Curing Swim Bladder Disease

[bcarlos]

I thought I'd share this little trick with my arowanaclub.ca bro's after a few promising test cases.

My family has been keeping koi for many years, and anyone who has kept koi will know that, in general, they have weak immune systems and are susceptible to a number of ailments. Water quality is absolutely essential, and one of the ailments that may result from poor water quality is swim bladder disease.

Note: there are other reasons for swim bladder issues (damage during shipping/moving, for example), but bacterial issues can commonly be caused by poor water conditions.

I've used an age-old trick to cure swim bladder disease in koi for years-- frozen peas. There is a chemical compound in the pea that can cure bacterial swim bladder disease. I simply throw the peas into the water, and if the fish are stubborn and do not eat, I will soak koi pellets in the pea juice. With plenty of clean water changes, this infection typically cures up in about a week and a half- two weeks.

When I started getting into arowana, I discovered that this was an ailment that also affected this species. Recently, I had a young XB that was showing signs of a swim bladder infection. I hadn't yet had this fish on pellets, and being carnivorous it was going to be impossible to get this fish to swallow down some frozen peas. Could the pea trick be used on Asian arowana, too?

Despite the swim bladder issue, this fish was still readily accepting SW if offered to him. I decided to squeeze the peas for their juice and, using a surgical syringe, inject live SW with this juice. And voila! just like the koi, with regular water changes the arowana was back to normal in less than 2 weeks.

Try this little trick next time you have a fish exhibiting signs of swim bladder disease. It's cheap, effective and could just save your fish's life.

Cheers,

Brandon

 

[AroNoob]

Great tip, thanks for sharing.

 

[hustler]

Awesome post.....
Ive been kicking this around this week as i have recieved a super red with what seems to be this same problem. Ive cured this in the past with heat and salt..... But this guy its been a week since I got him and no improvements....
I will watch him gulp air from the surface and swim on a 45 for 15-20 min and pass the air through his anus and also gills, swim normal for a while then gulp more air. He eats a bit.... and isnt bothered by any of the other aro's, seems healthy other that the 45 degree posture so this will be my next step for sure... Ive read about it with goldfish and koi but was reluctant to try it on an aro.... Glad to finally hear some actual accounts.
Would be a shame to loose him

 

[bcarlos]

Yepp, looks like a swim bladder infection. Assuming it's a bacterial infection, the above method should clear it up quite quickly, especially if he's already got the appetite. Keep us updated!

 

[Cirrus]

I am not aware of much success at curing swim bladder issues that have progressed to the point of a fish passing air. In my experience a fish that has been swimming at 45 degrees for a while and is passing air is likely to stay that way.

I know that fish can show swim bladder stress sometimes after shipping, but this can usually be cured with a week with very low water level (4-6 inches), such that the fish can rest itself at the bottom of the tank for most of the day. That, and some salt and warm water (32 C) have always brought fish around for me.

The use of peas is interesting, will be looking forward to see if it works for you Hustler.

 

[hustler]

Im not too sure how long the fish has been like this, but I know its been a month.... So fingers crossed between the salt heat and peas
Its posts like this that make this forum Invaluable

 

[Boydo]

Peas have a laxative effect on fish (as they are high in fiber) but neither peas, nor pea juice will have any effect on a bacterial or viral condition.

Dr. Erik Johnson, a world renowned koi & goldfish veterinarian discusses this topic in the following link. http://www.fishdoc.co.uk/faq.html

My fish has a swollen / bloated abdomen?
My fish are upside-down/ can't swim

"An attempt should be made to see whether the fish is defecating, in case the problem is being caused by an intestinal blockage. If this is suspected it is worth either trying to feed the fish a few frozen peas, which act as a laxative, or else try baths in Epsom salts (70g / liter for 5 minutes) which has the same effect."

I know that fish can show swim bladder stress sometimes after shipping, but this can usually be cured with a week with very low water level (4-6 inches), such that the fish can rest itself at the bottom of the tank for most of the day. That, and some salt and warm water (32 C) have always brought fish around for me.

This is a fine way to bring a fish around that is experiencing some mild SBD. I would also like to add if your tank water level can't be lowered a slotted rubbermaid tray with some foam added to exterior to float it will work just the same in a large aquarium on smal fish. Epsom salt would be my choice of salt to start with.

If the fish is defecating and the condition still exists there could be several more serious problems that peas will do absolutely nothing to help.

If the fish is head down there is a chance it is serious bacterial infection in which treatment with Trimethoprim and Sulfathiazole Sodium would be best. This would treat for both gram positive and negative bacterial infections. You can also try Kanamycin sulfate, Nitrofurazone, or Tetracycline which may or may not work depending on the severity and type of infection.

Beyond that, there are several other things that can cause SBD:

- Parasitic infestation
- Trauma to the fish (from shipping and/or tank mates)
- Poor genetics and/or a deformed swim bladder
- Cancer or tuberculosis

In short there are many things and varied treatments for SBD. Peas would only treat constipation which could cause some the same symptom in severe cases. These symptom may be similar to SBD but constipation is not SBD.