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My fish isn't moving, but its gills are. Is my fish sick or dying?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Fish | Unknown - Fish | Male

My fish Nemo isn’t moving he’s stayed in the same position for over and hour his eyes hasn’t moved either but his gills are moving is he dead??

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1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on February 15th, 2018

I would suggest to try to stimulate him and see if he moves more. You can try to feed him as well. If he does not move and he is lethargic there may definitively be a problem; unfortunately the signs in this case are quite generic and a logic and radical approach would be required. Begin by submitting a water sample for quality testing. Most pet stores will do this for free or a nominal fee. High ammonia levels, PH imbalances may be responsible for that. Oxygen concentration and quality of the filters should be determined as well. If water quality is good and there are no major imbalances, your fish should get examined to look for any sign of bacterial/fungal infection and eventually water should be treated. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

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