Cure for suspected Swim Bladder Disease?

[acsrmjq]

Hi All,

Today I noticed that one of my Honey Gouramies was swimming lethargically at the bottom of my tank. As the day has gone on I have noticed that it cannot swim straight and lops from side to side, sometimes resting on its side. Water parameters seem OK ( 0 Amm, 0 Nitrite, 20ppm Nitrate) and this is the only fish in the community aquarium displaying these symptoms.

The only other visible symptom appears to be a bloated stomach so the symptoms suggest Swim Bladder Disease. From experience, could anybody tell me if there is a cure for this? Please note that I unfortunately do not have a hospital tank as I have no room (I know this is far from ideal). Is there a cure that could be used in a community tank (cherry barbs, Harlequin Rasbora, Guppies, Panda Cories)?

Thanks


Matt Quish

 

[FishKitty]

Decrease the water flow in the tank to help with stress. Raise the temperature a few degrees. Try feeding them some peas (cook, peel, cut into tiny chunks). Other than peas I would try to keep the gourami from eating anything. Most other food can just make the blockage worse. There isn't really a definite cure. Either it goes away or they pass. If it gets to the point where the gourami refuses to eat anything, just lays at the bottom of the tank for an extended period of time, seems to be gasping for air, (seems generally miserable) you may want to consider euthanasia. Swim bladder disease is very uncomfortable for them.

In my experience, especially with gouramis, the methods
I first mentioned have seemed to help. I have had some success and some failures. Unfortunately they are very finicky fish.

There are ways to isolate a fish without having to invest in a quarantine tank. You can get a tank divider, a plastic specimen container (like what the LFS uses when they are netting out fish you are purchasing), or even a small betta tank can be made to float inside your main tank. To be honest I have found that it is a lot less stressful for the fish to isolate them in a specimen container (which then hangs from the top edge of the tank into the main water) than to move them to a whole other tank. That is, when I'm isolating a fish that does not have a contagious disease or infection.
It isn't entirely necessary to isolate a fish with swim bladder disease except for the convenience of treating them.

 

[acsrmjq]

Thanks for getting back to me. Unfortunately the fish died before I could implement any of your suggestions Is it possible for Swim Bladder Disease to kill so quickly after symptoms develop? It died barely 12 hours after it first displayed the symptoms.

The fish was only bought 3 weeks ago so can't be old age (although it was bought as an adult). None of the other fish are displaying any symptoms and water parameters appear fine so will have to hope it's just an unfortunate 'one off'.

Thanks anyway.


Matt Quish