# Sick Black Moor



## redpup (Mar 1, 2010)

I have 3 small fantail goldfish in a 10 gal. tank. Today I noticed my Black Moor, Mr. Tea, is having a hard time swimming and staying at the top. The other fish are doing great. Can anyone give me any advice as to how to treat him?


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## kitten_penang (Mar 26, 2008)

he's not getting enough o2. do a water change and add aeration to the tank


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## Spooki (Oct 6, 2010)

Lack of O2 would most likely show as gasping for air and effect all the fish in the tank.

When you say Mr.Tea is having difficulty swimming, how so? Is he unable to swim to the bottom and/or having difficulty keeping himself upright?

Globoid body goldfish are prone to constipation and swim bladder issues. Constipation can be treated by holding off food for a few days or offering peas. It can be prevented by maintaining a diet high in fiber (vegetation) and low in protein. Swim bladder issues are almost always fatal.

Also a 10 gallon tank is very small for 3 goldfish, I hope you are considering upgrading to something along the lines of 30-60 gallons. Goldfish need a lot of water to dissolve their wastes and they also get rather large.


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## redpup (Mar 1, 2010)

*Here is an update..*

He was just hovering at the top, not being able to go to the bottom of the tank. On Monday I moved him to a small quarantined tank. I did not think he was going to make it through the night. I did half a tank water change on the quarantine tank before I put him in it. By yesterday morning he was swimming pretty good, and today he looks good, but still seems to have a little problem swimming every now and again. The quarantine tank has an undergravel filter, so there is ariation. The 10g does not. I'll geta bubble bar for it and do another water change. Will frozen peas work?


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## kitten_penang (Mar 26, 2008)

yup... unless it's swim bladder problem


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## Spooki (Oct 6, 2010)

Frozen peas will help with constipation but you should thaw them first. Cold food is harder to digest. Also, squishing the pea out of the skin will reduce the mess and make it easier for Mr. Tea to eat.


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## redpup (Mar 1, 2010)

The way he has perked up I think you guys are right about the O2. I have a really good bio fiter in the 10g but it mustn't be enough. I am going to keep him in the other tank until I can upgrade to a bigger one. My hubby thinks I should drop the "ea off of his name, but he is one of our mascots for my quilt shop, so I think it fits. Our customers are all rooting for him! Thanks for all of the advise. He's going to get peas for a while.


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## Spooki (Oct 6, 2010)

Glad to hear your fish is doing better. 

I have found with my own experience keeping goldfish that the following can reduce the likelihood of constipation and gas:
- soak all dry foods in tank water before feeding
- offer fresh vegetables, live plants and veggie flakes regularly
- fast the fish one day each week

Goldfish actually don't have a stomach so they're not too good at digesting nutritious foods we offer. The globoid body fish have it even worse because their digestive tracts are all squished up in their abdomen.


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## kitten_penang (Mar 26, 2008)

btw the 10 gallon is gonna be too small for even one goldfish.you might wanna consider a larger tank soon


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## redpup (Mar 1, 2010)

We are looking at a bigger tank. You know, I feed my tropical fish morning and evening. How often should I feed goldfish? We do fast them 1 day a week because my shop is closed on Sunday. But he is still doing good in the quarantine tank, and loves the peas. I only give him one every few days tho, and flakes the other days.


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## Spooki (Oct 6, 2010)

It's not so much how often you feed, but how much you are feeding total. If you do multiple meals make sure they are tiny. Most fish prefer multiple meals to one big one a day, wouldn't you? The issue is most people over feed unintentionally and multiple huge meals leads to disaster. 

Always make sure you're removing uneaten food. You can use a net, a siphon or a drinking straw (hold your finger over one end).


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