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Why Does a Goldfish Float Up and Flip Upside Down?
By J L Winther
Anyone who gets an aquarium for the first time can be like a new parent when anything seems to be wrong with their fish. Goldfish are good fish for first time aquarium pets because they are easy to raise. They don't require a heater and they thrive just fine at whatever temperature you keep your home. They do require tank cleanings and partial water changes to be healthy and the water should be set out overnight to release chlorine, etc. and to reach room temperature so that the fish are not shocked by the water change. But generally goldfish do not require much care other than occasional feeding and there are plenty of available resources for information on raising aquarium goldfish. Why does a goldfish float up and flip upside down in the aquarium? Immediately when a fish floats upside down in the tank everyone panics and thinks that maybe the fish is dying. That the fish is sick and dying is a sad possibility. But more likely the problem is that as a new goldfish parent someone is overfeeding the fish. Over time, observe whether or not the problem reoccurs and under what feeding condition. - Is it particularly one food that causes distress?
- Does it happen on the weekend when everyone is home from school and work?
- Is there more than one person feeding the fish?
- Is the fish struggling to swim down and then bobbing back up and overturning?
- Does it seem to happen after feeding?
- Is the problem gone in the morning? If the problem comes and goes it is most likely that the goldfish has a swim bladder problem caused by gulping dry fish food and having the food expand inside it. The fish probably has gas and it may also be suffering from constipation. You might be able to help the fish out by scissor cutting & feeding small bits of lettuce or celery leaf. Underfeeding or having the fish fast for a day or more will generally alleviate the problem. If it bothers you or feels impossible to skip feeding the fish, try using a fish food in the tank that is generally used to feed fish while away on vacation temporarily. Those foods come in shell shapes and pyramids and state that they will feed the fish for a particular number of days. Using them won't overfeed the fish because the food is time released. However, when you begin feeding the fish pinches again you must remove the vacation feeders first. Once your fish are feeling better and healthy again there are a few ways to try to prevent them from having a swim bladder problem again. 1) Soak the fish food in water until most of it sinks before adding it to the tank. 2) Consider that the fish's stomach is no larger than its eye and reduce the amount you have been feeding accordingly. Properly fed goldfish will hit the food hungrily, eat most of it in about two minutes and forage happily throughout the tank for a while afterwards.
3) Count the number of times the fish is fed daily and cut the number down. One or two small feedings daily are plenty. 4) Add lettuce or celery leaf to the tank a couple of times a week, but reduce the amount of fish food flakes and pellets to offset for the added vegetables.
5) Realize that goldfish will get to know you, look forward to your visits and beg for more food than they should eat. You can pay your goldfish lots of attention by watching them, cleaning the tank, cleaning and rotating aquarium toys and rocks and changing the gravel. After a while the goldfish will get so used to you that they may even brush against your arm when you are wiping the glass inside the tank! Just to confuse the issue, some goldfish like to swim upside down. They may even rest and recline upside down inside the holes of large rocks if you put them inside the tank. Try selecting rocks with some of the colors of the fish and they will be more drawn to rest inside them playing at camoflauge. Goldfish enjoy having their digs rearranged and they seem to like occasional changes in gravel color. Consider cleaning the rocks when they look dirty by running them through a dishwasher cycle. With love and patience and a little overfeeding restraint you can have very happy, healthy goldfish.
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Contributor's Note
An aquarium with a couple of goldfish swimming is a lovely, living work of art.
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As a person who has had no relationship with fish except for the culinary sort, it never occurred to me that fish might get constipated. Imagine that!  Thank you for this eye-opening intel about goldfish.
 | | nick Jan 31, 2009 10:16 | |
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Nick.
I had no idea goldfish would eat celery or lettuce.
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Yes, I guess they need their veggies too. Thanks for reading and commenting.
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http://jlwinther.qondio.com/
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