Our beloved fish has a weird condition; does anyone know what this, how to fix it, or is this euthanasia time?

4 to 5 years is a good life for a gold fish in an aquarium. You must have done a good job of taking care of it. Most aquarium goldfish do not live near that long. I have a place of business where I sell gold fish for ponds so I know a little about them. I'm sorry to say that it may just be time to say goodbye. Sorry to tell you that.

I'm a big fish lover, but i'd say it's hopeless for your fish..It no doubt will die soon because it can't breath properly..I've had this problem before with fish and they might live for another month or two, but will die soon..good luck

I'm SO sorry, but this sounds like a classic case of swim bladder disease. It's best to put poor fishy out of her misery sooner rather than later. While swim bladder disease can sometimes be treated, secondary hemorrhaging (rt side collapsing) cannot, and that's why I say euthanize rather than treat with peas. When I have no choice but to euthanize my fish, I use ice water. The cold itself is not the fastest method, but it's humane since the freezing temperature is instantly numbing. To be sure, I usually use a plastic cup and keep it in the freezer for an hour. Putting a fish in the freezer and waiting for the water to freeze is NOT humane. The water has to be icy first, or it will not instantly numb. I only put the cup in the freezer to prevent thawing and warming until I am certain beyond a doubt the fish is dead. Four years is not a bad record for a pet fish. She's lucky to have had you.

I can't tell you whether it is time to euthanize or not, that's totally up to you. But please take a look at this site to learn the most humane way to do it and make sure to read the bottom where it list the inhumane ways, http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-most-humane-way-to-euthanize-a-fish.htm

it might be time to put her to rest sorry to say that i have fish when they don't look good we Wait and see if they die on there own or not

Well, I've never heard of ribs sticking out of their skin or sides of the fish collapsing, but other than that, the only thing I can think of is a swim bladder problem, which is hardly ever fatal. The swim bladder is the organ that most fish have that controls how they sink and float. If something goes with their swim bladder, they either sink to the bottom or float up top. The best remedy is to fast them for a few days, as swim bladder problems usually arise from being overfed. If fasting for at least several days (I'd say up to a week should be okay) doesn't work, try feeding him a bit of the inside of a cooked pea (peel it so he doesn't get any skin). Peas are a natural fish laxative, and seems to do the trick in some cases. Also, if a goldfish is properly cared for, he can live 10 years or more, so it's unlikely that he's at the end of his life. and P.S.- As a side note after reading these other answers, flushing a fish will NOT put it out of its misery painlessly. When a fish gets down there to the sewer, he is STILL ALIVE. You can imagine what it's like for him to navigate through all the muck for possibly hours before the filth kills him.

Sory to say . Its time to end her pain. Try some cold water to numb her .

I hate to say it dear, but it really sounds like this fish is suffering. Fish are pretty delicate once they get ill, and deteriorate rapidly. I'm really surprised it has made it this long. I wish I could tell you a more positive prognosis, but I think it's on the way to fishy heaven. Best of luck.

The same thing has happened to some of my goldfish and I don't think it can be remedied. I also don't think you can euthaniza a fish. You could try asking someone at the pet store but none of my fish lived very long after they started doing that.