Goldfish "wheelchair"

[Catherine]

If he was floating on the top of the water he was dying. He could have lasted for hours and hours gaping for oxygen. It is harder for them to breath when they can't swim.

The goldfish with the wheel chair had a recognizable disease that destroys the fishes ability to balance. He was lying on the bottom of his tank. The wheelchair let him stay upright and swim.

It is sad that the pond has lost fish. It has been a long winter for them. They should still be hibernating. The warm and cold weather may have caused the fish to be active too soon. If there have only been 3 fish deaths in 5 years the pond is doing very well. The fish might have had some kind of bacterial infection. It can happen and it would be hard for the fish to survive.

I am glad you didn't leave him to suffer. Fish feel pain and distress and dying slowly would be very hard.