Swim Bladder Syndrome

Swim bladder syndrome is a disease common amongst bettas and other fish which causes them to have trouble swimming. While it is not difficult to treat, it should be taken very seriously, as the conditions leading up to it can be lethal if left untreated.

Explanation

• The swim bladder, also known as the gas bladder, is a small sac within a fish which helps it to maintain buoyancy. If the fish needs to be more buoyant, the sac inflates, and if it needs to be less buoyant, the sac deflates. When the swim bladder is affected, the fish's balance is thrown off and it can no longer swim properly.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of swim bladder syndrome include swimming at a strange angle, floating uncontrollably to the top of the tank or sinking to the bottom, and appearing to struggle greatly while swimming. Some fish may have a kinked spine or bloated looking belly. Others may lie around, barely moving save for the occasional mad dash to the top for air.

Causes

• The most common cause of swim bladder syndrome is constipation. The intestines expand and press on the swim bladder, distorting the shape of it. Other possible causes include viral infection, bacterial infection, injury, and simple genetics. Globoid-shaped fishes, for example, are more prone to swim bladder syndrome because all of their guts are squashed up in their abdomen next to the swim bladder.

Treatment

• While treatment varies, fasting the sick fish for a few days will usually do the trick. A good way to help the fish's digestion is to feed it a half frozen pea, which is mostly composed of fiber and will encourage breakdown in the digestive tract. Keep the water clean and warm, and if that still does not work, consult a veterinarian.

Prevention

• Avoid feeding fish fatty foods and dry flakes which will expand in water. If dry foods must be fed, pre-soak the food before feeding. Try to keep the tank as clean as possible, and consider breaking the feeding schedule down into several small meals a day rather than one large meal. If the fish is sick from infection, a good, well-kept tank with high quality water is its strongest defense against malicious pathogens.