Swim Bladder Disease: How to Treat Swim Bladder Disease in Aquarium Fish

A floating fish can be difficult to deal with because there are many causes and a lot of misinformation out there.
And if left untreated they can prevent fish from eating and even result in death. So how can we deal with swim bladder disease in aquarium fish effectively?

Causes of Swim Bladder Disease
The main cause for fish bladder disease is gas misregulation within the swim bladder or fluid buildup displacing some of the internal gas. For aquarium fish this is often a sign of an internal bacterial infection. I discuss a similar disease in this article called Dropsy in Aquarium Fish. However in some diseases the fluid ends up in the swim bladder rather than the internal body cavity, changing how the fish floats.

In fact, any internal organ issue can also impact the swim bladder, causing disease. Parasitic cysts on internal organs, heavy pregnancy in livebearers like Guppies, egg bound female fish, and even fat accumulation (usually in predatory fish fed poultry or meat too often). Any of these can result in a floating fish that is still alive.

Sometimes there can even be a birth defect that causes an issue with the swim bladder but these aren't at all common. However, goldfish swim bladder disorders are unfortunately very common in fancy breeds. They are so inbred and their internal body structures have become so changed from their wild ancestors that they sometimes can't properly swim at all.
Goldfish are in double trouble since they are physostomous fish, capable of gulping air to quickly inflate or deflate the swim bladder. Since their internal organs are already misshaped, blockages can happen from infections, another internal organ becoming swollen, or fluid buildup.

Spinal curvature, poor swimming patterns, deformed fins, and other genetic issues can also show up in other fish. If you see these in a fish that hasn't been bred for these traits, its swim bladder disease is likely genetic.