Best way to treat bladder disease

[i3k]

One of my Serpae tetras seems to have swimming bladder problems. About 4 days ago it started swimming sideways. I immediately transferred it to a 5gal bucket with fresh water and an airstone going. The next day it got worse, swimming upside down and doing the spiral swim. I started it treating it with antibiotics. Has been on tetracycline for 3 days now and the fish is not improving.

By the way, I tested the water in the tank the fish was in, and all water parameters are normal. I do about 40% water changes every 12 days. (30gal.)

So are antibiotics the right treatment for bladder disease?

 

[dkpate]

You can try boiled, shelled peas, if he'll eat them.

 

[i3k]

He shows no interest in food at the moment.

 

[dkpate]

Have you tried soaking the food in garlic? Not regular food, just the peas. You can also try putting the piece of pea on the end of a blunted toothpick.
If that doesn't work, you can try salt. 1 tsp per gallon, dissolved before you put it in.

 

[libbyb]

Will Melafix help at all?

 

[thunderwaved]

Melafix won't help his bladder disease...

@dkpate I thought thawed peas will do? Do they have to be boiled?

 

[dkpate]

Boiling them makes them softer. I always freaked out about the hard pieces getting stuck in the fish. I pick ALL hard pieces out of the mush when I feed them.

 

[Saltypuppy]

I would fast him for a day. Than boil up some peas. You can cook them in a coffee cup full of water for 2 minutes, Take them out of the shell and put little bits on the end of a toothpick. Try and get him to eat it. If he doesn't I would fast another day, He should get hungry sooner or later... so he should take the peas, After you get him to take peas I would fast him on more day than start regular food again. Maybe give him less the first day he is back on real food. Good luck!

 

[i3k]

Well he hasn't eaten since the problem started...it's been what, 8-9 days now...the antibiotics are not helping any...i keep changing his water in the 5 gal bucket every other day...don't know what else to try...maybe it's not bladder disease? maybe he damaged his bladder? In that case nothing will probably help him =/

 

[Saltypuppy]

No interest at all? Maybe he is getting scraps of food at the bottom? Is he loosing weight. I wonder if something else could be wrong... do you have any other symptoms?

 

[i3k]

Yea no interest in food at all. He got pretty slim over the week. The only symptoms I see is him swimming sideways, spiral swimming, swimming counter wise in small circles.

 

[i3k]

The tetra died.

 

[dkpate]

 

[Saltypuppy]

Oh I'm sorry. :C Well at least you tried. Sorry for your loss.