goldfish constantly has swim bladder problems

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imppy25rs

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Oct 3, 2009
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I have a 50 gallon with 2 crowned pearlscales, 2 dojo's and 2 peppered cories. 1 Pearlscale seems to consistently afflicted by swim bladder problems. He is good for a few weeks, then he's either constipated on the bottom of the tank or as of late, floating upside down at the top. I usually epsom salt bath him and spike some peas with epsom salt and he's usually better within a few days. Now, I've tried feeding him flakes, soaked flakes, hikari lionhead, hikari lionhead sinking soaked for 10 minutes, feeding him every other day, and other than peas, he won't touch other veggies. I suspect he's engorging himself on the brown algae I have growing on rocks. I know pearlies are more likely to suffer from swim bladder diseases but its driving me nuts, what else can I feed him that is less likely to affect him? the other goldfish is fine and the currect parameters are:

Temp - 72
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 5
 

Lupin

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The Hikari Lionhead does not need soaking. It doesn't swell that badly like most pellets and flakes do. The suspect would most likely be your flakes. I'd ditch the flakes to the bin. I've never exactly like the idea of feeding flakes to fancies that are prone to buoyancy issues. Once you throw the flakes out, feed him shrimps and peas to make him expel most of the flakes he ate and then gas trapped in his tract. You may consider adding gel foods with acidophilus as one of its ingredients.
 

imppy25rs

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I've stopped feeding them flakes for about 3 months now. but he's been getting constipated more often nowadays. I'll try searching for some gel food this weekend; and by shrimp do you mean brine shrimp? also, do you think the brown algae will have an affect on this? he seems to be eating it a lot since i've been feeding them less. I put about 12-15 hikari pellets in the tank for all 6 fish once a day
 
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Lupin

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Actually the gel foods I recommended for you are homemade. There are plenty of recipes circulating in this section and other goldfish forums. They're easy to make. There's one by Mazuri available in Goldfish Utopia. I use the code 5M70 for young goldfish but all three types of Mazuri gel are appropriate for young fish anyway. But like other commercial foods, Mazuri has low fiber so adding vegetables into the mix will compensate for that.

Diatoms are harmless. They will not harm any fish in any way. And by shrimp, I mean actual shrimps. You may need to remove the carapace and rinse them properly before feeding to the fish.

If your goldfish keeps getting constipated, cut back the Hikari Lionhead and focus on high fiber diet particularly veggies. The shrimps should help push out the foods stuck in the gut.
 

imppy25rs

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thanks for all the info lupin, I'll definitely try more veggies in the diet. is there a trick with feeding cucumbers? I've tried blanching really thin slices but they all just seem to ignore it. Also, are you talking about cooked shrimp or just raw?
 

Lupin

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The shrimps should be raw. And as for cucumber, how long do you leave it in the tank? It can be left 24 hours but if they ignored it, I'd go with another vegetable instead and give it a try. Squash will do on another attempt.
 
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