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One of the most common problems with fancy goldfish is that they are highly susceptible to developing a disorder of one or both chambers of their swim bladder. Depending on the cause of the swim bladder disorder, it is usually not fatal and there are various treatment or management options to help your goldfish overcome or manage swim bladder disorder.
Like all bony fish, goldfish possess a swim bladder.In a common, comet, and shubunkin goldfish, it is structured appropriately inside of their body. Unfortunately, fancy goldfish like fantails, Ranchu, Orandas, or black moors have unique anatomies and conformations (owed to centuries of selective breeding), which often renders them at higher risk for developing swim bladder issues.
In this article, we will be informing you on how to identify signs of swim bladder disorder and how to treat and prevent it from happening to your goldfish.
Swim Bladder Disorder Explained
All bony fish possess a swim bladder. This organ is an appendage that originates from their foregut. Its primary role is to help maintain proper body buoyancy. In some species of fish, it may also serve other functions, such as the production of sound.
Though most fish possess a single-chambered swim bladder, goldfish possess a dual-chamber swim bladder. In addition, goldfish are also classified as physostomous fish; this means that they have a duct that connects to their esophagus, and this duct allows for gulping or expulsion of air to help inflate or deflate their swim bladder as needed. This also means that their swim bladder is effectively “connected” to their digestive system as well.
As the name suggests, swim bladder disorder is any ailment, deformity, pathology, or injury that results in a malfunction of the swim bladder. As the swim bladder malfunctions, the afflicted fish can no longer manage their buoyancy properly and will lose the ability to orient themselves or swim properly. Depending on the underlying cause of the disorder, the affected fish may or may not appear otherwise healthy.
Signs of Swim Bladder Disorder
- Swimming upside down
- Floating to the surface uncontrollably
- Swimming with its head down
- Sinking to the bottom
- Swimming lopsided
- Rashes and wounds from bottom-sitting or exposure to the air
- Passing empty poop casings
- Swollen stomach
Treating Swim Bladder Disorder in Goldfish
Step 1: Move the infected fish into a treatment tank. This ensures you do not medicate the main tank with any medications (this may be harmful to your other fish). It also means that you’d use less medication (as hospital tanks are smaller than community tanks).
Step 2: Use an aquarium heater to gradually increase the temperature between 24° to 26°C.
Step 3: Consider treating your fish with Epsom salts (according to the instructions on the product you select)
Step 4: Consider boiling and de-shelling a pea and squishing it between your fingers for the goldfish to eat.
What About Medication?
Though many medications exist in the market for a myriad of fish diseases, it is important to note that you should not use these unless you are instructed to do so by a veterinarian. Without knowing the cause of your goldfish’s ailment, you should not administer prophylactic treatment; this can in fact make matters much worse by giving rise to antimicrobial resistance1.
The 5 Preventative Measures to Try
- Keep the water in the goldfish tank clean using a filter and frequent water changes. Dirty water is a breeding ground for different bacteria that may infect the swim bladder organ.
- Feed high-quality food alongside algae pellets and blanched green vegetables.
- Consider purchasing or adopting your fish from reputable breeders with a healthy breeding stock.
- Feed goldfish sinking foods, as this minimizes the ingestion of air during feeding time.
- Ask your veterinarian for surgical options for a fish with recurring swim bladder issues; some fish bounce back remarkably well with minimally invasive procedures which help reorient a swim bladder.
Peas as a ‘Cure’
Normally the first treatment method that comes to mind when a goldfish develops swim bladder issues is to feed them peas. Peas are praised as a cure for the disorder, but this is simply not true. Peas have nothing special about them and they do not contain anti-bacterial properties to kill off a possible bacterial infection in the swim bladder organ.
Peas are generally fed to make your goldfish pass waste easier, but it will not work for cases where pathogens or genetic disorders are a problem.
The Truth About Fasting Goldfish
Aside from feeding peas, many goldfish keepers will recommend fasting the goldfish when they have swim bladder disorder or claim it is a preventative measure if done once a week. This might help with a fish if they are being constantly overfed. However, for fish being fed a normal amount on a daily basis with species-appropriate foods, this isn’t necessary.
Healthy adult goldfish should ideally be fed around 3% of their body weight in food, split into two meals per day as a general guideline. This amount should be increased to 5% for juvenile fish.
Bacterial Infection of the Swim Bladder
The swim bladder is at risk of being impaired by a bacterial infection. Dirty water is the main reason the swim bladders can be infected with certain bacterial pathogens. However, as mentioned earlier, you should not administer antibiotic treatments unless you have a confirmed diagnosis of a bacterial infection from your veterinarian. It is also important to note that the signs of a bacterial infection in fish are not unique; a fish afflicted with other types of pathogens (for example, certain viruses) may show signs similar to those of a fish suffering from a bacterial ailment.
If your fish isn't behaving or looking as it normally does and you suspect it may be sick, ensure you provide the right treatment, by checking out the best-selling and comprehensive book The Truth About Goldfish on Amazon today. It has entire chapters dedicated to in-depth diagnoses, treatment options, a treatment index, and a list of everything in our fishkeeping medicine cabinet, natural and commercial (and more!).
Genetically Faulty Swim Bladder Organs
Fancy goldfish are over-bred to produce unique body types and features. This results in the organs being compacted in an unnatural form. It is not uncommon for fancy goldfish to have especially problematic swim bladders simply due to the way their internal organs are found within their body. This may lead to the goldfish developing chronic swim bladder issues that will occur throughout their life.
Constipation
Constipation is a common occurrence in goldfish that are fed an inadequate or inappropriate diet. If you feed your goldfish more live foods and commercial mixes tailored towards carnivorous fish, they are likely to develop swim bladder disorders. Feeding your goldfish foods rich in fiber is a good preventative measure against constipation.
Wrapping It Up
Although goldfish develop issues with their swim bladder regularly, if you follow the correct preventative measures and feed them a high-quality diet, your goldfish will be less likely to develop any swim bladder disorder. Since fancy goldfish with abnormal body types are at risk of developing this issue more easily, try to only keep goldfish that have a somewhat natural body shape similar to common or comet goldfish. Though controversial, it is worth mentioning that at times, avoiding the purchase of goldfish like pearl scales or Orandas may also be a potential “fix”.
Featured Image Credit: M-Production, Shutterstock
