I am sure you must have wondered in time past why some of your guppies are swimming upside down, don’t be too fast to get rid of fish undergoing this swim pattern that is why this post was created.
Why is My Guppy Swimming Upside Down
Guppy fish will swim upside down because they have a problem with their swim bladder, This will cause reduced buoyancy in the fish which will cause your guppy to become disorientated.
The best way to treat swim bladder issues with guppies is to treat the water with a swim bladder treatment which you can get on amazon
Swim bladder disorder still the leading cause of this ailment, it cannot be tagged a disease or infection, but it is a sign that the health of your guppy is poor. The swim bladder is the engine that helps any fish to swim, and it is gas-filled most times, monitor fish buoyancy and help in free flow movement of all aquatic creatures in the water.
Ailing swim bladder is like stroke in humans, without the legs functioning properly humans can hardly work about the same can be said of a fish swim bladder.
Causes of Upside-down Movement In the Guppy
Based on experience, this disorder is common to the species of guppy with inflated or balloon-like bodies, but there are a lot more proven causes of the upside-down movement
The main causes of guppies swimming upside down include
1. Frequent Constipation
Constipation leads to disorder in swim bladder though it doesn’t just occur without poor feeding of the fish or excessive food. It blocks the veins leading to the swim bladder then the fish begin to miscalculate the right way to swim.
2. Swallowing Air
This is one of the reasons it is not advisable to feed guppies with floating flakes. The more they come to the surface, the more they pick their feeds, the more they swallow air which the accumulation can damage the swim bladder.
3. Expansion of feeds in the belly
If you rear guppies, proper feeding of your pets is key to the growth and well being. Some feeds expand as soon as water touches them or whenever they are moist. This feed expands inside the guppy when they eat, the swim bladder becomes affected, and the disorder in swimming starts if such feeding is not stopped.
4. Fluctuating water temperature
Most guppies that are round-bodied suffer from irregularities in water temperature. Guppies love warm water; anything different from this can affect activities of the fish, especially swimming.
5. Infection
It is not enough to only feed your guppy with the right meal, or have them live in warm water but a regular change of water, and keeping the environment clean prevents the breeding of bacteria around the aquarium. This can infect swim bladder and further lead to the upside-down movement.
The best way to treat swim bladder issues with guppies is to treat the water with a swim bladder treatment which you can get on amazon
6. An excessive amount of nitrate in the aquarium
Many disorders and diseases come when there is a large amount of ammonia and nitrate in the aquarium. It is advisable to use salt to wash your tanks occasionally, bacteria will die this way.
Upside down Movement in the Fish Treatment
As it has been previously mentioned, excessive swallowing or air and overfeeding is the root cause of swim bladder disorder, which upside-down birth movement of fish.
To cure guppies from this, then subject them to 24 to 72 hours of fasting, so that the belly that is filled with air/feed can be lessened. Though the cause of your fish upside down movement still determine the solution, see your veterinary doctor for diagnosis and thorough treatment.
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