Conference 7.286::fish

    Has anyone else seen this happen?
    
    I have mentioned before that the larger of the two calico's I have
    is the glutton of the tank, it would take all the food at once if I gave
    it a chance, it does a lot of snapping at the surface and must
    take in an awful lot of air, now it has started to float upside down on
    the surface after the food has all gone, it does not seem to be overly
    stressed out and if I tickle its tummy it will swim to the bottom of
    the tank but then float to the top again a few minutes later also if
    any of the others nudge it it will swim around for a while, then float
    to the top again, after about an hour it seems to be back to normal.
    I have never seen any of the others do this, as a rule after they see
    there is no more food they all go on what they were doing before they
    were fed.
    Is this because of the way it feeds? I try to make sure it does not get
    too much to eat my shooing it away from the food so the others have a
    chance to get some but its always first there and just seems to inhale
    the food. 
    In the morning it is always resting on the bottom of the tank and seems
    to be quite content.
    
    
    
    joan

    Hi Joan,
    
    It's most likely a swim bladder problem brought on by the gulped 
    air and/or dry food.  Try soaking the food so that it'll sink 
    through the water and see if the fish will eat it.  That way it 
    won't be gulping air at the surface each time it eats.  
    
    Karen.

    Thanks Karen I will try that.
    BTW I have been feeding them the floating kind of food, this was
    recomended when they were outside in the pond, because it is easier to
    scoop up any left over bits, maybe while they in the tank I should switch
    to the flakes?
    I only feed them once a day as I am pressed for time in the morning but
    I still stick to the five minute rule.
    
    joan

    Hi Joan,
    
    If the fish will eat food from the middle or floor of the tank (some
    fish won't), you might try soaking the floating pellets.  I think 
    when they're water-logged they'll sink.  You might either ask at
    some aquarium stores or poke through this notesfile.  I'm pretty
    sure I've seen notes in here on swim bladder problems with goldfish.
    
    Good luck,
    Karen.

The little guy just want's a Pepsi!!!

    -2
    
    Thanks Karen, I did look in the other notes for swimbladder problems and
    used some of the information from there.
    He still bobs up to the top but only after he has been fed and only for
    a short time, so soaking the food first is helping.
    
    
    joan