Potters Swim Bladder HELP!

[splix]

I've had him for almost a month now. All this week he has been acting very wierd. Always hiding in rocks. He has swim bladder disease for sure. He came out of the rocks last night after the lights went down and I was watching him and he was head up at the surface. I thought he was just trying to pick at stuff on the top of the water. He was swimming a little funny but he then started swimming normal and went back down into a cave. The thought of him having SBD crossed my mind at that point but him swimming back down I thought "nahhh, probably just me freaking out".

Well today he was in caves all morning resting just over the sand swimming and staying in place like he has been, and swimming from cave to cave. I came down stairs a few hours later and noticed he was out but swimming very weird so I watched him. Sure enough, he just went head up vertical and was bouncing there right below the water surface. He got caught in the top current and floated over to the drains and was stuck to the side of one. I thought I just watched him die, but he was alive. I netted him (he started flipping around so I knew he was very alive) and I put him over into my QT that has been running fallow. I'm glad I had it running with the heaters. Tested salt, temp, and PH to make sure they matched before I put him in.
Now that he's in the QT, he's just bobbing towards the bottom of the tank, heads up. He's trying to swim around but he cant. He's breathing normal but a bit stressed I'm sure. He's looking around I can see his eyes moving. I did notice behind his front fins seems bulged.

I dont know how to treat it, or what to even do. I put tripple sulfa in the water just as a broad spectrum anti-bacterial.
People are saying to needle the bladder but holy hell I've not not even the slightest clue on how to do that, where, what to make sure not to do, etc.

Water in the DT has been perfect ever since he was in there. 1.0255-1.026 salt, 79-80 temp, 0 amm, 0 nitri, 0-1 nitrate, .1 PO4. He was eating out of the water with the rest of the fish and picking at algae on the rocks. This all of a sudden happened this week, maybe started to develop last weekend.

 

[Deinonych]

I would lean more toward the possibility of a velvet infection than swim bladder problems. Potter's Angels are not collected from deep water, so the likelihood of a swim bladder problem is pretty low. The fact that the fish has been reclusive and is now piping at the surface of the water is a pretty strong indicator that a parasite like Amyloodinium (marine velvet) is the cause.

 

[splix]

I've read that potters are prone to swim bladder problems, and he was displaying the exact signs of it. I've not come across marine velvet before but from pics and symptoms I dont believe he had that. I could be completely wrong though, I am new to this game still.

 

[Deinonych]

Swim bladder problems are typically cause from improper decompression during collection. While it's certainly possible your fish has swim bladder problems, it's something typically seen with fish collected from deep water (deeper than 30m).

 

[snorvich]

I would lean more toward the possibility of a velvet infection than swim bladder problems. Potter's Angels are not collected from deep water, so the likelihood of a swim bladder problem is pretty low. The fact that the fish has been reclusive and is now piping at the surface of the water is a pretty strong indicator that a parasite like Amyloodinium (marine velvet) is the cause.

I agree and that would be my supposition as well.

 

[Dmorty217]

Agree with the above. If it's a swim bladder issue (which Angels seem to get more than others) the upward swimming behavior would be constant and not stop. Once they have it, it won't go away without your intervention. The only way to fix a swim bladder issue is by using a needle to go in thru the anus and relieve the pressure on the swim bladder with a needle(doesn't sound like a swim bladder issue if the behavior isn't always present). Typically only happens with Angels that are collected from deep water.

 

[splix]

ok. Lets suppose it was velvet. Now that I have the potters in QT, what would I need to do with the DT? My other fish dont seem to be showing any signs of anything wrong, but the only fish in there are 2 tiny clowns and a gold head goby (and inverts).

 

[Giovanni]

Does the fish constantly swim down like he has a string attached to his tail pulling him up. Could be just the opposite also with constant swimming down. If swimming up it will also be investing air at surface to the extent it is "farting" that air. If it is not doing either of these swimming behaviors, it is likely not swim bladder problem.

 

[splix]

he's swimming like he has a string attached to his tail pulling him down. His head is looking straight up.

 

[Giovanni]

That being the case it does not need degassing.

 

[ThRoewer]

Did he had any problems before?
Swim bladder issues are often related to no or inadequate decompression when bringing the fish up to the surface and then "needeling" them.

This issue he has now could be a late complication of such a treatment.

 

[Deinonych]

Can you post a video of the fish's swimming behavior?

 

[splix]

Unfortunately with all the holiday craziness around here (my family lives far away so we jam thanksgiving and christmas into a weekend, and I always host), he didnt make it. I did tend to him, but there really wasnt much to do. He was in triple sulfa the whole time in QT. He was gradually getting less and less responsive in QT, eventually to the point that he was alive and breathing but refused to swim or move. I even tried to provoke him to swim with my salt stirring stick but he was just like a dead leaf in the water. He was breathing and had nothing physically wrong with him that I could see. Gills werent red/bleeding/inflamed. No fin rot, no ich spots, clean and clear outside and eyes so I didnt see any noticeable velvet.
If it wasnt SBD it would have to be some fast acting internal bacteria or parasite. I honestly have no idea at this point anymore. I only have 3 fish in my tank (after potters) and they're all doing very well, just the same as always. 2 baby clowns are curious as ever, goby is very active.