Floating an idea

April 11, 2013 7:22 PM

Leighton Naylor has a goldfish called Einstein that does tricks, but recently stopped floating. So he did something about it.

Interview with Naylor on CBC here, just before the half hour mark.

Turns out that fancy goldfish are prone to air bladder problems, and if you cannot build them a life belt, you can always try feeding them peas.

posted by salishsea (15 comments total)

I tried to come up with an actual comment but AWWWWWWWWWWWWW 0_0;;
posted by Hollywood Upstairs Medical College at 7:50 PM on April 11, 2013 [9 favorites]

Such a great story. So what is it about peas that makes them so good?
posted by arcticseal at 7:54 PM on April 11, 2013

That's a really kind response to a goldfish that many would have let die or flushed. Maybe he should try the pea solution though.
posted by shoesietart at 8:05 PM on April 11, 2013

So what is it about peas that makes them so good?

According to the pea page, "The methods here are effective when there is waste matter trapped in the fish's digestive tract, causing a constipation that presses against the swim bladder, making it unable to inflate and deflate as normal." See, even goldfish need more fiber in their diet.
posted by ook at 8:28 PM on April 11, 2013 [2 favorites]

Here is another goldfish in a sling
posted by ohkay at 8:33 PM on April 11, 2013 [3 favorites]

I read this and thought, OMG HE IS DOING CREEPY THINGS WITH A DEAD FISH.

Uh, glad to hear that wasn't the case.
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:08 PM on April 11, 2013 [4 favorites]

That is really, really sweet.
posted by IndigoRain at 11:03 PM on April 11, 2013

Hooray! Hooray for people helping their goldfish lead full fishy lives despite swim bladder impairments! Hooray!
posted by gingerest at 11:11 PM on April 11, 2013 [3 favorites]

The third thing to do, would be to rule out gas in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. If the goldfish flips after eating or you see farting or floating poop, that's an indication that there may be gas in the GI tract. So what do you do about that?

Goldfish fart? I learn so many fun facts from Metafilter!
posted by JujuB at 12:19 AM on April 12, 2013 [2 favorites]

What if it isn't a swim bladder issue, but fish depression? I know I'd probably lay at the bottom of the tank if I was a goldfish. Poor Einstein is probably thinking "Why won't the giant hand just leave me to my misery?".
posted by orme at 2:29 AM on April 12, 2013

Brilliant. It's so heartbreaking to find one of your fishies struggling to swim. Depression averted.
posted by surplus at 5:02 AM on April 12, 2013 [1 favorite]

I was expecting Leighton Naylor to be a little girl who invented something awesome. But always lovely to see people caring for other creatures.
posted by discopolo at 5:35 AM on April 12, 2013

This is brilliant, thank you. I love fishies so much (though my preferred variety is the beta/pleco ultra combo) and it's so frustrating to see them obviously in pain or otherwise suffering, particularly because I feel like, with fish, it's hard to do much about it. I think most casual fish owners don't necessarily know the intricacies of how they function; they're a little alien to us mammals, and you can't really take them to a vet. Thank god for the internet, or I would've lost one of my fishies long before his time was due.

Anyway. Fish are awesome and don't get enough credit as pets. Good on this guy.
posted by six-or-six-thirty at 6:15 AM on April 12, 2013 [1 favorite]

If it weren't for the internets I would have never known about fish with lifebelts.

Yay, internets!
posted by BlueHorse at 10:40 PM on April 12, 2013

When my brother was three, his beloved goldfish has the same problem. If only we had thought of this!


RIP Godzilla.
posted by inertia at 1:37 PM on April 13, 2013