why do fish start swimming sideways aimlessly then die?

Question

this has happened to me a few times in the past and its really frustrating. They seem okay but all of a sudden they start swimming sideways or upside down and sometimes it can last for a while like this? why does this happen? can you do anything? They are coldwater fish like goldfish, and orandas and them black ones with googly eyes(cant remember name).

Answer 1

sounds like swim Bladder Problems

Swim bladder problems are caused by bacterial and viral infections, or hereditary problems. The swim bladder helps the fish to control its buoyancy, allowing it to maintain its position in the water. Internal bacterial infections can affect its function, making it difficult for fish to maintain position. Fancy goldfish with their short body form are particularly prone to this problem.

Treatment for Swim Bladder Problems

Raising the temperature to 27°C (80°F), adding aquarium salt to a level of 0.5% (5 gm per litre), and using a treatment such as Interpet's Swim Bladder Treatment No.13 is recommended. You should also feed sparingly.

Poisoning/Water Quality Problems

There are several causes for this type of health problems:

Poor water quality, i.e., high or low pH, high ammonia/nitrite levels.

Untreated tap water containing chlorine or heavy metals (copper)

Medications. There may have been an overdose, or a particular species could be susceptible to an active ingredient.

Household toxins e.g. paint fumes, polish etc.

Treatment for Poisoning/Poor Water Quality Test for ph, ammonia and nitrite using a test kit. Use carbon in the filter system or in a separate box filter in the corner of the aquarium. Carry out several large scale water changes. Ensure the tap water is treated with a conditioner to remove chlorine and heavy metals. Identify the source of the problem and eliminate it.

Cautions

Always follow the dosing instructions on the bottle.

Remove any carbon from the filters before using any disease treatments.

Do not use more than one disease treatment at a time.

Keep all medicines away from children.

If in doubt seek advice from your aquatic retailer.

Answer 2

Koi Swimming Sideways

Answer 3

Jessica G is right it is a swim bladder problem. Goldfish are prone to this type of ailment. There is a zoo director in Washington that has had some success in relieving the problem by inserting a needle into the bladder itself and removing some of the excess gas. You should only attempt this maneuver if you know exactly where the bladder is located in the fish's body cavity. The liver has nothing to do with it.

Answer 4

how often do you change the water, feed them and do you use tap safe to get ride of the chlorine you can also put in a tonic to help with blotting and bowel problems. They float upside down when they are full of air and have a bowel problem. if you are losing a lot of fish like this you are not cleaning the tank correctly and overfeeding do not put in live plants as fish don't know when to stop eating they will eat until they burst i sometimes do not feed them 2 days in a row just so they have a rest and clean up any left food in the tank also if you do not have a filter system bacteria can develop in the cut of the fish which can kill them slowly over a long period of time. specially bread fish can be worse, like black Moore's

Answer 5

I had this recently with koi carp - it was a swim bladder problem, cured (through reading an article on the net) by holding the fish down in the deepest part of the pond until the pressure equalised and it was ok. Three weeks later it's fine.
Have you moved the fish to shallower water?

Answer 6

CammyCyclismo THIS WAS YOUR ANSWER
I had this recently with koi carp - it was a swim bladder problem, cured (through reading an article on the net) by holding the fish down in the deepest part of the pond until the pressure equalised and it was ok. Three weeks later it's fine.
Have you moved the fish to shallower water?

could you please tell me how you taught your fish to read a newspaper
thought that was difficult BUT
you even got it to read it while on the net
I used to read when I sat on the net
But to find that you are teaching fish to do this to
I WAS AMAZED
WELL DONE

Answer 7

Fish start swimming sideways because they are sick(liver problems) and about to die. As they start dying, their liver stops working. Fish livers act as natural floatation devices, so they can no longer swim or float straight when their livers quit working. You should take a sample of your tank water to the pet store. They can check it to see if it's the problem that is causing your fisht to die.

Answer 8

sounds like a swim bladder infection.If you remove infected fish from the others and put it in a seperate bowl then add a small handfull of table salt to the water the bouyancy that the salt provides will help the fish stay upright ,once upright it has a chance of survival

Answer 9

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Try to gently prop him upright and give lots of oxygen. Hopefully after a day or two he can stay afloat on his own. As for meds, don't really know if any will help unless he has open wounds, but Melafix might not be a bad idea.

Answer 10

Hi.
I suggest you read all you can about setting up a tank from the start. wetwebmedia.com should be able to help.
Also try a Google or Yahoo search using "tropical fish care" and read about setting up. Your prob em is caused by excess ammonia and nitrites from the fish waste that naturally builds up in the water.
Best of luck.