Hi ya
i cant seem to find a straight forward answer to a treatment for GBD... they all say different things to do, i dunno which one to follow..

i definatly know my big pearlscale fish has got it

please help as the bubbles are getting bigger and no clue what to do :(
xx

Hi Emma_louise, welcome to FK

We don't often see GBD here are you quite sure that's the diagnosis? Some pics would help

Can you confirm tank size, filter/venturi make and any other stock?

Cathie posted back in 2007 on another thread with this info on GBD.

Gas Bubble Disease (Tropical Fishlopaedia - Bailey & Burgess)

Gas bubble disease results from gas (usually nitrogen) supersaturation of the aquarium water and is analogous to the ‘bends in human divers.

Signs: Lethargy, usually with no other signs of disease; microscopical examination of the gills may reveal small bubbles on the gill filaments. If there are gas bubbles on the glass and other surfaces in the aquarium and the fish appear unwell, then suspect gas bubble disease. In acute cases the fish may have bubbles adhering to their external surfaces. Death may ensue, and sub-lethal exposure can result in brain damage. In the case of breeding and rearing aquaria, affected eggs and fry may become buoyant, and fry yolk-sacs visibly distended with gas.

Cause: Gas (chiefly nitrogen) supersaturation of the water, usually occurring when cold gas-rich, water is heated quickly - as the temperature rises, its capacity for carrying gases decreases, leading to supersaturation and the formation of bubbles (the same phenomenon can be seen in saucepans of cold water put on to heat).

Gas supersaturation commonly occurs where freshly-drawn (and hence likely to be gas-rich) cold water has been used to fill a newly set up aquarium and rapidly heated to operating temperature; or if cold, or rapidly warmed, water is used to refill after a large partial change. Fish exposed to such conditions breathe in the excess concentrations of gas which may subsequently come out of solution in the blood and cause gas embolism (the obstruction of blood vessels by gas bubbles).

It is possible, but unlikely, that the use of high-turnover powerheads, with venturis, in too small an aquarium might also cause gas supersaturation. Sensible use of appropriate equipment will avoid any chance of this.

Prevention: Freshly-drawn cold water should be warmed and aerated (to drive off excess gases) before being used for water changes. Fish should not be placed in a newly set up aquarium until it is biologically mature, buy which time excess gases will have dissipated naturally.

Treatment: Move the fish to another, problem-free aquarium; otherwise drive off the excess gas by aerating vigorously or otherwise agitating the water.

Comment: Specialised (and expensive) equipment is needed to measure nitrogen levels in water, but the ‘finger test’ can be used to test for gas supersaturation: if numerous bubbles form on a dry finger immersed in the aquarium for about a minute, there may be a supersaturation problem. This test can also be used for checking recently-drawn water before it is added to the aquarium

As V says, some pics would be helpful I thought my pearlie had GBD but it turns out this was not the case, it was apparently a liver problem - her liver wasn't processing things properly which was causing them. They were actually full of liquid. Have a read of this and see if it strikes a chord:

http://www.fishkeeping.co.uk/modules/ ... at&topic_id=12257&forum=1

Can you tell us about tank size etc. as per V's post above and tell us about her diet - what, how often, how much?

i dunno if i have just done it :S
i have upload a pic of him upclose and circled the bubbles and a pic of his overall tank

i have measured the tank its 60cm by 30cm

the filter is a fluval u2 (fish shop bloke said it was "pukka") :)

had him for 3 years and been on his own for a year
x

pic 1

pic 2

i feed him sinking small pellets every third day and only about four and occassial time i give him about two peas x

his cheeks look quite puffy also and the bubbles on the top part of body have only come up today

oh oh and also...

when i first got him he had small spots on his gills like five on each and i asked if it was white spot and he said, "coz he is a adult they get them when ready to breed etc etc." so ignored and one fish he had as a friend (my sister bought me not realising it had whitespot :S) a couple of years ago i treated and it disappeared for about three weeks and then came back...

so he had them ever since i had him and they disappeared a week before this whole bubble thing started also....

sorry bad spelling/grammer x

Goodness, he does look a bit poorly, doesn't he?

Before jumping the gun at GBD though, given his rather small home, I think it would be wise to rule out water parameters as poor water quality causes about 99% of the fish problems/ill health that we see here.

You don't indicate tank L x H x W which will help us to work out water volume but a fluval 2 isn't really big enough to deal with the amounts of waste these fishies create

Can you post readings for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH?

How often do you undertake water changes and how much? Are these pre warmed?

The feeding regime is a bit minimal, once every three days isn't enough really but I appreciate some keepers try to maintian water quality by cutting back food. In a suitable sized home with plenty of water dilution and good external filter, twice a day would be usual

Apologies, lot's of questions I know but it really does help