Johnlockedtbh 0 Posted May 26, 2018 Hey there! So I have this tiny telescope eye goldfish in my 66 gallon tank. He's like 5 cm. I'd say. Which is kinda way too tiny for his age since I got him like 8 months ago. He's always had buoyancy issues, he floats up and it gets worse with feeding no matter what I feed and how much. Now since he's been in this big tank and he has always had to use a lot of energy to get down I think it has affected his growth. He's very smart, he wedges himself under plants to stay down, and I provides two terra cotta pots as well as a fry net on it's side with sand in it so he can rest but he still struggles and it makes me sad to see it. It's not really possible for me to set up a shallower tank or tub permanently for him and he would just be lonely. Now to my actual question. What do you guys think of the idea that I keep him in the tank, but in the fry net for a bit since the fry net is quite big and he is so small and not the best swimmer anyway, So he can grow a bit, can eat without using too much energy and such. He will still be able to see his 3 friends thru the net so he won't be lonely. It's just the only thing I can really do to help him get a little head start. Obviously what I could try is epsom salt baths or even swim bladder aspiration but I'm not confident enough to even anesthetize a fish let alone aspirate a swimbladder tbh. I'm sorry this is really freaking long but I'm just not sure what to do with him. I love him so much, he has so much character and is so friendly with humans but the just can't do much but float up and fight his way down again. I really don't want to euthanize him... 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mjfromga 1,784 Posted May 26, 2018 Yes he doesn't look very good. Judging by his shape and everything, I think he's just a genetically defective, stunted, runted little guy. I suspect his swim bladder issue was something he was born with and cannot be fixed. Fish that small with swim bladder issues were usually born with a defected, misshapen, or misplaced swim bladder. Aspirating his swim bladder is a terrible idea and isn't likely to solve the issue anyway. Would be temporary AT best and isn't at all feasible for a fish his size. Impossible truly. Nix this idea completely. I can't see that keeping him in a net is a good idea either. Will probably likely cause sores eventually as he rubs against it and doesn't seem like a decent place for the fish to live. The swim bladder issues will only worsen as he grows most likely. The tall deep tank will worsen them. If he were my fish, I will be honest and say I would euthanize him AFTER trying to ensure I am not over feeding or feeding foods he is sensitive to. But it seems as if you've done that already. And you cannot give him a shallow home. Definitely don't take my advice though. There will be others along for a second opinion and at the end of the day, it's always your choice. 0 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites