# Remedy for upside-down swimming goldfish **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [February 5, 2007, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remedy-for-upside-down-swimming-goldfish/390894 "2007-02-05T05:32:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kimonodesign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f04885/32.png) [@kimonodesign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kimonodesign)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remedy-for-upside-down-swimming-goldfish/390894/1 "2007-02-05T05:32:45Z")
Your advice for the gold fish swimming/floating/hangin’ around upside-down position was great! I immediately cleaned tank, added the salt to the water, refrained from feeding for a day, and voila! Lucky was back to old self. I did, however, add one procedure from another site’s reccommendation, which was to feed some peas to the fish. I mushed them and chopped them up to tiny bits-like, one or two peas-d and just put in tank. They (Lucky has a friend, Swimmy) really like the little pea bits. Why the peas, one inquires (or doesn’t). The peas were advised as they would act like a laxative, thus possibly help “out” any err…substance in their systems. In any case, thanks, your advice helped save Lucky…although the thought of knitting a fish a little cap with sewing pins if it had to go through chemo went through my mind and sorry, I just don’t have that kind of time (or money for the vet bills) on my hands… ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remedy-for-upside-down-swimming-goldfish/390894/2 "2007-02-05T14:55:54Z")
Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Boards, **kimonodesign** , we’re glad to have you with us. And we’re glad you’re li’l buddy made it. When you start a thread, it’s helpful to other readers if you provide a link to the thread in question. Saves search time, and keeps us on the same track. In this case, I presume it’s [If a goldfish is swimming on its side, is this a bad sign?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mgoldfish.html) No biggie, you’ll know for next time, and again, welcome. ---
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remedy-for-upside-down-swimming-goldfish/390894/3 "2007-02-05T22:16:42Z")
Glad the advice helped! Un-iodized (be sure it’s un-iodized) salt seems to fix most of what can ail goldfish. I’ve also had success with feeding a mashed green pea to goldfish with indigestion, or whatever else makes em swim funny. More than one or two might foul the water, though. It’s always a good sign when you name your pet fish. Good luck ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remedy-for-upside-down-swimming-goldfish/390894/4 "2007-02-05T23:16:47Z")
[QUOTE=JillGat] Glad the advice helped! Un-iodized (be sure it’s un-iodized) salt seems to fix most of what can ail goldfish. I’ve also had success with feeding a mashed green pea to goldfish with indigestion, or whatever else makes em swim funny. More than one or two might foul the water, though. It’s always a good sign when you name your pet fish. Good luck [/QUOTE] I had a dog named Fish once… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2007, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remedy-for-upside-down-swimming-goldfish/390894/5 "2007-02-06T00:35:56Z")
[QUOTE=JillGat] It’s always a good sign when you name your pet fish. [/QUOTE] Unless you name it “Flushy.” ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2007, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remedy-for-upside-down-swimming-goldfish/390894/6 "2007-02-06T12:28:03Z")
[QUOTE=DSYoungEsq] I had a dog named Fish once… 😃 [/QUOTE] This is a linguistic joke, right? The Hebrew word for “fish” is _dog_. Well, actually more “dawg” but the joke is there anyhow. ---
**Author:** ![essell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/34f0e0/32.png) [@essell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/essell)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2007, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remedy-for-upside-down-swimming-goldfish/390894/7 "2007-02-07T22:27:38Z")
Or maybe he was using the other meaning of “name your pet fish” He named his pet: Fish