Gas Bubble and Swimbladder in Fish

Let's talk about gas bubble and swimbladder in fish. It is common for pet fish to develop health issues that can easily be prevented. Many fish owners aren't aware of the various illnesses and disorders that fish can develop. Fish have can have health problems just like other animals. The sad part is most of these health problems are caused by the fish owner.

Two of this issues include Gas Bubble Disease and Swimbladder Disease. Gas Bubble Disease is the result of water that changes in water temperature or pressure. If your fish appears to have bubbles under their scales, they may have Gas Bubble Disease. This typically happens after someone changes the water in an aquarium. The fresh water contains too much nitrogen, which gets into the fish's blood stream. The gas bubbles can harm the fish and it is important to put a fish with gas bubbles into aerated water.

Aerating water increases the amount of oxygen and removes the excess nitrogen. Once the water is at its proper gas levels, fish should start to recover. Always aerate clean water and don't put fish into warm clean water immediately. Before putting fish in the water, let it sit, stir it up a lot, or put a filter in it.

Also, goldfish have small air sacs inside them that allow them to dive down and go back up to the surface so easily. When a fish's digestive tract gets blocked the air sacs become overinflated and the fish can't properly swim.

They are often floating at the top of the tank, as if they were dead, but they are breathing and alive. A fish in this condition, must be treated immediately or they can die from not eating or from the stress. Even if you treat them immediately it can take a week or so for them to start to recover. Swimbladder can be caused by poor water quality, over feeding, unbalanced diet, or thermal shock, similar to gas bubble disease.

The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your veterinarian or other health care professional. You should not use the information on this site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any medication or other treatment.