Goldfish Floating and Swim Bladder Issues
Symptoms include: Goldfish is floating; Goldfish is swimming upside down; Goldfish is bobbing; Goldfish is bloated; Goldfish is swollen; Goldfish is upside down; Goldfish is flipped over; Goldfish can't swim; Goldfish has uncontrolled swimming; Goldfish has broken blood vessels The natural environment for goldfish is a shallow pond with plenty of surface area. Aquariums and tanks are typically deeper than wider which can create serious issues for the more sensitive goldfish. Their bodies aren’t designed for deep and narrow tanks. If we're going to keep goldfish in aquariums, we must make some compromises.
The function of the swim bladder is to maintain the goldfish's buoyancy in the water or to keep it from sinking or floating aimlessly, and some experts believe the swim bladder may also act as a conductor for sound or vibration.
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Goldfish has uncontrolled swimming
| The deeper your goldfish tank, the more pressure created by the volume of the water. This weight greatly affects some goldfish. The more sensitive goldfish contained in too tall of an aquarium may develop symptoms of uncontrolled swimming, floating or upside down syndrome. Depending on the amount of pressure and for how long the floating goldfish has been affected, or just how weak the organ is; this condition may be life threatening. Increasing surface action and lowering water table reduces water pressure; eliminating these types of problems in most goldfish. Parts of a Goldfish What causes this sensitivity in goldfish may always remain a mystery; in some cases the volume of water itself or perhaps a bacteria infection or even severe constipation could be responsible for weakening the bladder.
Swimming disorders, such as floating haphazardly; bobbing at the surface; uncontrolled swimming upside down; broken capillaries around fins; are symptoms associated with too much water pressure, and not to be taken lightly. Symptoms exhibited may worsen after water changes because of sudden and large pressure changes. To avoid further injury to these fish, increase number of water changes and decrease amount of water exchanged.
The photo below shows the water table 1 to 2" below the aquarium's top. The blue area shows where the table should be lowered to in order to equal the area at the surface of the tank. The top surface area (or space) of the tank or aquarium should be greater than or equal to; the front surface area of the tank up to the water line; lower water table until these two areas match. Increased surface action will assist in reducing water pressure too. Lower water table 3" every 3 hours until desired level is achieved. It may take a few hours or a few days for the procedure to take affect. This is only a standard and some goldfish may require more of less water removed before righting itself.
Copyright 2008
It is rare, but goldfish have been known to develop floating disorders from too small of an aquarium or tank size. Goldfish will continue to grow all of their lives unless their housing is too small or their space confined. If this happens, their organs may be become constricted due to the increased pressure. Two common goldfish living in a 10 gallon tank would be very lucky to live for 10 years even if their water conditions were perfect.
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