Why All The Swim Bladder Problems?

[bushka]

Hi. I posted a couple of weeks ago about euthanising a fish (fry) that had no swim bladder control. It just sat at the bottom of the tank. I am raising about a dozen red platys, and now I'm finding that 3 more of them are starting to do the same thing! Water quality parameters are normal, and the fish are growing well. They were small fry when I started, but are still quite small. Is is normal for 1/3 of the fry to develop this kind of problem?

Thanks for any insight,
bushka

 

[WILDER]

What are you feeding the fry.
Do any adult fish look on the thin side or have sunken in bellys.
What does it look like when the fish go to the toilet.
Do any fish have enlarged anus or red and inflamed anus.
Do the fry look bloated.

 

[bushka]

What are you feeding the fry.
Do any adult fish look on the thin side or have sunken in bellys.
What does it look like when the fish go to the toilet.
Do any fish have enlarged anus or red and inflamed anus.
Do the fry look bloated.

I'm feedin Tetra-Min flakes. The one that originally had the bladder problem was always very thin. These 3 are very normal and healthy looking other than the tendency to rest on the bottom when not feeding. All the fish have little round bellies. I don't know what is normal for small fish like this, but nothing appears to be too unusual. Their stool, what I've seen, has been normal. I'll look some more for this to be sure. I haven't noticed any anus problem but I'll check again when I am home later tonight. If anything is different than what I have said here, then I'll post again tonight to correct.

Thanks,
bushka

 

[bushka]

The only thing I see unusual about the fish that are having trouble swimming is the way they swim. The "normal" fish move both fins at the same time and move through the water smoothly. The sick ones seem to flap each fin alternately and also wag the tail portion of their body, so they look laboured as they move. There are no adult fish in the tank -- they're all growing fry. Should I expect 12 out of 12 fry to grow healthily into adulthood, or is it normal to lose so many?

Thanks!
bushka

 

[bushka]

Sorry, I missed an observation. The fish with problems have flat, almost concave stomaches. The healthy fish have rounded bellies. One the sick fish has a white, thin poop like very small dental floss right now.

bushka

 

[WILDER]

The fish need a more varied diet of frozen foods and veg.
Are the fish still eating that have gone thin.
How old are they.
How many gallons is the tank.
How many fish and which type.
Water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.
Being thin and sunken in belly can be bacterial, fish tb, to internal parasites.
The fish could have internal parasites if its thin, sunken in belly, and white poo.
Lost any fish to bent spines, dropsy, or popeye.

 

[bushka]

The fish need a more varied diet of frozen foods and veg.
Are the fish still eating that have gone thin.
How old are they.
How many gallons is the tank.
How many fish and which type.
Water stats in ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and ph.
Being thin and sunken in belly can be bacterial, fish tb, to internal parasites.
The fish could have internal parasites if its thin, sunken in belly, and white poo.
Lost any fish to bent spines, dropsy, or popeye.

What do you suggest for frozen foods and veg?

The thin fish appear to be eating. You can't tell the difference by their appetite.
I started them from fry (red platys) and are maybe 2 months old. I'd say they are about 1/4" long plus tail.
5 gallon "Corner 5" tank around 78 F.
Have 11 fish currently (I know, but they are small), all red platys. 4 of them are now showing this problem!
Water parameters normal -
nitrate 20
nitrite 0
hardness - hard to very hard (no measurement)
alkalinity around 120
pH around 7.8

I haven't lost any fish to any other disease. I lost just one to the same problem a month ago. I posted on that here originally and had to euthanize the fish. For now I guess some water changes would help. I was changing a little bit each day early on, but backed off some on that.

Thanks!
bushka

 

[azulfire24]

isnt stringi white poop a sign of internal infection? bacteria i think??

 

[WILDER]

isnt stringi white poop a sign of internal infection? bacteria i think??
Long stringy white poo can mean constipation, bacterial infection, internal parasites.
I think I would use an internal wormer on your fish.


http/www.thegreenmachineaquatics.com/mal...ol%20001/198936

 

[jesusjones]

I have a tank full of Guppy's

And some of mine spend all day on the gravel. Untill feeding time, when they swim around and grab a bite to eat. That's just how they were born


Just learn to love them
Rudy

 

[WILDER]

There something wrong if the guppys are spending alot of time on the gravel.
Are they also leaning to oneside.

 

[bushka]

I have a tank full of Guppy's

And some of mine spend all day on the gravel. Untill feeding time, when they swim around and grab a bite to eat. That's just how they were born


Just learn to love them
Rudy

But they weren't doing this until just recently, and they aren't moving normally. I thought it might be genetic, like you should expect that some percentage of fry won't make it to adulthood, but it sounds like that's not the case.

bushka