Egg bound goldfish? Please help.

[piperandpaisleyfish]

My already very large fish has been bottom sitting for the last two days looking extra round. The day prior I noticed there were a lot of eggs in the tank, and I am concerned that she may be egg bound. I've slowly added 1/2 tsp epsom salt/10 gallons (55 gallon tank) and have set the heater to 78F. Prior to noticing, the heater had been off resulting in 72F temps for about a week. Wondering if the temperature fluctuation may be involved in what I'm seeing with her. I've never dealt with an egg bound fish before, and if this is what's happening I'd appreciate any and all help. Less appetite than normal. but otherwise doing okay and looking alert. Photos are a mix of what I'm seeing now "current" vs. her typical body shape from two months ago "normal".
Tank
What is the water volume of the tank? 55 gallons
How long has the tank been running? 4 months
Does it have a filter? 3 - HOB for 75 gallons, canister for 45 gallons, and sponge
Does it have a heater? yes
What is the water temperature? 78F
What is the entire stocking of this tank? (Please list all fish and inverts.) two fancy goldfish.

Maintenance
How often do you change the water? 1-2 weeks
How much of the water do you change? 40-50%
What do you use to treat your water? Prime
Do you vacuum the substrate or just the water? Mostly just the water but will vacuum anything sitting on the sand

*Parameters - Very Important
Did you cycle your tank before adding fish? Used already cycled filters + Seachem Stability
What do you use to test the water? API liquid test kit
What are your parameters? We need to know the exact numbers, not just “fine” or “safe”.
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: hard to tell due to colour shading, but definitely 40+ - doing a water change now.
pH: 7.6

Feeding
How often do you feed your fish? 1xday
How much do you feed your fish? ~15-20 small pellets, peas when needed
What brand of food do you feed your fish? Omega One
Do you feed frozen? Occasionally
Do you feed freeze-dried foods? No

Illness & Symptoms
How long have you had this fish? 7.5 years
How long ago did you first notice these symptoms? 2 days
In a few words, can you explain the symptoms? See above
Have you started any treatment for the illness? See above
Was your fish physically ill or injured upon purchase? No
How has its behavior and appearance changed, if at all? See above

Explain your emergency situation in detail.
(Please give a clear explanation of what is going on, include details from the beginning of the illness leading up to now) See above

 

[Huckleberry77]

The California fish vet aquatic veterinarian website says there is no such thing as an egg bound fish. If the fish cannot spawn they re-absorb the eggs. So you don’t have to worry about the eggs as the problem. Perhaps she has a different problem.
How to Treat Egg Bound Fish - Fish Vet

 

[piperandpaisleyfish]

The California fish vet aquatic veterinarian website says there is no such thing as an egg bound fish. If the fish cannot spawn they re-absorb the eggs. So you don’t have to worry about the eggs as the problem. Perhaps she has a different problem.

Hmm interesting! I'm going to also treat for constipation and see if that makes a difference. I hope it just takes a few peas to get her back to her normal big belly! Thanks for this!

 

[Huckleberry77]

Hmm interesting! I'm going to also treat for constipation and see if that makes a difference. I hope it just takes a few peas to get her back to her normal big belly! Thanks for this!

Well you don’t have to worry about constipation either. Freshwater fish cannot get constipated because osmotic processes are constantly filling them up with water! Learn the Truth About Constipated Goldfish - Fish Vet

I would recommend increasing your water changes to daily or every other day and vacuuming your substrate thoroughly. Unfortunately a swollen fish can be a sign of fluid building up in the abdomen due to kidney failure. Try supportive care with extra water changes and see if she might bounce back.
Here’s another webpage about other fake fish diseases that you don’t have to worry about. Fake Fish Diseases - Fish Vet

 

[jtjgg]

try to be more consistent on the water changes, do them every week. in my experience goldfish do not like high nitrates, mine have had multiple problems even between 20-40ppm nitrate. since keeping the nitrate level between 10-20ppm my goldfish have had no issues for the past 2 years.

if you believe she is eggbound, you can try gently massaging her, to mimic male goldfish mating behavior.