least I know that he won't die from it.

[G.P.girl]

Oh i'm sorry it didn't work i don't know hwy it worked for my friend and not for you...sorry

[wolfie]

Originally posted by G.P.girl
Oh i'm sorry it didn't work i don't know hwy it worked for my friend and not for you...sorry

maybe I didn't feed him enough broccoli? or too much? I just gave him a little bit. He had that on friday, and I didn't feed him saturday or sunday. still floating though. maybe I should try a lot of broccoli tonight?

every once and a while I tap on the side of the tank so that he'll go below water. His back fin is out of water when he's resting, and I don't want him to get dried out or anything.

[G.P.girl]

yeah maybe you didn't give him enough...i'm not sure eactly how much to give him, but i think it's about what you would normally feed him

[wolfie]

SCOOTER IS ALL BETTER!

he went with out food for 2 1/2 days, and then I just fed him a LOT of broccoli, and he's not floating anymore! I'm so happy he's better.

thanks everyone! (specially G.P.girl for the broccoli tip )

[G.P.girl]

YAY!!!