Chocolate Cichlid swim bladder

Question
I have a Chocolate cichlid and something is wrong with its swim bladder, I just got him and he was like this when I got him. He can't swim normal he has a hard time keeping his tailend up and he mostly lays on the bottom of the tank when I put food in the tank he darts right up to the top to get some. I have just put in some fungus /bacteria eliminator by Jungle. It has sodium chloride, nitrofuazone, furazolidone, and potassium dichromate in it. It says it clears up swim bladder disease. Do you have any suggestions if this dose not work??  His belly looks normal its not swollen at all. Thanks Steve

Answer
Hi Steve;

Since he was already affected when you got him it really would be best to take him back there for a refund.
Swim Bladder issues can be very difficult and often impossible to treat. There are many possible causes and only two are treatable, but usually not successfully treated; Constipation and internal infection. You might try feeding him cooked and peeled peas and see if that helps. It will clear his digestive system and sometimes helps the swim bladder. There are two other medicines that work better on internal infections. Kanamycin and "Maracyn Two". See if you can get one of them instead of the Jungle product.

If his swim bladder was damaged by shock at some point in his life, he has a tumor, or he has a genetic deformity, nothing is going to help. We don't know and have no way to really tell in fish. We just treat what we can treat and go from there. Good luck, and I hope he feels better soon...

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins