# Swim Bladder Medication



## wiggywhitetrash (Sep 11, 2010)

Hi

I currently have a sick Jack Dempsey and was hoping to get some advice. Sunday night, he seemed fine and ate as normal. Monday evening I came home from work to found him laying on the gravel not moving much. After an an hour or so, he seemed to move around a bit and settled in a couple of different areas about halfway up to the surface, but he seemed to be pointing his head up at a 45 degree angle. He doesn't seem remotely interested in eating either. This morning, he was in the same spot laying on the gravel and as far as I can tell, hasn't moved all day. 
Tested the water yesterday and everything seemed normal, the rest of the fish are fine also.
The symptons seem to point to a swim bladder issue although, most articles I read say that this wouldn't affect his appetite.
So I went to my LFS today and bought an Interpet Swimbladder Treatment. I planned to do a large waterchange tonight and then add the medicene to the tank but the instructions tell me that after adding the medicene, I should switch off the filter (????). A few questions...

Does this seem like a swimbladder problem?
Is it advisable to switch off the filter and if so, how long is acceptable?
Any other suggestions?

Cheers

Steve


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## wiggywhitetrash (Sep 11, 2010)

This may be nothing but I just noticed a red mark on the base of his fin, can't say I've noticed it before...


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## littlefoot (Dec 6, 2007)

wiggywhitetrash said:


> Hi
> 
> I currently have a sick Jack Dempsey and was hoping to get some advice. Sunday night, he seemed fine and ate as normal. Monday evening I came home from work to found him laying on the gravel not moving much. After an an hour or so, he seemed to move around a bit and settled in a couple of different areas about halfway up to the surface, but he seemed to be pointing his head up at a 45 degree angle. He doesn't seem remotely interested in eating either. This morning, he was in the same spot laying on the gravel and as far as I can tell, hasn't moved all day.
> Tested the water yesterday and everything seemed normal, the rest of the fish are fine also.
> ...


Hi Steve,it looks like at the base of the fin is a white lump,is this like cottom wool? with it being a little bit red aswell i would treat for fungal and bacterial.Could you possibly quarentine the fish to treat it?

I wouldn't turn the filter off if i was you but remove any carbon from the filter if you have any.

What are the water test results?

It could be swim bladder problems aswell and usualy once they get to the stage of not eating and lying on the bottom or upside down it is very hard to bring them back.

If the water test is fine then don't do too large a water change.What size is the tank and has it been running long?

Would be much better to quarentine him if you are going to medicate.


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## wiggywhitetrash (Sep 11, 2010)

Hi

I've already done water change now. While I was vacuuming the gravel, he moved from his spot, swam around for a while and he was actually swimming normally. the fresh water seemed to perk him up a little, but by the time I had finished filling the tank back up, he had gone back to the same spot. He does look a little swollen around where the red mark is so maybe it's not swim bladder after all. I can get some fungal treament tomorrow, but unfortunately, I don't have a quarantine tank. Would a large bucket do for a day or so while I treat him? 
As for the tank it's 65 gallon and has been running about a year with no problems. .The test results didn't show anything unusual but I was using test strips which aren't the most reliable. Why do you suggest removing the carbon, out of interest?

Cheers


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## littlefoot (Dec 6, 2007)

When you medicate the carbon removes it from the water so you need to remove any carbon when medicating.

You could try API Pimafix and Melafix together and see if that sorts it.

Don't put him in a bucket.If you can't quarentine you will have to treat the whole tank.

What other fish are in the tank,how many and what filter are you using.I hope you don't mind me asking questions.


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## wiggywhitetrash (Sep 11, 2010)

He shares the tank with a firemouth, 3 pictus cats, a bristlenose plec and a green phantom plec. Filter is a Tetratec 1200 (rated for twice my tank's volume)


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## wiggywhitetrash (Sep 11, 2010)

So I got up this morning to find him dead in a corner of the tank. Guess is wasn't swim bladder after all, seeing as it managed to kill him in less than 48 hours. Absolutely gutted...


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## littlefoot (Dec 6, 2007)

Hi,I am really sorry about the loss of your fish.


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