My Fish Has a Swim Float, How Can I Fix Him?

Fish float, or swim-bladder disease, is a disorder that's easier to diagnose than to treat. When a fish floats at the surface, swims irregularly, or lays on the bottom of the tank, damage to its swim-bladder may be causing it to have difficulty regulating its buoyancy. The causes of swim-bladder disease include physical damage and trauma, damage caused by disease or parasites, dietary problems, cancer and poor genetics. If your fish displays the symptoms of fish-float, isolate it in a hospital tank and immediately begin treatment.

Things You'll Need

  • Aquarium testing kit
  • Hospital tank
  • Fish guide
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Instructions

    • 1

      Compare your aquarium's pH level, temperature, water hardness, NO3 levels and salinity to the recommended guidelines for your fish in your fish guide. Poor water quality fosters disease and stresses your fish, and may be the cause of its disorder. Gently transfer your fish to a hospital tank, which is a smaller tank with ideal conditions for your fish. This isolates your fish from aggressive tank mates and ensures that any diseases can't be spread.

    • 2

      Examine your fish for disease; your fish guide has illustrations and descriptions of common disease symptoms. Check for rotting fins, difficult respiration, a bloated abdomen, discoloration, spotting and parasites, and treat them according to the guidelines in your guide. Wide-spectrum antibiotics and chemical treatments are available online or at your local aquarium store.

    • 3

      Verify that your fish's diet is varied, appropriate for the species, and correctly portioned. Overfeeding and an unvaried diet can cause nutritional problems and constipation, which cause swim-bladder disease. An improved diet can help your fish recover unless the problem has reached an advanced stage.

    • 4

      Check your fish for constipation, which causes nutritional deficiencies and a number of health problems, including swim-bladder disease.

    • 5

      Monitor your fish for several weeks. If you see no improvement or a worsening of conditions, you should either make the conditions in the tank comfortable for a disabled fish by decreasing the water level, or you should euthanize it.