Your fish is likely bloated and can't swim due to Swim Bladder Disorder, often caused by poor water quality, overfeeding (leading to constipation/gas), a diet lacking fiber, bacterial infections, parasites, or gulping air, all affecting buoyancy. This causes the swim bladder (buoyancy organ) to malfunction, making the fish float, sink, or swim awkwardly.
When the swim bladder is not functioning properly, the fish may experience symptoms such as bloating, swimming upside down, or having difficulty swimming.
Many hobbyists report fast results using Epsom Salt for bloated fish, especially when combined with fasting or light feeding. It's also necessary to note that this treatment lasts approximately 2–3 days, or up to 5–6 days in severe cases. Please stop the treatment once your fish recovers.
Take her out and place her in a shallow container with enough water to keep her covered, place a couple of rock in it close enough for the fish to swim between and stay between them. In a few hours her swim blatter will even out and she'll swim naturally again replace in pond.
If you have a fish that is starting to have problems swimming, check your water quality first. Water quality is often overlooked with swim bladder disorders. With physostomous fish, try a sinking or neutrally buoyant diet to keep excess air from getting into the swim bladder.
This can be due to overeating, overconsumption, low water temperatures, bacterial infections, parasites, or other impaired organs affecting the bladder. In these particular cases, the fish can end up with a distended belly, curved back, impaired swimming, or even death leaving them floating on top of the water.
If a fish isn't getting enough oxygen, you'll see it gasping at the surface, moving sluggishly, and displaying rapid gill movements, struggling to take in enough oxygen, often described as "flappy gills," while bottom dwellers may also rise to the surface for air, indicating significant distress and potential issues like overstocking, high temperatures, or poor water quality.
These are some of the most common signs of disease seen in pet fish:
In such a case, first of all, the water parameters should be checked using a reliable aquarium test kit. Look for the parameters like pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, along with temperature. If any of these come out of range, and maintain their right level. Try to keep them constant rather than fluctuating.
Swim bladder disease affects a fish's ability to swim and maintain balance. Common causes include poor water quality, an improper diet, bacterial infections, and parasites.
Dropsy in fish is when fluid builds up abnormally inside a fish's body. Fish dropsy is a symptom of an underlying health condition in your fish. Always consult your veterinarian to determine the underlying cause of your fish's dropsy.
Most bloating is temporary, and if you can pinpoint the cause, it's likely nothing to be concerned about. To speed up relief, try over-the-counter anti-gas medication, apply a warm compress to your belly or get some exercise. If you think your condition is food-related, keep a food diary to find a connection.
A sudden color change—fading hues or dark bands—can be a sign of stress. If your fish is shimmying with clamped fins near the surface, it's not just dancing—it's a red flag. Erratic swimming or 'porpoising' could mean trouble with ammonia or nitrite levels.
The following symptoms may be observed:
Check sick fish for disease. Fish diseases can make fish poorly enough to hang in the water, listless and lethargic, or motionless. Parasites can enter the fish's gills, causing breathing to become more laboured and the fish will react as if the water is low in oxygen, by hanging at the surface.
It sounds like your fish is showing signs of slowing down, which can happen as they age, but staying at the bottom or moving very little can also point to stress, illness, or internal issues like egg binding, swim bladder problems, or organ failure.
Not all dead fish float and floating can depend on the decomposition process. Small fish like tetras and guppy corpses tend to float whereas catfish and cichlids tend to sink. A pond fish may sink first then float later as gases build up in the body, and that's when you'll spot it.
Growing ginger in a fish tank can purify water.
Treatment: Start treatment(s) as soon as possible to increase the survival of the fish. If you are unable to separate the fish into a hospital or quarantine tank, it is recommended to treat the entire aquarium. It is ok for the healthy fish to be medicated as well.
This can be easily done using an air pump, performing large water changes, manually stirring the water, or placing a fan near the aquarium. Oxygen, in particular, dissolved oxygen (DO), is one of the most important indicators of water quality, as it is essential for the survival of fish and other aquatic organisms.
Signs of Low Oxygen
They will swim less vigorously and even eat less often. As oxygen levels drop further, the fish may show labored breathing and more rapid gill movements as they desperately attempt to get enough oxygen from the water by passing more water over their gills.
Another common response to low oxygen levels is aquatic surface respiration (ASR). In this behavior, fish stay just below the surface, put their snout at the air-water interface. and breathe in the film of water that is in direct contact with the air. This film of water is comparatively rich in oxygen.