Goldfish are normally healthy creatures that don't often get sick. The best way to extend the life of your goldfish is to maintain good water quality, take good care of their tank, feed your fish a varied diet, and test the tank's water regularly.

The chances of your goldfish becoming ill are slim when you keep them in a healthy aquarium environment and you properly care for your goldfish. But, even under the cleanest, safest conditions, not all goldfish are immune to disease.

If you suspect that your goldfish is sick, you want to catch it early so you can prevent the disease from spreading and infecting other fish in the aquarium. Since some infections can be fatal, it's a good idea to have medication on hand to treat a sick goldfish promptly.

Symptoms of a Sick Goldfish

Here are some goldfish disease symptoms to be on the lookout for:

• Refusing to eat
• Rapidly breathing
• Gasping for breath
• Swimming upside down
• Erratic swimming
• Laying at the bottom or listless
• Rubbing against surfaces
• Clamped, folded, or torn fins
• Lumps or parasites

If you notice that your goldfish is displaying the signs of a potential disease, you'll want to remove your sick goldfish from the aquarium or tank and place them into a hospital tank so the sick fish doesn't infect the other fish.

When you separate an infected goldfish from the other fish, you're also protecting the healthy fish from receiving medication that they don't need.

We recommend testing the water with an aquarium test kit to find out if there are any tank problems. Did you introduce a new fish to the tank without quarantining the fish first? Did you recently add new water to the tank before letting it to adjust to room temperature?

Remember, by keeping your goldfish in a healthy environment, you are reducing the chance of disease.

For pet advice, contact a veterinarian near you!