Treatment for True Swim Bladder

[rdd1952]

What is the best way to treat a true swim bladder problem? I have a cory that seems to be getting better now but I'm sure his problem was a swim bladder issue and not constipation. I did a water change about 3 days ago. It was actually a small one just so I could do a gravel vacuum to clean up some algae. I only syphoned 5 gallons from my 29 gallon tank. I added water back relatively slowly, using a 2.5 qt bucket to pour it in. I poured slowly, taking about 15 to 20 seconds to pour in each bucket full. Since I have sand for substrate, I have to make sure I don't pour too vigorously and stir up the bottom.

After I finished, I put the top down and went into the other room. I came back about 10 or 15 minutes later and had 2 corys really laboring to breathe. One of them was still on the bottom while the other was floating belly up on the top. I quickly inserted 2 air pumps into the tank (this is a planted tank and I never run air in it).

The cory that was on the top, was showing all the common signs of swim bladder - floating belly up, not being able to stay put on the bottom without floating up, etc. Since he had been perfectly fine before the water change, I wondered if something I did could have caused some sort of bladder issue. He wasn't any where near where I was pouring the water back in so I know he didn't get blasted with water.
I isolated him in a breeder box in the same tank and he seems to be doing much better but still looks as if he may be listing to the side slightly when he tries to lay still on the bottom.

 

[WILDER]

If there still eating try a shelled pea on them, there was no chemicals in the bucket you added the water with, if you do want to medicate it would be best to issolate them and use an anti internal bacteria med, good luck.

 

[WILDER]

It's a betta site but it applies to all fish.
http/www.mushi.petfish.net/swimbladder.html

 

[BettaMomma]

My first guess is also that there might have been something in the bucket - some sort of chemical that it came in contact with.

Is that possible?

 

[rdd1952]

He did eat some pea the first night after I had put him in the breeder box. At least when I have a fish in there, I know when he has eaten. There definitely wasn't anything in the bucket other than water and Stress Coat. It's the same bucket I use all the time. I don't really want to use medication unless I have to as I currently don't have a quarantine tank that I could use.

Edit: Just as a further reference to the bucket, I have used the same bucket the last two nights without any problems.

 

[BettaMomma]

That's extremely odd.
This is a silly question, but you're positive you dechlorinated, right?

Hmm...

 

[WILDER]

That's ok then, if the fish were already poorly when you added the water it would make them do that,you could try anti internal bacteria med, or a swim bladder med.

 

[rdd1952]

Definitely put the dechlorinator in. If it had been several fish, I would questioned that more but since it was only one fish and the symptoms were so much like swim bladder, I'm certain that isn't the problem. As I say, he seems to be doing much better. I was just curious as to what the best treatment for true swim bladder was. Thanks to everyone for the help.

 

[BettaMomma]

Aaaah - I see what you're saying.

As far as what treatment for swim bladder, there really isn't one cure-all for it. You really have to determine what the cause of it is and then treat the cause. If it's constipation, that one's easy - use the pea trick. If it's internal infection, that one is a little harder to diagnose. But, it can be done - GrullaQuarters and I just nursed one little guy back to good health from a bad case of it by treating him with Maracyn Two for an infection and he has made a complete recovery. When we started, he couldn't even right himself on the bottom of the tank - he laid on his side when he wasn't struggling up to the top of the tank. Other things that can cause it to flare up are tumors which, unless you know of a good fish surgeon, you're basically going to end up saying goodbye. It can also be a deformity within the fish that causes it - just the way their bodies are made up, not much you can do about it. The last cause that I am aware of is from someone dropping them - or some other kind of injury. Not much that can be done about this, either, except to make yourself feel better by reaming the snot out of the person who injured it, unless it was an accident.