# is my fish dying?



## hayleyb (Feb 10, 2009)

my fish was suffering swim bladder a few months ago, this has been treated and my fish got a little better. but now he's lyin on the bottom of the tank and cant really move. or he's vertical in the water with his head pointin down

can anyone help please.


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## Guest (May 12, 2009)

In some cases swimbladder problems can result in permanent damage, of course it would depend on the cause. Internal damage or tumors are untreatable and even if the fish does 'pull-through' it will be still be affected in the future, even internal-bacterial infections can result in lasting damage.

Could you provide some more info on the tank, including the size, filtration type, diet and water parameters. Also is the fish showing any other symptoms?


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## hayleyb (Feb 10, 2009)

its a biube and before you go arghhh and shout lol im currtently lookin into gettin somethin with better reviews as im aware the biube is no good but had already purchased.
its 35L and has been runnin since september last year and id had the fish a year previous to that which had been in an elite 14.
i do a water change every 4 weeks and was advised to remove 1/3 of the water. i replace the air pump every 6 weeks and the filter system every 6 months
as for other symptoms hes not showing anythin wrong, wat symptoms wud i look for

i do have another fish which i got a few months after this one which is absoloutely fine

any other info that wud help?


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## Guest (May 12, 2009)

Don't worry, I've been in the Bi-orb camp myself a few times, to be honest I think most fishkeepers have been there... 

I would recommend increasing the frequency of the water changes to once every two weeks, the current size of the water changes is fine. In terms of symptoms are there any unusual lumps on the fishes body? Also does the body profile look normal?

Finally we could do with some info on the water parameters (pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate) and also the fishes diet as these are linked to swimbladder problems.


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## hayleyb (Feb 10, 2009)

his body seems fine altho his stomach is a little rounded but other than that hes fine. his stomach has also been like this since i got him. i did get him with another fish which dies a few weeks later so i put that down to the condition it was in when i bought it.

as for the water tests i dnt do them leave that to my brother who comes up to do them as i wudnt no wat im lookin for and i feed them tetrafin flakes


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## Guest (May 12, 2009)

When you feed the flakes do you just throw them in the tank or do you soak them first? Too much dry food can cause bloat and if the fish are feeding off the surface then they will take in a considerable amount of air, this can result in swimbladder problems as the air enters the gut cavity.


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## hayleyb (Feb 10, 2009)

i jst put them in. i tried soaking once but it didnt really go according to plan.

do you think there is anythin i can do for him? is it worth putting some more treatment in the water?


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## Guest (May 12, 2009)

Personally I wouldn't bother with broad-spectrum swimbladder medications, they rarely get to the root of the problem. However here is what I would try...

1) Obtain a clean, plastic container and fill it up with dechlorinated water so that it's just enough to cover the fishes body. The lowered water depth will reduce the pressure on the fishes body, thus relieving the pressure on the gut cavity.

2) Add some epsom salts at a dosage of 1 teaspoon per five gallons. Epsom salts are a known laxative so they will help to clear out the gut cavity.

3) Carry out these baths once a day for the next few days, do not leave the fish in the bath for longer than 20 minutes.

4) Stop feeding the dry food for a week or so and if you can get any, feed some more frozen and live foods such as brineshrimp, daphnia and bloodworm.

If none of the above shows any sign of improvement, go to a reputable aquatic store and look for an anti-internal bacteria treatment. Perform a full course of the treatment according to the manufacturers instructions.


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## hayleyb (Feb 10, 2009)

cheers for your help you may have saved my fish life. will get on it 2moro 

thanx again


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