Fish Bladder

[CanadianReefer]

Hello,

I purchased a Rosey Scale wrasse a week ago and unfortunately she has swim bladder. She has stopped eating and is simply swimming around trying to right herself. She hasn't been able to make her mucus cocoon since I got her, so she must be really stressed and exhausted at this point. She's in a 10 gallon QT with an airstone.

I had her in a rally antibacterial bath for 10 mins but it didn't help.

Apart from trying to deflate her bladder with a needle, is there anything else I can try? Would an high concentrate Epsom salt bath of some sort help?

What about erythromycin? I've never had a wrasse react well to meds, but I'm not sure how to help her at this point.

If the needle is the only way to go, can someone walk me through it? Will I be able to see the bladder with the right light? Is it best to take a certain amount of ml's of air out with a plunger or best to eliminate the plunger and let the air escape naturally somehow? Am I best to give her a clove oil bath to put her under anesthetic before doing the procedure? If so, what is the correct amount? I obviously would not want to overdose something that can kill the fish.

Any help would be appreciated. She's a beautiful fish and I'd love to save her.

 

[Maritimer]

I'm not confident on this one, so let's call on a few folks who are more likely to know what to do: @melypr1985, @Humblefish, @Brew12, @ngoodermuth . . .

~B.

 

[4FordFamily]

Very important - does she seem to float easily when she swims and have trouble with her rear end floating "up" or does she seem like she has fishing weights tied to her tail?

The former would describe a swim bladder issue and I highly recommend decrompression:

The latter would indidcate a spinal injury, which is very common in flighty fairy wrasse, and the prognosis is not so great-- 50/50 depending on the severity.

Good water quality is helpful in both cases, epsom salt cannot hurt in either case.

 

[CanadianReefer]

It's unfortunately tough to say. She's more horizontal than anything and swimming in circles. Occasionally she floats upside down then rights herself for a few moments. She appears to float easily and spends most the time near the surface.

I have read that if it's a shallow water fish, they have open bladders and can often right themselves with time, but if they are a deep water fish, they have closed bladders and would require decompression. Does anyone know what type of bladder this wrasse would have??

 

[CanadianReefer]

I can post a video tomorrow, if that would help??

 

[4FordFamily]

I can post a video tomorrow, if that would help??

Nope, what you described is definitely swim bladder. Watch the YouTube videos on how to decompress. It's worth the risk, honestly. There are some good tutorials on wrasse, as it's a relatively common issue as you said.

Here's one:

 

[melypr1985]

check out this thread for a detailed account and a video on how to decompress a swim bladder. It's very informative.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/venting-a-swim-bladder-black-cap-basslet.219954/

 

[CanadianReefer]

So this morning I went downstairs to check in on my poor girl, and her swim pattern has changed. She's now closer to the bottom, essentially swimming normally with the exception of her tail fin, which is being dragged along the bottom. I am beginning to wonder if this may be a spinal injury after all...??? The good news is that she ate. It was only a tiny little bit, but it was more than she's had in a few days. The other good news is that because she's not floating at the top as she has been for the last week, she was able to swim into the PVC pipes that I have in the bottom of the QT. I'm hoping that this means that she will be able to form a mucus cocoon and get some rest.

I will perhaps monitor her over the next few days before doing anything drastic like a decompression. Does this sound wise? I know time is of the essence with those sorts of things, but I don't want to be hasty and make the wrong decision, especially since I'm not confident that I'd be able to do a decompression properly with shaky hands.

I did do the rally bacterial bath yesterday, so that may also have helped a bit. If this is a spinal injury, is it best to let her rest and not move her much (like giving her baths etc.?)

 

[Maritimer]

I should think so - for the same reason that accident victims are often strapped to a board to keep them immobile during transport to a hospital . . .

~Bruce

 

[CanadianReefer]

yes, that's what I was thinking too. I'll provide updates. Here's hoping she makes it - she's a beautiful fish!

 

[4FordFamily]

It's not impossible for her to have both ailments-- swimming eradically and being a flighty fish could lead to a spinal injury as well.

Is the abdomen swollen? A video would be helpful, now that you confused us!

 

[CanadianReefer]

I've taken the video, but it Apparently does not have the right "extension" to be posted. I'm not great with technology. How do I upload it in the proper format?

 

[CanadianReefer]

I've taken the video, but it Apparently does not have the right "extension" to be posted. I'm not great with technology. How do I upload it in the proper format?

Let's try this:

 

[Maritimer]

To me, given her drooping tail and what seems to be a slight bend in her body about halfway down, that looks more spinal than swim bladder, but 4FordFamily's right - the two aren't mutually exclusive.

~Bruce

 

[CanadianReefer]

To me, given her drooping tail and what seems to be a slight bend in her body about halfway down, that looks more spinal than swim bladder, but 4FordFamily's right - the two aren't mutually exclusive.

~Bruce

This is the closest thing to swimming I've seen her doing since she arrived. I'm inclined to think that it was either a really bad injury that is starting to get better, or that it started as swim bladder and she hurt herself in the process. I just hope she continues to eat and will cross my fingers she heals. I wish I'd taken a video last night so you could have seen both modes. I can't tell if her belly looks swollen. It's nothing overt, at least.

 

[Paul B]

I would say that fish has an internal injury, but not a swim bladder issue. I also think there is nothing you can do for her. Sorry I can't be of more help but we can't cure everything

 

[melypr1985]

I'm going with spinal injury. In that case it's 50/50 on recovery. She looks pretty good though considering.

 

[CanadianReefer]

:-( she was really started to look better and I was hopeful she'd make it, but alas, she did not. So sad. She was such a pretty fish.

 

[Maritimer]

So sorry to hear this, CanadianReefer. She was, indeed, a beautiful fish.

~Bruce