Flotation bladder?

[ScubaDave]

Hello there! One of my fish is ill and can no longer float. He is constantly upside down unless he is swimming and the only way he can seem to stay the right way up is if he keeps himself moving. A friend of mine mentioned that his "flotation bladder" might be gone however I really have no idea what this means.

What can I do for him?

[Mr.Reefer]

Hi ScubaDave, the "flotation bladder" disease is a freshwater fish disease, most commonly in goldfish, here's some info:

Swim Bladder Problems Symptoms:
Fish can control their position in the water with the swim bladder, an organ that fills with or expels air to affect flotation. Swim bladder related problems can lead to malfunction of the swim bladder so that the fish can no longer control its flotation and orientation, or can do so only with considerable effort. Swim bladder problems are most common in short-bodied goldfish, eg fantails, orandas and so forth. In these fish the swim bladder is often slightly deformed, putting the fish at a much greater risk of developing swim bladder problems.
A swim bladder problem may develop as the fish grows, with the defect only becoming apparent later in life. Diet can also exacerbate swim bladder problems. Goldfish are prone to constipation, and swim bladder problems will become much worse when the fish is constipated. Water temperature can also affect the operation of the swim bladder. Swim bladder problems can also be caused by internal growths and tumours or by bacterial infections.
Prevention:
Most swim bladder problems are not preventable, however, feeding fancy goldfish a good diet will prevent constipation and associated swim bladder problems. A mix of prepared and frozen foods, particularly with frozen brine shrimp as a supplement, is best.
Treatment:
There is no treatment possible for swim bladder problems caused by genetic defects or internal growths, however, a fish can often live with the swim bladder problem for many months. Feed the fish brine shrimp to ensure that it is not a simple case of constipation or correct any other dietary problems.
Blocked intestines can and will interfere with the function of the swim bladder. If this is the case, a cure is easy to effect.
First check your water. If you are not using marine salt, gradually add it to the tank over a twelve hour period (addition of one tablespoon per five gallons does wonders).
Fast the fish for 4 days. Don't worry a hungry fish is better than a dead one! This will enable the fish to clear itself out, and normal function of the swim bladder should return. After the fourth day, resume feeding with live or frozen brine shrimp.
By this time you should have learned your lesson, and will go on to provide your goldfish with a more nutritious well-balanced diet as recommended.

[ScubaDave]

Ah that makes things a little clearer for me. The little guy in question is in one of my fresh water tanks now that I think about it! I'll be sure to try the above treatment and see if I can get him feeling any better! Thank you very much for the information!

[whynotfive]

I hope that you have some luck with this. I kept fancy goldfish for a long time and the fantails were very prone to it despite a good diet. They would struggle come summer time when the water got a little too warm and I would find that in that case, simply changing the water and moving the tank to a cooler room would help. But more often than not, they were not long from dead.

[ScubaDave]

It does seem like this one is not far from dead, i've tried the suggestions above and anything else I can think of but alas he's still floating there upside down. It's quite sad really, but I don't have the heart to "put him out of his misery" so to speak. He's been like this for months though, which is the really surprising thing. That he's lasted so long.

[whynotfive]

If he has gone on for this long it is a little puzzling. It really does make it sound more like a constipation type issue than an infection or other disease process going on. And yes, he will go down hill, they were not made to live upside down.

[ScubaDave]

I think perhaps more brine shrimp are in order. It does seem as if it's not a disease as if it was I would persume there would be some kind of harmful effect to him (such as death) beyond the floating upside down.