I have an Angel Fish that cannot swim. It just lies flat on the bottom but manages to raise itself at feeding time. Has been like that for five weeks but obviously taking food and not dying. Suspected bladder disease but I am told this causes fish to float not sink. Any ideas?
Angel Fish disease
- Thread starter Golly
- Start date
PygmyPepperJulli
Fish Crazy
Sorry to hear about it, it's never a great feeling to see something wrong with a fish.
If it's still eating, that's a good sign. As to swim bladder, I'm pretty sure if it's damaged the fish can float OR sink, depending on how it was damages. Since it controls how much air is in the fish so it can rise/fall, I'd say if it totally failed/punctured the fish would sink to the bottom (so yes, it could be swim bladder).
Just so we can help (sorry, but we do need these)...
Water parameters (nitrite, nitrate, ammonia)
Any symptoms (other than it lying at the bottom, white spots, rapid breathing etc)
Pics or a video
Tank size
What else is in the tank (and do they have any symptoms)
Did it get worse progressively or did one day you wake up to find it lying on the floor? May help with diagnosis.
Hope this helps and it recovers!
PPJ
If it's still eating, that's a good sign. As to swim bladder, I'm pretty sure if it's damaged the fish can float OR sink, depending on how it was damages. Since it controls how much air is in the fish so it can rise/fall, I'd say if it totally failed/punctured the fish would sink to the bottom (so yes, it could be swim bladder).
Just so we can help (sorry, but we do need these)...
Water parameters (nitrite, nitrate, ammonia)
Any symptoms (other than it lying at the bottom, white spots, rapid breathing etc)
Pics or a video
Tank size
What else is in the tank (and do they have any symptoms)
Did it get worse progressively or did one day you wake up to find it lying on the floor? May help with diagnosis.
Hope this helps and it recovers!
PPJ
Picture of the entire aquarium?
Video of the fish?
Upload videos to YouTube, then copy & paste the link here.
If you use a mobile phone to film the fish, hold the phone horizontally (landscape mode) so it doesn't get the black bars on each end.
How long has the tank been set up for?
What is the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH in numbers?
How long have you had the fish for?
Did you add anything to the tank in the 2 weeks before this started?
How often do you do water changes and how much do you change?
Do you gravel clean the substrate when you do a water change?
Do you dechlorinate the new water before adding it to the tank?
What sort of filter is on the aquarium?
How often and how do you clean the filter?
How long has the filter been running on the tank?
How often do you feed the fish and what do you feed them?
Video of the fish?
Upload videos to YouTube, then copy & paste the link here.
If you use a mobile phone to film the fish, hold the phone horizontally (landscape mode) so it doesn't get the black bars on each end.
How long has the tank been set up for?
What is the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH in numbers?
How long have you had the fish for?
Did you add anything to the tank in the 2 weeks before this started?
How often do you do water changes and how much do you change?
Do you gravel clean the substrate when you do a water change?
Do you dechlorinate the new water before adding it to the tank?
What sort of filter is on the aquarium?
How often and how do you clean the filter?
How long has the filter been running on the tank?
How often do you feed the fish and what do you feed them?
I have a 30ltr tank with just two fish. A smallish angel and a smallish silver shark. The Angel seems to have bladder disease. I change all water and clean substrate about once per 3 weeks. This has been the the situation for several months with no mishap, The Angel suddenly developed a disease which causes it to lie on the bottom. It eats ok and has the power to thrust itself upwards and feed (daily) but soon sinks down again. I have just bought another Angel to see if that makes a difference, There is clearly some interest and increased movement of the sick fish. I don't know how to measure water quality but I use tap water decontaminated with Prime. Thanks for your help everyone. Fingers crossed.
Your tank sounds like it is overstocked even for one angelfish, they need much more space than 30 litres. Without knowing your parameters we can't say if water quality if contributing but you can try large daily water changes to see if that helps. I'm afraid you really need to get a much bigger tank if you intend to keep the second angelfish as well, if you can return it while you look into an upgrade you may have a better chance.
This website contains profiles of fish which include minimum tank sizes. It's regarded as the best website out there for accurate information.
www.seriouslyfish.com
www.seriouslyfish.com
Regardless of how small a fish is now, the tank should always be large enough for a fully grown fish.
Pterophyllum “scalare” – Angelfish — Seriously Fish
www.seriouslyfish.com
Balantiocheilos melanopterus – Silver Shark (Barbus melanopterus) — Seriously Fish
www.seriouslyfish.com
Regardless of how small a fish is now, the tank should always be large enough for a fully grown fish.
I still need pictures and video, as well as the other questions about filters and feeding.
You can either buy a test kit from a pet shop or online and test the water yourself. Or you can take a glass full of tank water into a pet shop and ask them to test it for you. Write the results down in numbers when they do the tests. If they say the water is fine, ask them for numbers.
Don't add fish to a tank that has a sick fish in. You just add to the problems.
It is better to change part of the water every week rather than all of it every few weeks. A 50-75% water change each week is sufficient for most aquariums. You can get a gravel cleaner from any pet shop or online, or make one and use it to clean the gravel while draining some water out. Once you have drained 50-75% of the water out of the aquarium, you stop cleaning and refill the tank with dechlorinated water.
The following link has a picture of a basic model gravel cleaner about half way down the page.
www.about-goldfish.com
You can make a gravel cleaner from a 1, 1.5 or 2 litre plastic drink bottle and a length of garden hose or clear plastic hose. A 1 litre bottle would be heaps for your tank.
Get a plastic drink bottle like a Coca Cola bottle and cut the bottom off it. Throw the bottom bit in the recycling.
Remove the lid and plastic ring from the top and throw those in the recycling too.
Stick a garden hose in the top of the bottle and run the hose out the door or into a bucket, and that is a gravel cleaner. Check YouTube for how to use a gravel cleaner or ask a local pet shop to demonstrate one for you.
You can either buy a test kit from a pet shop or online and test the water yourself. Or you can take a glass full of tank water into a pet shop and ask them to test it for you. Write the results down in numbers when they do the tests. If they say the water is fine, ask them for numbers.
Don't add fish to a tank that has a sick fish in. You just add to the problems.
It is better to change part of the water every week rather than all of it every few weeks. A 50-75% water change each week is sufficient for most aquariums. You can get a gravel cleaner from any pet shop or online, or make one and use it to clean the gravel while draining some water out. Once you have drained 50-75% of the water out of the aquarium, you stop cleaning and refill the tank with dechlorinated water.
The following link has a picture of a basic model gravel cleaner about half way down the page.
Aquarium Cleaning Made Easy
Aquarium cleaning should take 30 minutes every two weeks. Learn how the professionals do it in 18 easy steps.
www.about-goldfish.com
You can make a gravel cleaner from a 1, 1.5 or 2 litre plastic drink bottle and a length of garden hose or clear plastic hose. A 1 litre bottle would be heaps for your tank.
Get a plastic drink bottle like a Coca Cola bottle and cut the bottom off it. Throw the bottom bit in the recycling.
Remove the lid and plastic ring from the top and throw those in the recycling too.
Stick a garden hose in the top of the bottle and run the hose out the door or into a bucket, and that is a gravel cleaner. Check YouTube for how to use a gravel cleaner or ask a local pet shop to demonstrate one for you.
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