DDs goldfish has swim bladder - advice please

[cocolepew]

Does she fast it and feed it a pea after a couple of days, or feed it a pea now?

Thanks!

[EauRouge]

She can feed it a pea now, make sure to take the skin off first though. Swim bladder disorders ('swim bladder' isn't a disease like some aquatic places would have you believe) can be caused by several different things. Ruling out constipation is the first step but if that doesn't work then you need to look for something else. Have you got any recent water test results?

[buss]

we fasted and then fed a pea but it kept coming back until we changed the food

[cocolepew]

I was going to try this and then look at the water, she cleaned it out at the weekend. Should she be adding anything to the water?

[BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack]

You can get swim bladder treatment to put in the water...if you have an internal filter you will need to take the media out if it. We just lost one of ours to swim bladder, I tried feeding him a pea but he didn't manage to eat any. Do you feed with the flakes?? Sometimes they gulp lots of air when eating them so maybe switch to the sinkable pellets and be careful not to over feed.

Have you done a water test?

[cocolepew]

What's a water test? .

[EauRouge]

She should be adding dechlorinator at every water change but no need for anything else.

Don't take the media out of the filter, that's where all the good bacteria is and if you take it out then your ammonia level will sky rocket.

[cocolepew]

She does add that.

Thanks for the replies

[BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack]

Really?? Blindly, the instructions tell you to take the media out, that's a bit rubbish then isn't it. Shall ignore that next time then.

[EauRouge]

If you use activated carbon then you need to take that out because otherwise it just filters out the medication.

There are some meds that will kill off all the filter bacteria so probably that's why it says that, but yes, you'll get bacteria die off unless you keep the filter running and feed it and you'd have to use some kind of ammonia binding product in the tank. Bit risky when there are plenty of meds that won't wipe out a filter. What brand was it?