Long-Term Swim Bladder Emergency

[SimShadow]

Hi everyone,
 
I have a Silver Dollar that has appeared to have swim bladder disease for over 2 months now. For over a month it spent it's time constantly swimming upwards just to stay buoyant. I tried fasting, feeding shelled peas and also tried epsom salts to no avail. (I figured it must have injured itself as Silver Dollars are prone to do so with their erratic swimming.)
 
Then it just disappeared for several weeks, which was a mystery. I now know it must have been hiding somewhere because it appeared again a week ago and seemed a little better, though it had definitely got a LOT smaller, I assume from not eating.
 
Now it spends it's time laying on a bed of Java Moss completely still and breathing heavily, looking up at the surface. When I disturb it, is does still swim around fairly normally (fast and erratic like all Silver Dollars), but it clearly still has the swim bladder problem as it is always sinking, and it soon returns to its still position.
 
I feel really sorry for it, laying still and slowly starving to death. Do I euthanise it, or keep hoping it miraculously improves? I assume I should just put it out of it's misery. If so, what is the best method? 
 
Thanks for all your help.

 

[star4]

With the length of time there maybe unrepairable damage now to the swim bladder. One thing you can try, which I have had success with, is to put the fish in a smaller tank with only enough water to cover the fish when it is upright, the lower water level has less pressure on the swim bladder allowing it to heal. You can also try soaking food in garlic juice (a couple of drops) this usually stimulates the appetite and boosts the immune system. However from your description of him lying on his side breathing heavily it maybe too late.

 

[GoldenRoses]

Hello,

I am very sorry to hear your fish is ill. Poor thing.

Could you please provide some additional information about your tank and fish? Specifically the tank size, inhabitants, and age of tank. Additionally, are his scales protruding at all? There are quite a few things that can cause issue with buoyancy and equilibrium, so we first need to find the cause and intern the treatment.

However, his current state is not promising. Taking a look at euthanasia via clove oil wouldn't be a bad idea.

Let us know.