Swim bladder disease
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Swim bladder disease, also called swim bladder disorder or flipover, is a common ailment in
aquarium fish Lists of aquarium life include lists of fish, amphibians, invertebrates and plants in freshwater, brackish and marine aquariums. In fishkeeping, suitable species of aquarium fish, plants and other organisms vary with the size, water chemistry and ...
. The
swim bladder The swim bladder, gas bladder, fish maw, or air bladder is an internal gas-filled Organ (anatomy), organ that contributes to the ability of many bony fish (but not cartilaginous fish) to control their buoyancy, and thus to stay at their curren ...
is an internal gas-filled
organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...
that contributes to the ability of a
fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...
to control its
buoyancy Buoyancy (), or upthrust, is an upward force exerted by a fluid that opposes the weight of a partially or fully immersed object. In a column of fluid, pressure increases with depth as a result of the weight of the overlying fluid. Thus the p ...
, and thus to stay at the current water depth without having to waste energy in swimming. A fish with swim bladder disorder can float nose down tail up, or can float to the top or sink to the bottom of the aquarium.Johnson, Erik L. and Richard E. Hess (2006) ''Fancy Goldfish: A Complete Guide to Care and Collecting'', Weatherhill, Shambhala Publications, Inc. Swim bladder disease is a very common illness within aquarium fish that results in the bladder not functioning properly causing the fish to swim upside down. This disorder can be due to multiple factors such as physical abnormalities, environmental, mechanical, or in some cases due to fishes being inbred. This disorder is commonly known to be seen in
goldfish The goldfish (''Carassius auratus'') is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It is commonly kept as a pet in indoor aquariums, and is one of the most popular aquarium fish. Goldfish released into the wild have ...
and bettas. With this element being impaired, it will affect the way that they travel and balance themselves throughout the water which is important to how they keep afloat. In worse cases, this disease can result in fish death.


Facts


swim bladder
is an organ that goes by the name air bladder or gas bladder. This organ is created during the embryonic stage from the out-pocketing
canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flow un ...
. Within the fish air bladder is two different halves. The front half (
dorsal Dorsal (from Latin ''dorsum'' ‘back’) may refer to: * Dorsal (anatomy), an anatomical term of location referring to the back or upper side of an organism or parts of an organism * Dorsal, positioned on top of an aircraft's fuselage * Dorsal co ...
) side covered in a thick tissue, which does not allow for much movement or fluctuation. The bladder is tightly linked to the spine, which prevents it from shifting position. The other half (the
ventral Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek language, Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. Th ...
side) of the swim bladder is located closer to the tail. When there is air in the bladder the ventral side can vary substantially in size depending on how much gas is present. The chamber of the swim bladder is only linked to the dorsal chamber by a tiny duct, and its position can shift according to a variety of factors.


Causes

Fancy goldfish are among the fish most commonly affected by this disorder. The disease may be caused by
intestinal parasites An intestinal parasite infection is a condition in which a parasite infects the gastro-intestinal tract of humans and other animals. Such parasites can live anywhere in the body, but most prefer the intestinal wall. Routes of exposure and infe ...
or by
constipation Constipation is a bowel dysfunction that makes bowel movements infrequent or hard to pass. The stool is often hard and dry. Other symptoms may include abdominal pain, bloating, and feeling as if one has not completely passed the bowel movement ...
induced by high
nitrate Nitrate is a polyatomic ion A polyatomic ion, also known as a molecular ion, is a covalent bonded set of two or more atoms, or of a metal complex, that can be considered to behave as a single unit and that has a net charge that is not zer ...
levels from over feeding. As we look deeper into what is happening throughout the body, tissue and organs are being heavily affected. This can be due to overeating, overconsumption, low water temperatures, bacterial infections, parasites, or other impaired organs affecting the bladder. In these particular cases, the fish can end up with a distended belly, curved back, impaired swimming, or even death leaving them floating on top of the water. Typically a fish owner would be able to identify whether or not their fish is suffering from this disease. A change in swim pattern, and change in physical shape and appearance, are the most common signs that a fish is struggling with this disease.


Remedies

A remedy, which can work within hours, perhaps by countering constipation, is to feed
green peas The pea is most commonly the small spherical seed or the seed-pod of the flowering plant species ''Pisum sativum''. Each pod contains several peas, which can be green or yellow. Botanically, pea pods are fruit, since they contain seeds and d ...
to affected fish. Fish surgeons can also adjust the buoyancy of the fish by placing a stone in the swim bladder or performing a partial removal of the bladder. In order to prevent this disease, keep the tank as clean as possible, make sure the temperature is slightly higher than normal to aid in digestion, and, most importantly, feed the fish highly nutritious foods.(Sharpe, S., 2022) By doing maintaining these three factors will give the fish the best chance of not catching this disease. The disease is not contagious, and will not be transmitted to other fish within the same tank. It will be best to separate the fish from others so it can better be treated and have its symptoms observed. By giving them their own separate space will also aide in recovery. It is suggested to keep all pebbles, stones, habitat, floras and other fish accessories out of the tank to give the fish the best chance of survival.


Notes

{{fish disease topics Fishkeeping Fish diseases
Goldfish The goldfish (''Carassius auratus'') is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It is commonly kept as a pet in indoor aquariums, and is one of the most popular aquarium fish. Goldfish released into the wild have ...