Swim Bladder Disorder
The swim bladder (buoyancy organ) stops functioning correctly. Fish may float at the surface, sink to the bottom, or swim sideways. Common causes include overfeeding, constipation, bacterial infection, or physical injury.
Check these symptoms in your tankSymptoms of Swim Bladder Disorder
- Swimming sideways or upside down
- Sitting on bottom abnormally
- Spinning or erratic movement
- Swollen/bloated abdomen
How to treat Swim Bladder Disorder
- Fast the fish for 2–3 days, often resolves constipation-related cases
- Feed cooked, peeled peas (for constipation), the fiber helps digestion
- Epsom salt bath if constipation is suspected
- If infection suspected: Kanaplex or Furan-2
- Reduce water level to make swimming easier while recovering
How to prevent it
- Feed small amounts twice daily rather than one large feeding
- Include variety in diet, pellets, frozen, fresh foods
- Soak dry pellets before feeding to prevent air ingestion
Conditions with similar symptoms
Swelling of the abdomen causing scales to protrude outward like a pinecone. Often caused by internal bacterial infection, kidney failure, or organ damage. Difficult to treat and often fatal.
Caused by the microsporidian parasite Pleistophora hyphessobryconis. Primarily affects neon and cardinal tetras. The characteristic bright blue stripe fades or turns white. No known cure, the name is misleading as other fish can contract it too.
Includes skin and gill flukes, anchor worms, and fish lice (Argulus). Fish may scratch against objects (flashing) and produce excess mucus. Often introduced with new fish or live food.
Not sure? Use the symptom checker
Many fish diseases look alike. Pick the symptoms you see in the free fish disease checker to compare likely causes, or scan a test strip to rule out a water problem first.