Treatment of Swim Bladder Disease in Betta Fish

Swim bladder disease is an ailment that affects fish that rely on a swim bladder to stay buoyant in the water. A disease or disorder of the swim bladder can cause a fish to float to the top or sink to the bottom of the aquarium without the ability to remain balanced in the water. This can disrupt the ability of the fish to swim normally, and affect its health negatively.

  1. Identification

    • The most obvious symptom for swim bladder disease is a sudden inability for a fish to sustain buoyancy in the water. The swim bladder works to keep the fish afloat in a desired place in the water, but when the fish loses buoyancy due to swim bladder disease, it can no longer maintain this position. A fish suffering from swim bladder disorder may float to the top and seem unable to swim lower, or may sink to the bottom and appear unable to lift itself off the floor of the aquarium.

    Digestive Issues

    • One cause for a swim bladder issue relates directly to how the betta fish is being fed. If you are providing only pellet food to your betta, then this may be causing a blockage in the digestive system, which can hamper the ability to swim up and down as desired. The first step to relieving this problem is to add more variety to the betta diet, using dried blood worms, fish food flakes and pellets rather than relying solely on one type of food. Allow the fish to fast for between one and three days to see if this remedies the problem.

    Considerations

    • If the betta does not respond to fasting and a change in diet, then there are other issues that may be causing a disorder of the swim bladder. It is important to know that swim bladder disease will not normally kill your betta fish as long as the fish does not eventually starve from an inability to find food. Do not worry if your betta goes several days without eating, because betta fish are hearty and can survive periods of time without food.

    Solution

    • Another important aspect of the treatment of swim bladder disease in a betta fish is proper water changes. You should do a proper water change at least once per week, replacing a portion of the aquarium's water with fresh, de-chlorinated water. Make sure to test the water chemistry to ensure that the water has the right characteristics for good betta health and make sure that you are removing old food and fish waste on a regular basis to keep the fish healthy. If your fish is having a swim bladder issue, the combination of proper feeding and proper water changes should remedy it.

    Expert Insight

    • "Betta fish are prone to swim bladder issues, as are many other types of aquarium fish," said Caroline Tanaka, DVM. "The key is to provide your betta fish with a variety of types of fresh and dried food to keep its digestive system running properly for optimal health."