Disabled Goldfish Gets A Tiny ‘Wheelchair’ To Help Him Swim

The little fish couldn’t swim upright due to a bladder problem. He spent most of his time stuck upside down on, or near, the bottom of the tank.

This made it hard to eat and the fish’s side was getting rubbed raw. Derek Burnett thought that most fish in this situation would give up. Most people would give up on a fish in this situation.

This one, though, “was so tough,”  “He was trying so hard to live.”

So the 36-year-old manager at Aquarium Designs in San Antonio, Texas — who also studied marine biology — fashioned a buoyancy device made out of aquarium-safe materials.

“I just knew I had to try something,” Burnett says. “Next thing you know, I had the goldfish wheelchair.”

This Ranchu goldfish, who is a couple of years old, was brought to Aquarium Designs a few weeks ago with some others being given up by their previous owner who was unable to care for them any longer.

The other fish, who swim normally, quickly found new families. This one remained.

“No one wanted to take him in,” said Burnett.

Burnett was impressed with the fish’s friendly, people-loving personality and determined spirit. He decided to take the fish home for the good life he deserved.

At first, Burnett tried feeding the fish a special diet, thinking that might help cure him. When that didn’t work, he thought, ‘why not try to build a little gadget’?

After a couple of tries, Burnett came up with the current contraption. It’s made of some tubing and netting, securing to the fish’s body without abrasion by using weights on the bottom and Styrofoam on top to keep him properly positioned.

He thought perhaps for the first time, the fish might swim upright.

“He was so happy,” Burnett said.