Swim Bladder Infections in Fish

Swim bladder infection is a common disease in many fish. The swim bladder is a sac in the fish's body that helps regulate its buoyancy. They are usually easy to treat once you determine the cause of the infection, and the fish will be able to live a healthy long life afterward. Swim bladder infections are rarely life-threatening in any case, even if a traumatic event was the cause of the disease. There are ways to make your fish comfortable while living with a chronic infection.

  1. Symptoms

    • The most commonly noticed symptom of a swim bladder infection are that the fish either has trouble rising to surface or sinking to the bottom of the water. The fish may also have a swollen belly area, which would suggest constipation as another symptom.

    Constipation

    • Constipation is the most common cause of a swim bladder infection in aquarium fish. If you notice a lack of defecation or that your fish has a swollen belly, it is likely constipated. It can be due to the shape of the fish, or it could happen from the type of food it is eating. Fish, like humans, need a good balance of fiber to fat. To treat constipation, you may feed your fish a pea in place of its normal meal for a day. Avoid feeding it fatty-rich foods.

    Overfeeding

    • Most aquarium fish have small stomachs or misshapen intestinal tracts due to body shape and size, making overfeeding a common problem. This could lead to constipation or simply lead to an overfull stomach, which can impede the duties of the swim bladder. To avoid overfeeding, try refraining from feeding the fish for between a day and a week to give them time to defecate. You can also feed fish smaller meals several times a day rather than one large meal. For pellets or other dried foods, soak the food before feeding so it doesn't expand in the stomach.

    Trauma

    • If a fish gets into a fight or something else traumatic happens, it could cause damage to the swim bladder. There are swim bladder removal surgeries available, however, most fish owners let the problem go untreated, as they will still likely live a healthy life. Lowering the level of the water will help it get to the surface more easily. It is also important to keep the water in the tank clean.

    Genetics

    • Some fish are born with swim bladder defects, and will have to live with the problem. These fish can be treated like fish that have traumatic damage.

    Bacteria

    • Inflammation of the swim bladder can occur from a bacteria in the fish. Antibiotics can be given if bacteria is determined to be the cause, but all other possible causes should be treated first.