Swim Bladder Disease Caused by Bacterial Infection

Swim bladder disease is a condition that affects fish. Fish use their swim bladder for buoyancy in the water. When the swim bladder becomes injured or diseased, a fish loses its buoyancy and its natural ability to swim. Often times, a fish with swim bladder disease will be found resting on the bottom of the tank or floating on its surface. Swim bladder disease is fairly easy to correct, provided it is not caused by an external factor.

  1. Bacterial Swim Bladder Disease

    • A bacteria attack can cause inflammation of the epithelium of the sac, which makes the walls of the swim bladder too thick for proper gas diffusion.

    Causes for Bacterial Attack

    • The cause for swim bladder bacterial attack can be a weakened immune system, a poor environment, overfeeding, or a birth defect.

    Symptoms

    • The fish floats on the top of the tank, rests or lays on the bottom of the tank, whirls or wobbles around the aquarium. The swim bladder holds purulent fluid (pus); the wall of the swim bladder is hardened; round cysts occur in the wall; the anterior part of the air bladder is inflamed, and large inclusions appear in the wall of the swim bladder.

    Treatment

    • Check the quality of water in the tank and ensure that it is clear and clean. Visit your pet store for an appropriate medication.

    Conclusion

    • Always keep the water in your tank of the highest quality. Feed fish quality food and feed them sparingly. This will help keep swim bladder disease to a minimum.