goldfish sleep Archives - Goldfish Care Information Diseases & Treatments

How To Put A Goldfish To Sleep Using Clove Oil To Treat Them?

Sometimes there will come a time where you will need to put your goldfish to sleep to treat them. For this you can use clove oil which will put your fish to sleep so you will be able to treat any goldfish diseases or bacterial infections they may have. Myself, on larger fish such as koi I like to put them to sleep so I can treat the infected area directly. For most people, especially if your worried in doing this procedure I would stick with the normal fish medications that you can buy for treatment.

The reason that you put the goldfish to sleep is so they won’t feel anything during the treatment and so they will be easier to handle. For people who have large goldfish or koi that have ulcers I strongly suggest putting your fish to sleep to treat it. By doing so you can get a greater handle on the issue by applying treatment directly to the area.

How To Put A Goldfish To Sleep With Clove Oil:

1. Get a bucket and fill it with some water from your aquarium or pond.

2. Catch your fish and place them in the container.

3. Introduce your fish to the container and add in your clove oil. For this procedure you should add 10 drops per 1 gallon of water. Within 5 minutes or less you should see your goldfish starting to lye on its side. Wait till he is fully asleep before your pick them up.

After your fish is put to sleep using clove oil, now you can begin treatment on your fish. After your done treating your goldfish you will need to revive the fish and wake him up. To do so you will need to pick up your fish and place them by a heavily aerated section in your aquarium or pond. In your aquarium you can place his head right over the bubbles of an air stone and gently rock the fish’s head back and forth so it’s gills open. This will allow oxygen to enter and slowly start to revive your fish. This can take up to 10 minutes for your goldfish to be completely revived. During this stage don’t worry, you will see its gills open and shut so it’s still alive.

Putting a fish to sleep is highly recommended in cases where fish has ulcers and is needed during surgical removal of tumours. I know it’s always scary the first time trying new things but I’ve done this many times and I have yet to lose a fish from putting them to sleep (knock on wood)with clove oil. So whenever your fish get sick you might just have the right stuff in your home to put them to sleep. Give it a try! Just make sure you don’t accidentally overdose on clove oil, as this can kill your fish with larger amounts.

Do Goldfish Sleep?

Goldfish indeed do sleep and is often a question people always want to know. Sleeping goldfish is not the same as for us cuddling to a pillow under warm blankets. Goldfish sleep basically in one spot. They hover with periodic movements to keep stable and are often seen hiding behind aquarium decorations or close to the bottom of your aquarium. When fish sleep they are very much at alert at all times. Goldfish sleeping is actually a form of resting and are aware what’s going on at all times. You will see golfish suddenly swim erradically when you turn the aquarium light on. They much like us, they were startled and are seeking a place to hide.

Goldfish need sleep just like humans. Without enough sleep we can get sick and same goes for them. People should have a regular schedule for aquarium lighting or better yet have it on a timer so it’s on for a certain amount each day. Your light should be on for about 12 hours a day or less. A good suggestion to do is turn on the light when you get up and when you go to sleep turn it off. When you shut the light off you will notice that the your fish will begin to slow down and relax. If you leave the light on all the time, it’s not good for goldfish health as they will not have much of a resting period. Goldfish have no eye lids so shut off the light so they can get a good night sleep. Goldfish need sleep and it’s much easier to sleep with the lights off. Even if people do accidently leave the lights on, goldfish will sleep but it won’t be the same type of sleep as if they were off. Try and shut the lights off. Think of this would you like the lights on when your going to sleep? Same goes for them.

Also when goldfish sleep their colour also fades. So whenever you go an observe your goldfish and you see them basically still and their colour is partially faded, well its a good chance their sleeping. Leave them alone so they get the well deserved rest they need.

Sincerely,

Jamie Boyle
The Goldfish Guy
“Helping Goldfish Owners With Advice, Fish Care and Fish Medication Treatments for Goldfish Diseases, Illnesses and Parasites”