How to Treat a Goldfish With a Swim Bladder Infection

The swim bladder in fish is a sac located in the abdomen and is how the fish controls and maintains buoyancy in the water. A fish with a swim bladder problem will have trouble swimming or staying upright, may float to the surface and have problems swimming to the bottom of the tank. Most swim bladder issues can be treated, but not cured. Fancy goldfish are subject to swim bladder deformities due largely to their anatomy, however, some issues in controlling the swim bladder may be caused by infection.

Things You'll Need

  • Peas
  • Aquarium Test Kit
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Do not feed the fish for a couple of days to see if there are any changes in the fish's ability to keep upright. Many fancy goldfish with swim bladder deformities can have their symptoms made worse by overfeeding. Constipation adds pressure to the fish's abdomen, making it difficult for the fish to control the swim bladder.

    • 2

      Soak dry goldfish pellets in water prior to feeding so that the pellets expand before they enter the fish's stomach, helping to reduce overfeeding.

    • 3

      Feed the goldfish peas, which may help to resolve swim bladder issues. Goldfish are omnivores and need a varied diet; one treat they particularly enjoy are peas.

    • 4

      Treat the water with an aquarium antibiotic if the fish shows other signs of illness such as lethargy or damage to the skin or fins and the swim bladder problem does not respond to the change in feeding habits. Antibiotics can add stress to the fish so be sure that the problems the fish is having maintaining buoyancy is caused by a bacterial infection.

    • 5

      Check the fish for odd behavior, such as scratching against aquarium objects, or for visual signs of parasites on the body. Swim bladder problems may be caused by parasites.

    • 6

      Keep the fish's water clean and maintain water chemistry to avoid infection, or to help the fish fight infection. Keep an aquarium test kit available to monitor water chemical levels, using commercial chemical correction when needed. This may be the only way to help the fish fight a viral infection.