Is the goldfish a goner???

[Myliam]

Is it old age or pining for her suicidal mate?

Princess is approx 2 1/2 years old and has spent the last 8 weeks listless in a corner of her tank. She won't even swim around unless the food is too far away. She seems to have lost all her spark. DH did contemplate euthanasia but we just couldn't.

Just how old do goldfish get. And how do they act when their old. Maybe it alzheimers and she cant remember where to swim anymore. Couls she be pining for her ex partner, Nemo 2 (Nemo 1 died of chemical warfare when we were invaded by midgees one evening. Oops! We now have a cover for the tank) left her only three months ago in less than pleasant circumstances. It's hard to forget actually. DD1 had lost her first tooth the day before and the next morning after feeding her beloved pets, she came racing in to tell me that the tooth fairy had taken Nemo!! I have to admit I was starting to think she was right when I searched the tank with no sign of Nemo2. Then I noticed the smell, and followed it to a small crack between the tallboy the tank was on and the wall. There he was in all his dehydrated glory. Poor Nemo. Who know what drove him to the amazing feat of jumping through a hole in the tank cover that is the size of a 20 cent piece. Was it a heroic yet foolish bid for freedom, or simply showing off in an attempt to get princess in the mood. I guess we'll never know.

Anyway, back to the problem at hand. A listless fish! We have cleaned the tank, the filter, bought fresh foods, checked the amount she's being fed. All to no avail.

What do you do for an old aged fish? It's not like she can head off to bingo night for a bit of a laugh.

Any suggestions?

[neostudded]

Poor princess! :(

Maybe you could get a nemo three?

[Myliam]

Poor princess! :(

Maybe you could get a nemo three?


:laughing::laughing:

:( Sadly that may be on the cards.

[neostudded]

:laughing:

She is still quite young though, goldfish have been known to live into their 30's.:eek:

[Myliam]

30's!!!!! I thought it was bad enough when I found out our rabbit shall be gracing us with her wonderful truck loads of rabbit doodie for the next 16 years. But 30!

Wait...hang on...a few more years and DD1 can look after her pets all by herself. :D

Once again all is right with the world.

well I'm off :sleeping:and the fate of our fair Princess shall have to wait until the morrow.

Until our next installment just remember....
A flying fish has to land somewhere, just hope it's not between your cupboards!!

[Moops]

Lol we had a kamakaze goldfish, I sadly found him at the back of a cupboard covered in carpet lint oops!

My Dad had a fish that lived for 7 years and died the day after my Dad went to live in China and it came to live with us. I honestly believe it missed him! I don't really believe the whole goldfish memory thing, I'm sure your fish is just missing the company it doesn't really sound sick.

I would suggest getting another fish but make sure it is in perfect health otherwise it will infect the other one!

[Myliam]

Princess does have two snails in her tank who act as her serfs and clean up after her but I can't imagine that they would be great conversationalists.
Flower Spot " How's ya day been?"
Leaf Spot "Slimy. 'n you?"
Flower Spot "Slimy."
NB it's worth noting at this time that I did not name the snails. My DD1 did as she insists they are pets too. Where as I regard them as cordless vaccuum cleaners.

Any Hoo...

DH flys home tomorrow. (No I'm not married to a bird). I shall discuss finding a hansome prince for our fair maiden then. Hopefully that will perk her up a bit. Even if she refuses a new suitors advances at least swimming around the tnk to get away from him will giver her some much needed exercise.

Hey! Can a fish just be lazy? What do you think?

[Mum2Tyla]

I had two oscars which are a large tropical fish and I do not believe that fish have no memory i would go away to work for 2 weeks and when ic ame home they would go nuts and my mum said they only ever did that when I came home, I also got them a larger tank and one of them sat in the corner for a mnoth as soon as i put them back in there old tank she was fine, and when her mate died she starved herself i tried everything i got her all her favourite foods even got her a goldfidh to eat but she wouldnt eat it so i ended up with a pet goldfish so she could be missing her friend, goldfish can live a long tiem so it is p[robably not old age but you could get the water tested just to make sure all you rlevels are okay
Kelly:)

[rellemum]

hi just thought i would ask do you check the ph of the water? nemo could have jumped out if the tank had too much acid in the water & maybe princess feels a bit off becouse of the ph too :)

[Nomsie]

It sounds to me as though Princess is on her death bed. When I was at uni the girls I lived with and I all had pet fish. Why oh why where mine the only ones to die like poor old Princess here? My beloved Silverside... (he was silver... how creative, I know!)

For weeks before he departed us, he would just float in the one spot... not doing much.. hardly moving... and then one day he was belly up..

The prob with buying fish is you just don't know how old they are when you purchase them.... you could have them for a week, or you could have them for years... :rolleyes:

[Myliam]

Not a bad thought. I might see if I can take a sample to my local pet store and have them check it.

Thanks for sharing Mum2tyla. I never really thought she may actually be missing company, but she has been moved from my daughters room, into the spareroom. I figured the stress of one fish corpse in DD1's room was enough. Next thing you know she'll have nightmares of being haunted by a sucession of fish. It hadn't occurred to me though that this may not be healthy for princess. That she may actually really be lonely.

Now I feel like the wicked witch who has locked her in her tower. If I start seeing a goldfish in shining armour riding in on a noble steed then I think I'd best check my cup of tea does only have bushells in it!!!

[Myliam]

Nomsie. Sorry to hear about silverside.:hugs:.

All though I have to admit when you name a fish after a cut of meat it doesn't bode well.

[SPC]

My last goldfish lived to 14, before I lost custody in the divorce. He was a very pampered fish and after several near death experiences we learned the following:

They need a 10% water change a week.
They like their filter sponges clean, but not too clean as that's where the good bacteria live.
Soft water requires salt supplements.
All tap water needs leaving for 24 hours or de-cholrination tablets.
In hot weather they like ice cubes/frozen packs.
The fish shop will test water for free and tell you what the problem is.
Sick fish swim funny, sulk in corners, swell up, clamp their fins to their bodies, get white spots or bloody steaks in their fins.
A raw pea a week stops them from getting constipated. And they seem to like it.
Most fish sicknesses are caused by poor water conditions.
You can buy magic stuff from the fish shop that turns the water cloudy for 24 hours and then cures everything.
You can also buy a handy gravel syphon hose thingy that means easy water changes and gravel cleaning without putting your hands in the tank.

I hope he survives!

[Myliam]

Thanks. We do clean the tank thoroughly. I love all your helpful hints. DD1 has raced off right now to give princess a pea. Especially as I just bought her a DVD 2 days ago called, funnily enough "The princess and the pea". She's been watching in non stop on these last few days of school holidays. So she thinks it's fate and a magic pea will do just the trick to revive princess. I however shall get the water tested tomorrow. And ask about the cloudy water thing. Thanks again singlepregnantchick. Oh, and sorry you lost custody of yours. What was his name?

[Myliam]

Can it be a frozen pea???

[BazzasMum]

I used to feed my yabbies frozen peas and corn - the fish loved them too!! I ran the peas under the hot tap for a minute then remove the outer skin as it held air and they'd just float on top.

She'll be fine!!

Kirsty ;)

[SPC]

My old fish was Dave, the new one is Phillip, [both after people I work with]. Phillip is a bully and keeps beating up any new fish I buy, so he's going to have to spend the rest of his life in solitary. I even tried a bigger fish, but no, Phillip is a psychopathic goldfish.
I warm a frozen pea up in my hand enough to pull the skin off. I'm at home now and I've looked, the magic stuff is Aussie Geo-Minerals. Might have killed my snail, [but that could have been Phillip too!], but it fixed his saddness.

[Myliam]

LOL. Sounds like Phillip needs anger management.

I'll try the Aussie Geo Minerals. thanks for the heads up on the snails. Better safe then sorry I'll just transfer Flower-spot and Leaf-spot to the pond out side. So far we have about ten snails out there as they all keep getting too big for the tank.

[Myliam]

R.I.P. Princess:angel:

Princess was laid to rest today beside her beloved Nemo 2. It was a tasteful affair and her gravesite was beautifully decorated with flowers from DD1.

Thankyou for all your help.

[bubbleyblossom]

Aww im sorry that princess died :(
Was it just old age or was there something wrong with the water?