# Bladder Infection?



## rocker.mommie (Jun 11, 2007)

I got my first goldfish yesterday and he was swimming upside down alot. I asked my friend Sarah what was wrong and she told me he had a bladder infection. It has gotten worse.

He is still alive but his gills arent moving as much, hes upside down and he isnt moving very much at all. He has formed cloudy white stuff around his eyes.

He is sharing a tank with a Betta, but I dont think that has anything to do with it.

I really dont want this fish to die, what can I do?


----------



## Willow (Mar 20, 2005)

How big is the tank? Goldfish need at least 10 gallons each, 15-20 gallons would be better. He may have ammonia poisoning if the tank is too small, or not cycled. What kind of filter do you have? Goldfish need strong filters because they're very heavy-bodied fish and produce a lot of waste. Swim bladder disease does make them swim upside-down, but so do other illnesses. If he had swim bladder disease, he would be healthy except for swimming funny, but your goldie sounds sick. "Cloudy white stuff" sounds like a fungal infection. You can try putting some aquarium salt and Mela-Fix (you can get it at Wal-Mart) into the tank. Pimafix is better for fungal infections, but you have to get it at a pet store, Wal-Mart doesn't have it. If it's really bad, you'll need to use a stronger anti-fungal, or possibly an antibiotic, if it spreads into a bacterial infection.

Goldfish should not be kept with Bettas. First off, Bettas are tropical fish and need a heater, while goldfish are coldwater fish and don't like it too warm. Second, a healthy goldfish will kill a Betta, by nipping its fins off, causing infection. Goldfish are notorous fin-nippers, and one thing Bettas have plenty of is fins. Third, goldfish produce a lot of waste and need a strong filter, while Bettas don't like a lot of current. They prefer a nice, slow filter. 

You should get a separate, well-filtered 10 gallon tank (at the smallest!) for one goldfish, if you want to have 2 goldfish, you'll need a larger tank. Bettas can live in a smaller tank, but should usually have at least a gallon. The smaller the tank, the more water changes you need to do. With an unfiltered one gallon, you could do water changes twice a week, any smaller and you'd have to do a water change every day.


----------



## Scootydoo (Jun 1, 2007)

pretty much exactly what Willow said, Betta's and Goldfish don't really make good tank mates.


----------

