Swim Bladder Disease in Fish: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Swim bladder disease is a condition that affects fish. Fish use the swim bladder to regulate buoyancy in the water. When the swim bladder suffers from a disease or injury, the fish has a difficult time maintaining buoyancy. Fish with swim bladder disease may float on the top of the tank's surface or lay on the bottom of the tank. Swim bladder disease may be caused by a number of different problems. If your fish is showing signs of swim bladder disease, don't panic; treating the illness is relatively simple.

Things You'll Need

• Fish
• Tank
• Peas

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Instructions

• 1

  Check the quality of your water. Ensuring that your water is in top condition will eliminate the chance of the fish having a bacteria attack.

• 2

  Visit your pet store for an appropriate medication.

• 3

  Stop feeding your fish for a few days. This is an alternative to Step 2. Fish can go up to 10 days without feeding. After a few days, if the fish is not better, feed the fish one green pea a day. It is unknown as to how the peas work, but they tend to get the fish right back up and buoyant!