My Fish is In Trouble

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My fish is in trouble,
I think my fish Sally is in some major distress and struggling to swim. I have mentioned her in the past about her tail weighing her down. The last time I was given advice about her maybe having bladder issues and fed her the peas and that seemed to work in that situation. Now she's not having the same issue, she is having to work so hard to swim and pretty much just lays on the bottom until I feed them. She will struggle to suck some food off the top and then she goes back to her spot on the bottom. Also, she has been surfacing like a dolphin and gulping air a lot. She will do that and you can see her release bubbles after. Someone had mentioned tail trimming?
If anyone has information about tail trimming, please let me know, and in the meantime I will do some research myself. About the bladder thing, when they do have a that, do they struggle with buoyancy, or sinking, or can it be either or? Here are a few photos from when she had the bladder issue.

Thanks All
 

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Swim bladder issues can cause problems with sinking or with floating. Usually, however, "swim bladder issues" are just a sign the fish ate something that is messing with them. If a fish is gulping and swallowing air, it will float. If a fish is guzzling down sand, it will sink. I have had fish do both, and the only thing to be done is keep the fish sheltered and wait for whatever it ate to pass through its digestive tract.

True swim bladder issues are caused by infection taking hold and need to be treated with antibiotics, preferably through food.

The lethargic behavior you're describing could be caused by something other than a swim bladder issue. It could be a sign that your fish is getting sick, or it could be a sign that your fish is getting depressed. I know it sounds unusual, but I have had fish that struggled with swimming get depressed when kept in the same aquarium with fish that could swim well. They would be out-competed for food, couldn't school with the other fish, and eventually would just choose somewhere to mope. When I moved all of my poor-swimming fish together in their own tank, the depression and moping went away. I know it's anthropomorphism, but I do believe goldfish get depressed or possibly anxious if they don't feel like they are one of the group.

I don't have any experience with tail trimming. But I do know you can use clove oil to anesthetize a fish (be careful with the dosing! Clove oil overdose is used to euthanize fish!), and that you could trim the fins down while it is under. There are blood vessels in the fins, but these will be more pronounced toward the base.
 
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I would definitely NOT trim the tail. Tails don't weigh fish down. They use them to swim, not sink. That is not the problem here and to me, that's just cruel to trim it. This is most likely a swim bladder issue, or the fish is sick with some other problem.

What are your water parameters for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and KH and pH? Do you have liquid testing kits for those things. Please don't use the strips as they are so inaccurate they are pretty useless.

Most issues are caused by bad water, so it's important to get the water fixed first.
 

Mmathis

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Don’t trim the tail!! I don’t know enough to definitively say that this is actually a “thing,” but even if it is, it needs to be done by someone who knows what he’s doing! I’m guessing it’s NOT a “thing,” and would only harm and weaken the fish more.

No, there is something going on with this fish, that has nothing to do with its tail. Sorry, but I don’t know what to tell you. Sometimes it’s a process of elimination. It does look like the fish has a crook in its back and tail. There has been speculation that an electric shock can cause this to happen. Not saying that’s what it is, but I would at least check all of the electricals for anything that goes to the pond — just to be sure there are no shorts.

Have you had any thunder storms with lightening?

What are your water tests?
 
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Hey there,
Thank you for all the advise But...... I have had these same fish for 10 years and have watched them grow from little guys to how they are now. Sally's tail has been a hindrance for the past 3 seasons or so and I can tell you with confidence that her tail is an issue. It isn't long and flowing like the others, it is long but is kind of all bunched up at the beginning and it IS weighing her down, or at least compromising her ability to swim properly. As you can see in the one picture, she is straight up and down. She will swim to the top, and if she tries to stay there, her tail sinks to the bottom. I don't know, I could be wrong, but it sure seems to be what's going on? Maybe I could try to clean it and find out if there is something I can get to put on it to help separate it from bunching up the way it is? Have you heard of anything like that?

Thanks again
 
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Can you see if you have a vet that does fish in your area? Or one who will be able to assess her tail issues online or via FaceTime or such? In the meantime, try quarantining her in a shallower container such as a strong tote full of pond water, with a filter, airstone, and some plants. This will allow her to not compete for food, allow you to medicate, and get pictures if needed for the vet. Come to think of it, a directory of fish places might be a good idea for here! State by state of things like fish savvy veterinarians, etc.
 
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I really don't believe the tail is the problem. I have some Watonai in my pond with very large almost bushy looking tails, 3 or 4 fins per tail and very long. They have no problems swimming. One of them even has a vurlee almost folded tail fin. Still no swimming issues.

Your fish sounds weak and sick.

Please post your water parameters so we can get an idea of how your pond is doing.

Quarantining the.fish in a shallower tub as jamirB said is a good idea.
 
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Good Morning,
Thank you for the input, I will look into a vet and try some of some of your suggestions. I wonder if this problem has anything to do with my pond being too small for them now? They have definitely outgrown it as is and we are in the process or expanding it to about double it's size. It is going to take us weeks to do, maybe a couple months or so. I wonder if not being able to swim around free and fast has caused her tail to get all mucked up the way it is? This pond is only 3' X 8' and 14" - 16" deep in the center, and the sides are sloped, along with the obstacles in it. As you can see in these pics, we have a crate in one end, the filter in the middle and then the pot for the Lilly pads at the other end. So, not a whole lot of free space, and up until recently, they would all fit into the crate (I should say Squeeze in) through the handle . Tank Girl, has actually had to swim sideways to Squeeze in there. So these fish are obviously very bonded, to all be in there side by side all these years? That's why I am reluctant to remove Sally, or any of them from the group. So if they get depressed, as Alyssa mentioned, and are affected emotionally by situations, then we would have to assume that she is already depressed, removing and isolating her could make it worse?
You know what I need??............ "A Fish Whisper'er" Have em come out and talk her off the bottom!!!? HAHAHA!!!

Anyway, thank you all for your help and sharing your knowledge with me. I don't know if you can see much in these pics but there they are, if you can see, they all hang out under the Lilly pads now. That's where Sally started going all the time, and I think she has started a trend? It seems strange, but I think they all lay down there and sleep? Do fish sleep, or go into a trance state?
 

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Jhn

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Yes fish do sleep or rest. Some fish wedge themselves between rocks or burrow in the bottom, others hover in place in a trance like state. When they do this they reduce their metabolism and it is thought to have a restorative function Similar to sleep for land animals. However, they are still alert to their surroundings while in this state.
 
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coming up for air could mean your o2 levels are low it is always the larger fish that show this sign first. also how big is your pond this heat could be cooking your pond. put some shade over your pond and add a air pump see if that helps
 

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The pictures look similar from what I remember before. Probably is swim bladder disease. You treated the symptom but it’s usually a bacterial infection and an overloaded pond can lead to high levels of bad bacteria. Think about the weight of her tail in the water, just a bit of skin. It doesn’t weigh anything. Also she looks a bit bloated or way over feed.
 
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My fish is in trouble,
I think my fish Sally is in some major distress and struggling to swim. I have mentioned her in the past about her tail weighing her down. The last time I was given advice about her maybe having bladder issues and fed her the peas and that seemed to work in that situation. Now she's not having the same issue, she is having to work so hard to swim and pretty much just lays on the bottom until I feed them. She will struggle to suck some food off the top and then she goes back to her spot on the bottom. Also, she has been surfacing like a dolphin and gulping air a lot. She will do that and you can see her release bubbles after. Someone had mentioned tail trimming?
If anyone has information about tail trimming, please let me know, and in the meantime I will do some research myself. About the bladder thing, when they do have a that, do they struggle with buoyancy, or sinking, or can it be either or? Here are a few photos from when she had the bladder issue.

Thanks All
 
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My fish is in trouble,
I think my fish Sally is in some major distress and struggling to swim. I have mentioned her in the past about her tail weighing her down. The last time I was given advice about her maybe having bladder issues and fed her the peas and that seemed to work in that situation. Now she's not having the same issue, she is having to work so hard to swim and pretty much just lays on the bottom until I feed them. She will struggle to suck some food off the top and then she goes back to her spot on the bottom. Also, she has been surfacing like a dolphin and gulping air a lot. She will do that and you can see her release bubbles after. Someone had mentioned tail trimming?
If anyone has information about tail trimming, please let me know, and in the meantime I will do some research myself. About the bladder thing, when they do have a that, do they struggle with buoyancy, or sinking, or can it be either or? Here are a few photos from when she had the bladder issue.

Thanks All

I'm sorry to hear about Sally. I look at her picture and I can't help to think she's got a broken back. Is she a koi? They are know to break their backs. I have a large koi right now that has one. When somethings startles them, they thrash around and sometimes break their backs. Mine hangs out at the bottom and you can tell when she swims. She will eat but rarely comes to the surface so I purchased food that sinks and she seems content with eating off the bottom. There's nothing you can do for them other than just let mother nature take it's course. I WOULD NOT be trimming her tail. I've had several of my koi for well over 20 years and quite a few with broken backs. They swim funny but do fine. Koi tend to eat in a vertical position and come at their food from below. That's one reason to have a deep pond. It's just what happens sometimes to them. Good luck with her.
 
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Hey Fishymom,
Wow, I have never heard of that, but I will study her swimming more closely now and see if I can see any signs of that. She is a Comet I've been told, Is there anything I should be looking for in particular? I mean, when she really want to, she can swim like a fish!! HaHa! So, I am kind of confused about her situation? Maybe she is depressed like Alyssafish says? Could it be old age, maybe she is older than the others? Do fish get less active and isolate themselves when they get up in age, and how can you tell if they are getting old?

Thanks
 
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Fish can have spinal deformaties from electrical shocks from lightening or a short in an underwater pump. It's not that uncommon and it's pretty obvious to see. Not all the fish are affected. It's normally just one or possibly a couple.
 

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