# Swim Bladder



## Jazmyn (Nov 30, 2009)

Hey

My Red Devil seems to have swim Bladder. I have had him for over 2 1/2yrs. He's about a Foot and a half long and is the only one living in his 4 foot tank. The tank has been set up for nearly 3 yrs and PH and Amonia tests are all normal.

He has been sick since Wed today is Mon which is 6 days. His Left side near his tail is floating upwards forcing him to rise and be upside down. He keeps fighting it trying to stay at the bottom of the tank and is generally sitting with his head on the bottom and his tail in the air near his filter or Bubble bar. As the days go buy it is harder for him to stay in one place and is mostly fighting to stay down swimming hard.

I have given him 3 salt baths which I did every second day with the ratio being 3 Tablespoons of epson salts to every 10 liters of water for 20min.

He hasn't eaten since Wed it's now Mon. I have even resorted to force feeding him but he just spits it out once my hand has moved. I'm trying to feed him the same type of food he has eaten for the past year and peas as they are supposed to help Swim Bladder but he won't eat them.

Everyday I have been helping hold him down in a normal position and letting him swim around like this for 20min at least in an attempt to let the blood stop rushing to his head and let him swim normal for a little bit. He seems to know I'm helping him and gets a little bit more like his normal self after we do this.

I am devistated that he is not getting better an do not want him to be in pain but I also don't want to let him go until I know I have tried every possible way to save him.

Any feedback would be appreicated as I love him so much and just want to do anything to make him better.


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## Robin (Sep 18, 2002)

Hi,

sorry to hear of your fish's difficulties.

It may be a swim bladder issue, it may be that he's just weak. The Epsom salt was a good move. You can actually keep him in a solution of 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons. 
Swim bladder symptoms can come from a number of things, not all of them treatable.

I would next try treating him with an antibiotic. Maracyn and Maracyn-two, used together or Kanaplex, or Kanamycin. 
I would be cautious about doing anything too invasive, such as force feeding as this might weaken your fish further and make it harder for him to recover. I do get the impression though that you are well intuned to this fish's needs so go with your instincts on that.

Please post back with an update on the fish. PM me if I don't respond right away. 

Robin


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## kmuda (Nov 27, 2009)

You've identified your ammonia levels are good. My experience is that swim bladder type issues in fish are generally the result of nitrate induced ailments. How high are your nitrates?

There is a direct correlation between excessive nitrates and a fish's immune system. As nitrates increase, the fish's immune system decreases, which makes it susceptable to a wide range of bacterial and viral ailments it would otherwise not be susceptable to. At the same time, attempting to cure a fish if the nitrates remain excessive is more or less a wasted effort as the fish's immune system will not be properly functional. Antibacterial medications rarely provide a cure, on their own. What they do is limit the bacteria to a point where the fish's immune system catches up. If the fish's immune system is not fully functional, this will not occur.

So before medicating, it is important you know what your nitrate levels are. Prior to treatment, and for the duration of treatment, I recommend getting nitrates (and keeping them) below 10ppm. Of course, if this involves consecutive massive water changes to bring nitrate within this range, you have to be aware of the possibility of Old Tank Syndrome and the other potential hazards associated with large water changes. In general, if the pH, KH, and GH (and temp) of your tap water is the same as your tank, you can change as much water as needed without concern.


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