Swim Bladder Disease in Tropical Fish
- Like the inner ear in humans, the swim bladder of tropical fish serves to regulate balance. The swim bladder controls the buoyancy of fish, allowing them to keep their equilibrium underwater. This delicate pocket of gas outside of the digestive tract ensures that the fish maintains control of its movements and stays upright. Without a normally functioning swim bladder a fish cannot survive very long at all as even eating becomes impossible.
- The main symptom of swim bladder disease is the inability of a fish to remain straight and upright. Usually when a tropical fish has a problem with the swim bladder it will look like it has lost control of direction. It might be twisting around appearing dizzy and aimless, sinking to the bottom or even floating belly up toward the top of the tank. Abdominal bloating is another symptom of the disease, but is not present or apparent in all cases. Symptoms of swim bladder disease can range in duration and intensity. Symptoms might slowly progress from being barely noticeable to prominent over a week or so, or they might appear suddenly.
- Any problem with the swim bladder is defined as swim bladder disease and there are many potential causes of it. In the case of a fish suddenly exhibiting symptoms, a rupture might have occurred to this vital organ as a result of a trauma. The trauma could have been the fish swimming into a pointy object or getting handled roughly in transport. There are many other causes swim bladder disease, however, such as fungal and bacterial infections, cancer, tuberculosis and a diet lacking vital nutrients and fiber. Some kinds of fish are also more genetically prone to getting swim bladder disease than others, but the disease itself is not contagious.
- Once you have diagnosed your tropical fish with swim bladder disease there are a few steps you can take to try and help it recover. However, because there are so many causes of the disease, a recovery is hard to ensure. It might be helpful to give your fish a salt bath and/or use a fungal eliminator. You may also choose to call or take your fish in to the vet, which should be done with great care to prevent further health deterioration. Your veterinarian might be able to give you antibiotics to help kill a potential infection. In case the root of the problem is digestion issues, make sure that your fish is getting a quality, high-fiber food. If after two weeks you aren't seeing any improvement in the health of your fish you should look into ethical methods of putting it down.
- As is true with most health problems, it is easier to prevent swim bladder disease from occurring than it is to treat it after it occurs. With minimal effort you can help your fish stay healthy and balanced. The most important preventative factor for swim bladder disease and many other tropical fish illnesses is feeding your fish nutritious food. A well-rounded tropical fish food will contain all the vitamins fish need and have plenty of fiber to aid in proper digestion and nutrient absorption. Keeping your tank clean is also very important in order for your fish to maintain strong immune systems.