Floaty the Sick Fish

[ooberu]

My goldfish, who has (up until about an hour ago) lived in my pond all of his life- which is about 4 years.
Unfortunately it seems his little fishy life is about to come to an end unless you can think of a way to help. He is floating on his side at the top of the water and there seems to be a mass of organic tissue poking it way out of his (or her) little fish-bottom. He also seems very puffy, even his scales are poking out a bit.
I don't think it is constipation as there are no long trails of poo and he isn't just floating near the top, he is upside down too.
Is this the end of Floaty?

Cheers

[Hoover the Goldfish]

Hie Oberoo
Hope your fish is still alive if it is, Porthious the Gourami wil try and help because Porthious has a fair bit of experience with fish diseases.

Hi Ooberu, my name is Porthious the Gourami, and it sounds like you little fella has something like dropsy. If you have the resources, immediatley place your fish in a seperate container, eg. bowl, bucket, (which have been meticulously cleaned to remove any suds, and chemical traces). Fill the container only half. Gently place the fish patient in the container, and slowly add 5 grams of salt per litre of water. So if you have a 10 litre bucket half full, this means adding 25 grams of salt (over the thumb this means adding 3 rounded tablespoons of salt in half a bucket). If you have a two litre container then add 10 grams of salt (over the thumb this means adding 1 and a half rounded tablespoons of salt per two litres). Let the fish stay in there for at least 3 days and monitor the situation. also include some gravel on the bottom and a plant decoration or two so that the fish is not totally alienated.

Heat treatment may also assist fighting any internal infection due to increasing the fishes antibody activity. A rise in temperature is accomplished by increasing the temperature with a fish water heater by two degree gradually. I am not certain how hot goldfishes can take but my tropical fish had an internal infection and benefited greatly by a gradual increase in water temperature by 5 degrees, (this means she was swimming in 32 degrees Celcius water).

Good luck with the fish if not this time than next time
Porthious the Gourami