Goldfish Tail Up, Head Down

[ASquidabs0727]

Almost 7 year old goldfish. 20g fully cycled tank. 25% water change every 1-2 weeks. Ammonia 0. Nitrite 0. Nitrate typically under 20ppm.
Everyday after feeding Omega One Sinking Pellets she will eat and then gasp at the surface looking for food. I’ve been feeding the sinking pellets for years but this is just a habit she has made cause she knows food comes from up there. I soak the pellets in tank water for a couple seconds before feeding so that they sink. She will get floaty after feeding, head down tail up. This has been going on for a while, I just don’t know if there really is a way to fix it. I tried switching feeding times from morning to night but didn’t help. By the next day she is fine and back to normal. I haven’t seen any long term consequences but it is tough to watch her have to fight to stay lower in the tank. She still is sleeping and has an appetite.

 

[Itiwhetu]

Can you post a photo of the whole tank? please.

 

[Noroomforshoe]

It sounds like swim bladder issues. The swim bladder can not really be fixed without surgery. There ar DIY videos on youtube that will show you different ways to make a swim hammock for your goldfish. If the issue gets worse it might be worth looking into. Sorry about your fish, but he can live a long life whith some TLC!

 

[ASquidabs0727]

Can you post a photo of the whole tank? please.

It sounds like swim bladder issues. The swim bladder can not really be fixed without surgery. There ar DIY videos on youtube that will show you different ways to make a swim hammock for your goldfish. If the issue gets worse it might be worth looking into. Sorry about your fish, but he can live a long life whith some TLC!

Yeah i’ve seen those hammocks. I don’t think it’s necessary just yet. She’s not going upside down or anything and her behavior returns to normal by morning. She is also a very small common goldfish so hammocks are much harder to make over a fancy goldfish.

 

[F1sh]

could it just be your goldfish searching in the gravel for food? especially after feeding goldfish tend to look and search in the gravel for food( my goldfish do that a lot) and they often go head down tail up to look in the gravel, but it could also be a minor case of sbd... what do you mean by "floaty" (as in unable to swim properly and looking clumsy?)... really pretty goldfish btw

 

[ASquidabs0727]

could it just be your goldfish searching in the gravel for food? especially after feeding goldfish tend to look and search in the gravel for food( my goldfish do that a lot) and they often go head down tail up to look in the gravel, but it could also be a minor case of sbd... what do you mean by "floaty" (as in unable to swim properly and looking clumsy?)... really pretty goldfish btw

sorry! she will search for food in the gravel but when she’s floaty, it’s in center of tank, unable to swim normally. she’s basically just fighting to go down to the bottom but the air stuck in her is bringing her up so you just see her trying to go downwards with her fins but it not really working. thanks, she is pretty!

 

[Itiwhetu]

This is a highly modified goldfish genetically, therefore there is often a cost to have a fish like this and sometimes as they age they develop swimming disorders, it is just one of those things.
I always prefer to select fish that are going to be stronger genetically.

 

[F1sh]

oh... i see then i think its a case of swim bladder... try fasting her maybe for two or three days? Add aquarium salt maybe? there's nothing much you can do about it, but make sure to maintain pristine water, and try not to stress your fish that much... maybe feed her a better and more mixed diet? (flake foods combined with a few days of brine shrimp, bloodworms, and peas?) ... her swim bladder doesn't seem too serious right now(shes only experiencing it for a short period of time each day right?) so I suggest you try the things that I mentioned above, but if it gets worse, try looking into the goldfish hammock idea.

 

[ASquidabs0727]

oh... i see then i think its a case of swim bladder... try fasting her maybe for two or three days? Add aquarium salt maybe? there's nothing much you can do about it, but make sure to maintain pristine water, and try not to stress your fish that much... maybe feed her a better and more mixed diet? (flake foods combined with a few days of brine shrimp, bloodworms, and peas?) ... her swim bladder doesn't seem too serious right now(shes only experiencing it for a short period of time each day right?) so I suggest you try the things that I mentioned above, but if it gets worse, try looking into the goldfish hammock idea.

I feed Emerald Entree and peas occasionally. Doesn’t seem to help. I have tried fasting when this happens but as soon as I go back to feeding, it returns. She’s literally just eating air and I don’t know how to break the habit. I’ve added aquarium salt before but it was for a separate issue so maybe I can try that again. I’m always keeping up with water changes. Never goes longer than 2 weeks.

 

[F1sh]

hmm my goldfish also eat at the surface too but don't seem too affected by it, my goldies spit. my only advice would be try to find a way to keep your goldfish from gulping air during feeding, but thats as far as my experience goes, i've never had this issue myself so i really don't know how you could do that... ***Really not trying to be rude but trying to provide helpful advice to make your goldfish happy long-term***... on a side note please try to find a bigger space for your goldfish... 20 g isn't enough, and if she's a 7 year old goldfish and that big(2 or 3 inches?)... she's definitely stunted(my goldfish are 1 year old and they're 8 inches), i'm frankly surprised that a 20 g can hold the goldfish and that you could go for 2 weeks without water changes... without water parameters going wrong.*** once again i'm sorry if i come off as rude***

 

[ASquidabs0727]

hmm my goldfish also eat at the surface too but don't seem too affected by it, my goldies spit. my only advice would be try to find a way to keep your goldfish from gulping air during feeding, but thats as far as my experience goes, i've never had this issue myself so i really don't know how you could do that... ***Really not trying to be rude but trying to provide helpful advice to make your goldfish happy long-term***... on a side note please try to find a bigger space for your goldfish... 20 g isn't enough, and if she's a 7 year old goldfish and that big(2 or 3 inches?)... she's definitely stunted(my goldfish are 1 year old and they're 8 inches), i'm frankly surprised that a 20 g can hold the goldfish and that you could go for 2 weeks without water changes... without water parameters going wrong.*** once again i'm sorry if i come off as rude***

not coming off rude at all. this fish is stunted sadly. she was in a 50 gallon tank for over a year and she hasn’t grown unfortunately. i got her at a fair a long time ago and i was only 12 years old at the time so she got stunted during her first year before i knew a 10g wasn’t enough room. im constantly on top of my water parameters and they are never in dangerous areas i’ve been considering putting her into a 30g but, she really is fine in her tank. also, just to be clear i mostly do once a week water change. i rarely go all the way to two weeks. i don’t think upgrading her will get her to grow sadly. she has plenty of room to grow for now. if she ever gets bigger i would of course upgrade again. as far as i know there isn’t any way to reverse stunting?

 

[F1sh]

no stunting is pretty permanent... you can still give your goldfish a good life though