Why is My Fish Swimming Upside Down or Sideways?

Have you ever observed your fish swimming upside down and still alive? Well, there are a few species of fish that do that as part of their routine. But, if you find a lot of fish doing that, it may be something that you need to be worried about. Ever wondered why is your fish swimming upside down? We will try to find the causes for this strange looking behaviour.

Why Is My Fish Swimming Upside Down or Sideways?

The only and most possible reason for your fish swimming upside down or sideways is the swim bladder disease. When the swim bladder of your fish is inflated or infected, it will not have the proper buoyancy when swimming. This results in making it swim sideways or upside down.

Swim bladder disease in fish can manifest itself in several ways. Your fish may swim at the top of the aquarium, swim sideways, sit at the bottom of the tank, or even float with its belly up.

Swim bladder disease can show up due to several reasons. Some of them include the changes in the living conditions and water change, eating disorders, bacteria, and parasites. If you do not treat the disease in time, it can be fatal. Even when the disease is not contagious, it can affect all your fish as all of them face the same living conditions.

Causes of Swim Bladder disease in fish

So next time you notice your goldfish upside down, you know that it is primarily due to swim bladder disease. Are you wondering how to save a fish that is upside down? Well, the following timely measures can help you save the fish from dying, or at least help save other fish in the tank from developing swim bladder disease.

1. Check your water quality

The first thing that would make sense is to check the water quality. Most of the time you would notice fish swimming vertically after water change. This can be a clear indicator of an issue with the water.

Check the water for the following issues –

• Ammonia level
• Nitrite level
• Nitrate level
• pH of the water

You can buy the test strips to help you measure the water quality with no technical knowledge as well. Make sure you use the right quality and type of water for your aquarium.

Poor water quality can cause your fish to develop stress and thus affect the balance of homeostasis. This is likely to result in swim bladder disease. The best way to stay safe is to clean the gravel every week, take up partial water changes, and check the water quality regularly. If you are using tap water, make sure to make the tap water suitable for your fish.

2. Cultivate proper feeding habits

Improper feeding has been found to be the primary reason for swim bladder disease. These can include overfeeding, feeding freeze dried food, and feeding dry flakes which expand.

It is always important to give a good thought to the right type of food suitable for your fish. Improper food and subsequent eating habit can put pressure on the stomach of your fish which would further put pressure on the swim bladder of your fish.

3. Bacterial infection

Yet another cause for concern when it comes to taking care of your fish can be a bacterial infection. However, before the fish can show the swim bladder disease due to bacterial infection, it may also show other signs.

By the time you notice the swim bladder issues, the swim is probably very sick. The treatment may get a little challenging at this stage. That is why it may be quite essential to keep checking for bacterail or parasitic infections from time to time.

How to treat or prevent Swim Bladder disease?

There are a few ways that can help prevent the swim bladder disease in fish. These methods may also be used for the prevention of the disease in your fish.

1. Feed green peas occasionally

Green peas have a lot of fiber and this will keep the fish from getting constipated. They can also be used to treat the fish that swim sideways or upside down. Boil the green peas for a few minutes, remove the skin, and feed them to your fish. Remember to maintain the quantity.

2. Change water frequently

Since poor quality of water can cause swim bladder disease, frequent water changes can help prevent it. Change at least 25% of your tank water each week. Remove the extra food and trash that settles down at the bottom. This will help lower nitrates in the water. 

3. Avoid overfeeding

Feed the right amount of food to your fish. This will help in preventing having issues with the stomach. Typically, it is recommended to feed the food that is consumed within just around two to three minutes.

4. Maintain proper temperature of water

St ress and shock caused by temperature may also result in causing swim bladder disease in your fish. Check the exact temperature that your tankmates need. Too hot or too cold temperature can result in issues such as Swim bladder disease in fish.

Can fish swim upside down?

Yes, there are a few fish species that would swim upside down or sideways. If you do have such fish in your tank, you need not worry about swim bladder disease. However, even in that case, exercising caution would be important.

Some fish species that tend to swim upside down include

Upside down catfish

The fish is typically known to swim upside down and thats why it is called so. It spends almost 90% of its time swimming upside down. Even when it is not known why it does so, the behaviour is normal for the species.

Lionfish

Lionfish is another fish that swims upside down. It can do so by manipulating its swim bladder. It can thus swim at extremely wild angles.

In Conclusion

Next time you find your fish swimming upside down or sideways, the most probable reason is perhaps Swim bladder disease. Checking your water quality and making sure that the water temperature is maintained can help you treat and prevent the disease.

Of course, there are several other reasons that can cause swim bladder disease, and the tips shared above should help you get rid of the issues.