Saltwater & Freshwater Fish Tanks - Aquariums

Goldfish on Bottom of Tank

January 16th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed

A goldfish lying at the bottom of the tank or aquarium can be a cause of concern to its owner and can be a sign of disease in the goldfish.

A goldfish lying at the bottom of the tank is often a sign of swim bladder disease. The swim bladder allows the fish to stabilize its depth in the water.

Swim or air bladder problems sometimes occur in freshwater fish. When the bladder is affected, the fish will experience problems with equilibrium. Diseased or inflamed internal organs, poor water conditions or nutrition, and wounds received from fighting can also affect the equilibrium of a fish. Constipation is a common cause of swimming difficulty.

The fish will have problems swimming correctly. They may appear to be standing on their head, or floating to the surface and struggling to get to the bottom, or possibly even have problems removing themselves from the bottom. At the later stages of the disease, the fish could lose its balance and swim upside down.

There is no specific treatment for swim bladder problems, however, you can try isolating the fish to a quarantine tank where the water is shallow – this will provide some relief for the fish – and add one teaspoon of salt per gallon of water. If you suspect constipation is the cause of the problem follow the treatment for constipation listed in “Goldfish Diseases - Symptoms and Treatments”. After 1–2 weeks try returning the fish to the main tank.

Goldfish staying at the bottom of the tank is just one of the topics covered in our instantly downloadable e-book “Goldfish Diseases - Symptoms and Treatments”. Other topics covered include worms, spots, parasites and more … Plus the treatments and remedies for all goldfish diseases!

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