Purple Tang Swim Bladder/Bloat????

chunkysoup56

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Hello!

I’ve been treating my Purple Tang for suspected swim bladder/bloat for 6 days now with daily methylene blue and Epsom salt baths. Currently, I have her contained in a small acclimation box that’s mounted inside of my DT.

Originally, she seemed to be in really bad shape and was “stuck” upside down. After a day or two she seemed to get a lot better and is now upright with a lot more control. She still doesn’t seem to have near enough total control to be let back into the DT.

Do you think I should try any different approaches? I haven’t seen her eat much over the past 6 days either (already tried the green pea and she didn’t seem interested). When should I start getting worried? TYIA :)
 

Jay Hemdal

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Can you post a picture or better yet, a short video?

Just an FYI - Epsom salts are ineffective in marine aquariums, it is a freshwater fish medication. Magnesium sulfate is already the fourth highest salt in our mixes, so adding a little more won’t do anything.

Jay
 

Jay Hemdal

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Is there any way you could set the fish up in a larger basket? It would be more comfortable I think.

So - Epsom salts, methylene blue and feeding peas are all freshwater remedies for swim bladder/buoyancy issues.

The best course of action would be to move the fish to a treatment tank and dose with antibiotics (Erythromycin perhaps). Second best, would be to try an antibiotic bath, say three hours daily with heat control and an air stone. Trouble is, what dose should you use? The time is shortened of course, so perhaps the drug concentration should be increased. I usually go double for a three hour dip.

Not sure it will contain a solution for you, but here is the excerpt from my upcoming disease book on fish buoyancy issues:


Buoyancy Issues

Fish with gas bladders may develop buoyancy issues if the gas in the bladder is not being properly adjusted for the fish’s ambient water pressure. Additionally, gas may build up in the digestive system of a fish, also causing positive buoyancy. Symptoms of these issues include a fish that floats at the surface, struggling to maintain a proper position in the water, or once exhausted, may float at the surface upside-down. Negative buoyancy may also rarely be seen, where the fish sinks to the bottom and then may struggle to rise in the water column. Causes for these maladaptation issues can include bacterial infections of the swim bladder, genetic propensity for developing these issues, or the collection of the fish in deep water, and subsequent improper decompression.



Seahorse gas bubble / pouch disease

This syndrome most typically produces gas bubbles on the body of seahorses (including the male’s brood pouch) but can also involve the skin around the eyes. The cause of this problem is not well known, and only experimental treatments have been proposed. Injections with acetazolamide at around 5 mg per kg or dosed in the water (at 50 mg acetazolamide per 10-15 gallons treatment for 2 weeks) have shown promise in treating this disease, but that treatment often only give temporary relief. Many aquarists have attributed this syndrome to supersaturation of the water with gas—making it an environmental condition. However, it has been repeatedly shown that gas bubble disease can infect seahorses in aquarium systems that are not undergoing supersaturation, so the cause of the problem must be found elsewhere.


Goldfish genetic deformity

Fancy Oranda goldfish often develop positive buoyancy issues. The symptom is typically that the goldfish will struggle to swim upright while feeding, but with no food present, they become exhausted and turn over on their backs and float at the surface. If the aquarist prods them, they turn over and try to swim normally, but soon float upside-down again. Over fifty years ago, a treatment was suggested – to feed them canned peas. Over the years, this recommendation has been found to work very well. Fancy goldfish fed crushed peas (canned or fresh) very often begin to eventually swim normally. There is no denying that this treatment works – but why? It is probable that the positive buoyancy seen in fancy goldfish is NOT a result of some genetic disease of their gas bladder, but rather, a build-up of gas in their alimentary system from being fed food items too high in fats or proteins. The peas may act as a purgative, flushing the excess gas from their gut. Another hypothesis is that these fish, feeding on flake food from the surface, ingest air as they feed, again, causing gas in to build up their gut. The peas, sinking to the bottom, are then eaten without the fish swallowing air, and thus alleviating the symptom. A related issue has been recorded from a marine species, a Genicanthus sp. angelfish. This normally deep-water species had become adapted to feeding from the surface, while in captivity. While feeding in this manner, the angelfish was seen to become positively buoyant by swallowing air, until it passed the ingested air, (as evidenced by bubbles released from its anus) and then swam normally again.

Idiopathic gas bladder disease

Some fish, (mostly bottom dwellers like blennies and gobies) lack a gas bladder. In fish that do possess them, there are two types; physostomous fish and physoclistous. Fish species with physostomous swim bladders have a direct connection between the bladder and their digestive system. These species can inflate and deflate their gas bladder by ingesting or “burping” air. Fish with physoclistous swim bladders lack a connection between the bladder and the digestive tract so they must diffuse gas from the blood to fill and collapse the bladder. This process takes more time, so physoclistic fish have more difficulty quickly reacting to changing water pressure. Examples of physostomous fish include; bichirs, gars, some minnow, trout, herring, catfish, eels and lungfish.



In some cases, long-term captive fish (usually marine species) develop positive buoyancy for no discernable reason. Symptoms include a bloated abdomen, and the fish will struggle to maintain position in the water column. Treating the symptoms, by either withdrawing the excess gas from the gas bladder with a syringe, or using a pressure chamber, will alleviate the symptoms temporarily, but since the root cause is unknown, the symptoms typically reoccur. In these cases, euthanasia is usually the only option.



Negative buoyancy gas bladder disease

Most diseases of a fish’s gas bladder result in positive buoyancy. In a few rare cases, a fish may show signs of negative floatation. This will manifest itself as a fish that normally would swim in midwater, but then begins resting on the bottom of the aquarium. A moribund, or dying fish may also show this symptom, but in other cases, the afflicted fish is not moribund, and will still feed and attempt to swim up into the water column, only to drift back to the bottom when exhausted. In most cases, this is seen with larval fish that once hatched, never seem to be able to rise off of the bottom of the tank. Termed “belly sliders” these young fish may have genetic issues, or were not able to properly inflate their gas bladder for the first time. It is best to euthanize any such afflicted fish. When seen in adult fish, the cause of this rare occurrence is unknown, as is any possible treatment. One hypothesis is that the fish has a systemic internal bacterial infection that involves its gas bladder. In one case, such an affected fish was given an ultrasound examination, and the gas bladder was found to be completely collapsed.


Collection trauma gas bladder issue


Some marine fishes collected below about 33’ of depth may incur barotrauma if brought to the surface too quickly. Marine fish collectors know this, and have plans in placed to mitigate this issue – to varying degrees of success. As these fish are brought to the surface, the excess pressure in the gas bladder may be vented by piercing the body wall with a syringe needle. This will relieve the overt symptoms, but may then result in bacterial contamination of the fish’s body cavity. A better solution is to bring the fish to the surface more slowly, but this requires the collectors to remain at the dive site longer than is often practical.


Jay
 
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chunkysoup56

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Thanks @jay

I do have a small 10 gallon QT I could move her to. Do you think a combo of Kanaplex, metroplex, and Furan 2 would help?
 

Jay Hemdal

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Thanks @jay

I do have a small 10 gallon QT I could move her to. Do you think a combo of Kanaplex, metroplex, and Furan 2 would help?
I would skip the metroplex, that has limited antibacterial activity - only for anaerobes. The other 2 in combination would be a good choice. Remember though, without a sensitivity study (like they often do for strep) we are just guessing at the antibiotic to use.

Jay
 

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