Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning

If your goldfish leans to one side or tilts up while swimming, it probably has a bubble disorder. Constipation, organ enlargement, or inflammation can all cause a bubble disorder and prevent fish from working properly. With the right care, you can treat this disease and help your goldfish get well.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Identify the problem

1. 

   Look for common symptoms of swim bladder disorder in fish. This disease occurs when a fish's bubble (an organ that will normally swell and help the fish float properly in the water) is damaged. Regardless of the cause, symptoms usually appear the same. When you see a fish face up, don't assume it's dead. If the fish is still breathing, it may have a bubble disorder. Here are some symptoms to look out for:
   • Fish are always floating on the water, belly up
   • Fish always sink at the bottom of the tank
   • The head is lower than the tail when swimming (Note: this is normal for fish that swim downwards)
   • The fish's stomach is swollen

2. 

   
   
   Know which types of fish are most at risk for bubble disease. Goldfish, especially exotic breeds and bettas, are often most at risk. These breeds of goldfish have a short, round body, so the fish's internal organs are often pressed together. These organs can press against the fish's bubble and interfere with its function.
   • If you have an exotic breed of goldfish or a betta fish, watch for signs of a bubble disorder carefully. If left untreated, the disease can kill fish.
   • Wild goldfish with longer stems are less likely to develop bladder disorder, since their internal organs are not pressed together.

3. 

   
   
   Know the causes of the disease. When goldfish's tiny internal organs are enlarged, they can press on a bubble and cause organ dysfunction. The stomach, intestines and liver are especially susceptible to enlargement due to fish eating habits. Fish swim bladder disorder can be caused by one of the following reasons:
   • Suck in too much when you eat it, causing your stomach to swell
   • Eating foods that are poor quality or contain lots of air can cause constipation in the gut
   • Eating too much causes fat to accumulate in the liver and causes liver enlargement
   • Cysts in the kidney grow to the point of causing an enlarged kidney
   • Deformation of internal organs

4. 

   
   
   Watch for signs of infection. Sometimes fish swim bladder disorder is a symptom of an infection, and you cannot resolve the problem by changing your fish's eating habits. If you think your fish is infected, you need to separate them to treat the fish well.
   • If infected, the fish will show symptoms such as closed fins, tremors, loss of appetite in addition to other symptoms of bubble disorder.
   • Start by cleaning the tank to reduce bacteria; In many cases, this can help kill the bacteria that cause the infection.
   • If symptoms persist, you may consider treating your fish's infection with a broad spectrum antibiotic. Antibiotics are available as drops or food flakes at pet stores. Be sure to follow the directions on the package to avoid overdosing.
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Method 2 of 3: Treatment of fish bladder disease

1. 

   Increase the temperature of the water in the aquarium. Cold water can slow digestion and lead to constipation in fish. While treating your fish, you need to maintain the temperature of the water between 21 and 26.5 degrees C to help the fish digest faster.

2. 

   Fasting fish for 3 days. Since bubble disorders are often caused by a problem with fish eating, start treatment by fasting the fish for 3 days. When fish eat too much, internal organs can swell and damage bubbles. You should allow the fish to digest the food you eat, and allow the fish's stomach, intestines and other organs to return to normal size.
   • A 3-day fast will not affect the fish. However, be sure to stop feeding the fish after 3 days.
   • During the fasting, watch the fish to see if the bubble disorder seems to have gone away. If symptoms persist, move on to the next step.

3. 

   Prepare cooked beans for the fish to eat. Beans are firm and high in fiber, which in turn may help relieve constipation in fish. Buy a bag of frozen beans and cook until soft (cook on the stove or in the microwave). Peel and drop some beans into the water to feed the fish. Only feed your fish one or two beans a day.
   • Try not to overcook; If you cook it too well, the beans will melt before the fish can eat.
   • When eating pellets, fish often take in too much air, causing them to indigestion, and at the same time swollen internal organs. Feeding the fish with a certain texture can fix this problem.

4. 

   Keep in hand to feed the fish if necessary. When you put a pea into the water, it can sink to the bottom of the tank. Fish with bubble disorder will have difficulty diving to get food. If necessary, hold the peas close to the surface of the water until the fish can come and eat.
   • You can also use a toothpick to skew the pea and keep it close to the fish.
   • Lowering the water level to allow the fish to reach the beans is also an effective way.

5. 

   Keep track of your fish's symptoms. After a few days of just feeding the fish the beans, the fish's digestive system will return to normal, and you can see that the fish has begun to swim without difficulty. At this point, you can re-feed the fish with the usual food.
   • If symptoms persist, it is possible that the fish has an incurable problem, such as a deformed or damaged internal organs. Wait a few more days to see if the bubble disorder symptoms go away. If the fish are never able to regain their normal ability to swim and eat, perhaps the best solution is to humanely die.
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Method 3 of 3: Prevention of bladder disease in fish

1. 

   Soak the food before feeding the fish. The flakes are usually floating on the surface of the water, so when the fish are floating to eat their food, they will also draw air into their stomach. This can cause the fish's internal organs to swell and lead to a bubble disorder. Try soaking the food before sprinkling it in the tank and submerging it in the water to allow the fish to eat without expelling the fish.
   • You can also buy fish sinks, which automatically sink to the bottom of the tank without pre-soaking.
   • If you are feeding your fish anything other than pellets and flakes, make sure the food is firm and completely thawed before feeding the fish.

2. 

   Do not overfeed the fish. When eaten in excess, fish can become constipated, leading to an enlarged bowel or stomach and causing problems with bubbles. Fish should only be fed a small amount of food once a day. Even if your fish seem hungry all the time, they only need a small amount of food to function properly and stay healthy.

3. 

   Keep the aquarium clean. Dirty aquariums are home to bacteria and parasites, aggravating symptoms of fish diseases and sometimes leading to infection. You need to periodically clean the tank so that the fish can live in clean water instead of swimming in contaminated water.
   • Use the test kit to test pH, ammonia and nitrite levels. The water change also does not ensure the substances in the water are at the right level for the fish, especially if you have never tested the water quality. Goldfish will do best when living in water with a pH between 7.2 and 7.6, and ammonia and nitrate levels should be between 0 and 0.25 ppm.
   • Try an aquarium salt that is specially designed for freshwater aquariums. This salt is effective in preventing disease and strengthening the immune system for goldfish.

4. 

   Maintain an appropriate water temperature. Check regularly to make sure the water temperature stays around 21 degrees Celsius. Goldfish won't do well in colder water. Water at a temperature lower than this level can make the fish heavier and slow to digest. advertisement

Advice

• If you regularly feed your fish pellets and flakes, pre-soak in a cup of water in the tank. Food often contains many air bags during production and can become trapped in the fish's digestive system.
• Fish with these symptoms may be attacked by other fish in the tank. You should also put the sick fish in a “hospital” tank to help the fish recover.
• Do not place the aquarium in the sun to avoid algae growth.

Warning

• Even if you want to feed your fish with human food, you should not do it because it is not the natural diet of fish. That will cause indigestion and can poison the fish.
• Never Keep the goldfish in small round jars, as these tanks lack space and water filters.