Jack Dempsey swimming funny

Question
QUESTION: my jack is swimming strange....i think he has swim bloat - i put melafix in water just to find out that doesnt help..so yesterday i put carbon filters back into tank to absorb the melafix and i was told at the fish store on thursday to take the filters back out and to add maracyn-tc to get rid of bloat.  said to only put in for one day then next day put filters back in and then if i needed to repeat do in 3 more days...is this correct?  he is only about 2 years old...thank you

ANSWER: Hi Cyndi,
 The problem is that bloat is a symptom, not a disease.  In other words, bloat simply means that the fish is bloated (enlarged).  There are many possible reasons for a fish being bloated, including problems with its swim bladder, problems with its intestine and others. That is why there are so many conflicting bits of advice.  Treating any of these is tricky.  Maracyn might do the trick.  

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Ron....which maracyn would you recommend?  he doesn't really look bloated but is swimming funny and cant swim normal for long before his head is down and tail fin is up...he is vertical

Answer
Hi Cyndi,
  Unfortunately that sounds like he has a serious swim bladder problem. I am afraid that there really isn't anything you can do about that. Sorry.

-- Ron
  rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
  Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>