blood parrot swim bladder problems

Question
I have a blood parrot i have had for years . I love it to death. it has been floating up side down with a swollen belly for going on a month. It seems to be just getting bigger and bigger . I've tried the frozen peas advice no help. is there anything you think i can do? id there anyway to get what is in there out with out killing him? I'm tired of seeing him this way and he wont eat, i had to shove the peas in and hope he got them . I believe he is suffering .

Answer
Hi Amber,
Swim bladder problems can be caused by a number of things. It can be injury to the organ from fighting with other fish, running into tank decorations or handling.

This condition can also be triggered by diet, foods that are too dry for the fish's digestive system like pellets can swell and cause a blockage. A diet lacking in variety can also cause constipation. Peas usually help, but this condition can take a week or more to resolve and a diet change is definitely needed to prevent problems in the future.

*And, like with fancy goldfish, A blood parrot's odd body shape means that his internal organs are really packed in there. Deformities of the swim bladder are also common. And since everything is packed so tight in there it doesn't take much to set it off.  

Internal infections can cause the swim bladder to be thrown out of whack. But since your fish has had such an condition for so long, I doubt this is the case here.

Unfortunately, tumors are common in older fish. He could either have a cyst or a tumor inside that is putting pressure on his bladder and causing the upside down syndrome.

Bad kidneys causing fluid retention may also be to blame. But such a condition likely would have killed the poor fish after this amount of time.

Poor water quality is also very possible. High nitrates can cause these sorts of issues to appear. A few extra partial water changes never hurt.

Unfortunately, without the help of an aquatic vet, there is very little you can do to relieve whatever is affecting his swim bladder internally.

Being flipped over like your Parrot cichlid is currently is stressful for the poor guy. Which excessive stress lowers his immune system of course. So he needs extra special care to help keep the favor on his side for any hope of recovery.

Have you tried treating him with Epsom salts? Its important to not use aquarium salt because this can make any fluid retention even worse. Epsom salt can help draw out excess fluid in his body.
It is generally recommended to use an Epsom salt bath versus adding the salt directly to the aquarium.

You'll need a fish-safe container big enough for him to rest and move around in comfortably as his 'bath-tub'.

Typical dosage rate for Epsom salt baths is 1 - Teaspoon per gallon of water.

Make sure the water temp is the same as his tank's water (or just use some of the tank's water as long as its fairly clean) and leave him in the soak for 15 minutes. Afterward, carefully move him back into his main aquarium.

It may take a few repeated sessions of these baths to help. And again, unfortunately I cannot guarantee that this will cure him. But Epsom salt has many great health benefits to fish with ailments like this.

If your Blood Parrot has a cyst or tumor, then unfortunately there is not much you can do for the poor thing. The only consolation is that he has lived for years and likely had a good life and a caring owner to love him.

And if the situation gets so bad that there seems to be no point of return and the fish is suffering badly from the bloating, euthanasia with clove oil is the best option. Clove oil is a fish anesthetic and a slow overdose gently puts them to sleep.

I hope it doesn't come down to that though.

Really hope this helps!
Good luck,
Susan~