Goldfish Bladder Disease

Goldfish, especially in aquariums, are commonly afflicted with a disease of the swim bladder which can be caused by several different things. It usually causes problems with the fish's ability to float and/or sink in its tank. It rarely causes long-term damage to the fish or its quality of life, however it can be prevented or treated with a proper care routine.

  1. Biology

    • The swim bladder is an organ that allows gas exchange to occur across its membrane and regulates whether the fish will float up or sink down as necessary. The shape of common goldfish is globoid, which can distort the flow of the intestinal tract, making it difficult for the fish to properly defecate. This distortion can also press against the swim bladder, which is located close to the intestines, and cause it to stop working properly or become diseased.

    Symptoms

    • Symptoms of a swim bladder disease in goldfish include floating to the top of the tank without being able to swim down, or sinking to the bottom of the tank without being able to easily swim up. They may also swim erratically or even upside down.

    Causes

    • Usually, a swim bladder disease in a goldfish is due to an impaction of food in the intestinal tract because of its irregular shape and potentially due in part to overfeeding. It is possible for the disease to instead be linked to constipation, trauma or a bacterial infection, however. It is usually best to start with the assumption that food impaction is the cause, and move through other treatment options as necessary until the goldfish's condition improves.

    Treatment

    • The first thing to do is to make sure that your goldfish has fresh clean water. Then you need to attempt to deal with the food issue. One thing to try is to avoid feeding your goldfish anything for a day or two, and allow it to defecate to potentially move an impaction. You may also try feeding it pieces of a pea to introduce some fiber into its diet. Another option is placing the fish in an Epsom salt bath for a few minutes to encourage defecation. If these treatment options do not work, antibiotics can be given to treat a possible bacterial infection.

    Prevention/Solution

    • Preventative maintenance can keep your goldfish from getting swim bladder disease in the first place. Keeping the water in the tank clean is the most important thing to prevent any disease. Feed your fish food that is made for goldfish to get the right nutrients in its system, and do not overfeed your fish. Peas can be fed in place of the goldfish's regular meal once a week to keep fiber in the diet if you suspect a high potential for swim bladder disease.