Swaying Balance. The Story of "Swim Bladder Disease" Facing Gravity.
When you look into the aquarium, you may see a goldfish floating upside down or swaying helplessly without being able to dive well.That is a condition called "Swim Bladder Disease".Even if it is not life - threatening, it is painful for us to see them unable to swim as they wish.Hello, I'm Juane*.
Today, I would like to talk about the reason why goldfish lose their balance and how to snuggle up to that swaying.
Difficulty Because of "Straight Body"
I mentioned before that goldfish do not have a "stomach".For goldfish, whose food is transported immediately to the intestines, digestion quality is directly linked to the balance of the whole body.If food accumulates in the intestines or gas is generated, it compresses the "swim bladder" located right nearby.The simple and straight body structure of having no stomach also possesses the delicacy of easily losing the center of gravity with a slight stumble.
Resetting the Rhythm Without Rushing
When we see an upside - down figure, we tend to panic and look for medicine, but many cases of swim bladder disease are caused by "disturbance of environment and rhythm".First, fasting(rest) for a few days.Empty the stomach and free the compressed swim bladder.And keep the water temperature constant and suppress physical exhaustion with a 0.5 % salt bath.It is a work to create a quiet time for the goldfish to regain its "center" with its own power.
Do Not Deny "Inability"
Instead of seeing the figure of wanting to swim but not being able to as just a "pitiful disease", how about taking it as "this child is trying hard to keep balance right now" ? Accept the current state as it is and trust their "will to live".
Even if the body is tilted a little, if they eat food and there is power in the eyes looking at us, that is also one form of that child living hard.All we can do is to snuggle up to that "now" by weakening the water flow or adjusting the environment so that they can spend time a little more easily.
Brilliance Dwelling in Harmony
How to face swim bladder disease is exactly "dialogue" itself.The amount of food, the fluctuation of water temperature, and their small changes.I think the process of listening to each one and regaining harmony little by little is important.
Physical Relationship Between Swim Bladder and Digestive Tract : Goldfish and other cyprinid fish are called "physostomous fish", and the swim bladder and the esophagus are connected by a thin tube(pneumatic duct).Therefore, expansion of the intestines due to indigestion or generation of gas easily directly inhibits the function of the swim bladder(buoyancy adjustment), becoming a major factor causing swim bladder symptoms.
Correlation Between Low Water Temperature and Swim Bladder Disease : When the water temperature drops, the activity of digestive enzymes decreases, and the retention time of food in the intestines becomes longer.This invites the generation of gas, which is the physiological reason why swim bladder disease occurs frequently in winter and at the turn of the seasons.
Buoyancy Assistance by Salt Bath : Since 0.5 % salt concentration has a slightly higher specific gravity than fresh water, it becomes easier for goldfish to control buoyancy, and the effect of suppressing the consumption of muscle strength necessary for maintaining posture can be expected.
