Unless you’ve participated in (or observed) a fish dissection, you probably will not have seen a swimbladder or know what it looks or feels like. A swimbladder can best be described as a thin sausage skin inflated with air. It is a very delicate organ which runs centrally through the core of the fish, the length of it depends upon the species of fish.

Swimbladders are only found in boney fish. Sharks and rays can maintain buoyancy in water by using oil within their body. Not all of the boney fish have a swimbladder though; many bottom dwelling species lost theirs as buoyancy is not necessary for them. Most species have a swimbladder that is divided into two chambers (physostomous). Between the chambers is a connection to the oesophagus. Fish can inflate the swimbladder by gulping atmospheric air from the surface of the water and passing it through this connection. Deep water fish that do not encounter the surface of the water have a single chambered swimbladder (physoclistous) that is regulated by the circulatory system.

It’s fair to assume that the majority of fish we keep as aquarists will have double chambered swimbladders.

Whilst the primary function of the swimbladder is buoyancy, other functions for it have evolved within some fish species including sound production, hearing and respiration.

Most of us will not encounter problems associated with swimbladders in our fish at home. But there is a commonly kept fish species where swimbladder disorders are unfortunately common; goldfish. It’s not unusual to see an otherwise healthy goldfish floating around an aquarium on their side or even upside down.

It’s worth noting that goldfish that still maintain the shape of their wild ancestors are not affected. This is a problem of fancy goldfish. But why is this the case?

The root cause of swimbladder issues within fancy goldfish down to artificial selection. Artificial selection is the human process of choosing animal breeding stock to promote a particular trait within the offspring. It’s common amongst fish breeders and is the reason why we have so many varieties within a species. With fancy goldfish, their internal organs that evolved within wild goldfish are now contained within a body that is shorter and more egg shaped than the original body shape. They don’t (but do) fit! Because of this, the swimbladder within fancy goldfish is prone to problems.

When presented with a wobbly goldfish, it can be very difficult to determine what the best course of action is. If the fish was previously ok, there’s a chance that an additional pressure on the swimbladder has rendered it inefficient. We can sometimes fix this. If the goldfish has always been off balance, it may just be how it’s internal organs are positioned and there isn’t really anything that can be done to rectify this.

Temperature Shock - Sudden changes in temperature can affect the swimbladder. This is because both air and water have different densities at different temperatures. As the fish’s body is mostly water and the swimbladder is full of air, it’s easy to see how this can affect them. It’s particularly important with fancy goldfish to conduct water changes with water of similar temperature for this reason.

Greedy Gulpers - Goldfish are not naturally surface feeders, but in our aquariums and ponds we like to bring them to the top so we can see (and enjoy) them. Often goldfish are ravenous and clumsy surface feeders and can often take in air which can potentially over inflate the swimbladder. This will often rectify itself after a period of time, but those with fancy goldfish that are prone to this behaviour would be better served to use a sinking goldfish food like King British Goldfish Sinking Pellets.

Digestive Blockage - Fish, like many animals, are capable of having digestive issues such as constipation. As mentioned earlier, the internal anatomy of a fancy goldfish is rather ‘higgledy piggledy,’ so a blockage in the digestive tract can physically affect the function of the swimbladder. To ease a fish suffering from this, it has often been suggested that introducing peas to the daily diet can help.  Blanch the peas by pouring boiling water over them and then crush them before feeding. Adding essential minerals and salts to the water can also aid the fish and these are now available in a liquid format as a solution in King British Swimbladder Control.

Infection - Internal infections are often very difficult to treat in fish. There are some commercial treatments available that can treat internal infections but realistically a visit to the vet and a course of antibiotics is the best solution. It’s not easy to know if a fish does have an internal infection as opposed to the previously mentioned issues, but the fish’s behaviour may offer some clues as ‘sickness’ can often cause a behavioural change.

Worried About Your Goldfish?

King British are on a mission to offer support to any fishkeeper that needs it. If you would like to ask one of our fish experts a question about your fish you can use our new, FREE King British Fish Aid app, (available on the blackberry, androird, and apple – both iphone and ipad!) you can even send photos through the app.

You can also get advice and expert help on the King British Facebook page, as well as getting involved in our regular competitions and giveaways.

Weekend feeders are a ‘must have’ that’s always useful to have on-hand. Past experience has resulted in strange brown log-like things floating around on the surface of the tank that I come back to a few days later to find clogged up in the filter and barely touched.

On the packaging, the instructions elaborate further than the ‘feeds up to 12 fish for 4 days’ on the front, saying that they’ll feed twelve small fish and five medium fish. I decided to go for two due to the number of fish in the tank, meaning the tetras had one to themselves and the gourami and cory’s could tuck into the other.

I’ll admit to being dubious at the bright white, artificial looking weekend feeders I was given, my fish wouldn’t touch the ‘natural’ looking ones, would they be interested in these? After an initial fight with the packaging (vacuum packing gives very little leverage when I only wanted to prise out two of the four!) the chalky texture seemed a bit strange.

All my worries vanished the moment I plopped the first one in. It sank like a lead weight straight to the bottom – no more filter clogging then! With the sinking in mind, I could place the second one to the other side and not worry about squabbling whilst I was on my travels. The fish were instantly curious and, going by the very slow bubbling I could see, the feeders were starting to disperse nicely.

When I returned from holiday there was only a small fragment left of one of the feeders, the other was completely gone. The filter was fine, none of the feeder was stuck in it, which as I mentioned earlier is what normally happens to me. The fish themselves didn’t appear hungry and none had lost weight, so the feeders had certainly been eaten.

Overall, I was thoroughly impressed. The feeders were cleaner and tidier than previous ones, and their sinking meant that they could be roughly positioned in the tank and would not block the filter. Most of my fish are mid-water or bottom dwelling, so the feeders were ideal sitting on the bottom and with them naturally dispersing, meant that the fish that won’t scavenge also got a fair share.

In summary, this is a product I would use again as its pretty mess free, didn’t get caught up in the filter and, most importantly, the fish themselves liked it. I would definitely recommend these King British Weekend Feeders to other fish keepers who are fretting about leaving their fish for a few days.

Rachel

Everyone who loves their fish likes to treat them every now and again, and with King British’s new selection of fish treats, it couldn’t be easier. The range includes goldfish, tropical and variety fish treats which can all be stuck to the aquarium glass, giving you a great view of your fish. The treats are supposed to be fun and nutritional, and you get quite of lot of treats in the pot too. I really like the fact that there are different types for different fish and are therefore nutritionally specific, including lots of vitamins and minerals. I’ve never seen anything like this before from any other manufacturer so I was really looking forward to trying them out.

The pot is the standard blue King British affair, again very handy for storage. The instructions don’t tell you how to stick it onto the glass, so I was a little worried as they’re just little flat round tablets, but they stick on really easy and really well. The instructions state that 1 tablet is sufficient for around 10 medium goldfish, so my 2 small goldfish were in for a real treat!!

My Black Moor, who normally takes a while to find food, was straight there munching away. My gold fantail took a little more persuading and initially preferred chasing around the tank after the little bits that dissolved off. Soon they were both nibbling at the treat and hunting down the morsels that floated around the tank.

My two aren’t shy fish and will come to say “hello” all the time, but if you have new or wary fish, this would be a great way to have a really good look at them. Instead, this gave me a fantastic opportunity to get some photos of them as they were around the front of the tank for quite a while. The pot states that the tablet will dissolve over a few minutes, but because I only had two fish attacking it, it lasted for nearly an hour. This gave them loads of time to go off for a rest and then come back for more. I was a little worried about it’s affect on the water quality because it’s supposed to feed many more fish, so I fed them of a day when I was changing some water anyway.  

They both seemed pretty excited during and after the feed and were swimming around merrily together. My Black Moor got so into all the bits floating around, he looked like he had a bad case of ich for a while afterwards! I’m sure children would really love using these as they can get up close to their fish.

As well as becoming a regular treat for my fish, I think these would also make a great little treat to take round to fellow fishy friends, far more enjoyable for the fish than wine or flowers!

Lois

I have used pellets to feed my fish before but I decided to try the King British Goldfish pellets as they come in an attractive easy feeder container, apparently all you have to do is click the button and out pop the pellets, which hopefully would stop the old problem of “fishy fingers”!

So with great expectation I clicked the button and out popped some pellets, but not enough for my hungry fish, so I clicked it again and again and again! ALL of my fish came straight to eat them, with my Hillstream loaches waiting at the bottom for them to sink. The pellets themselves aren’t too big, so all of my fish were able to enjoy them and they don’t smell too bad at all!! After the recommended 2 minutes I looked to see if any of the food was left uneaten, but it had all gone. 

I have been using this product now for the last few days and I’m happy with it, but I have encountered one small problem … my Weather Loach was very curious at the white container from which the food was appearing from, so he decided to pop up and investigate… he caught me off guard and I dropped the container of pellets into the water!! After quickly scooping up the container, shaking it madly and laughing at myself, I think only a few pellets were affected .So if anyone was to ask me if I would recommend this product to a friend, I would definately say yes but if I could change one thing about this product I would change the plastic container slighty. I think some sort of texture/grip to the sides would be very helpful and hopefully stop the problem of fishkeepers like me dropping it into the water!!

Jo

Thanks for the review Jo! We will definitely take your feedback on board.

Bloodworm. It sounds revolting but apparently fish love them! I’ve looked into using bloodworm before but I was concerned about contamination with live bloodworm and didn’t fancy keeping frozen blocks next to my ice-cream! King British have freeze-dried bloodworm making it fuss free, but they retain all their natural flavour and nutrition.

They come in the familiar King British blue tub, full to the brim. Due to their standard size and shape, I find that all of my King British pots stack and store well together, but  because it is so full I’d suggest opening the pot very carefully as a few of mine did escape! I was a little apprehensive about how they’d look, but because they’re freeze dried, they’re very light and easy to handle! I can be a little squeamish over “insecty” things, but I had no problems touching them at all. The instructions suggest complementing normal feeds 2-3 times a week. Although the packaging didn’t suggest it, I did pre-soak some bloodworms in tank water first, as I do with most of their food. I’m sure it’s fine not to soak them, but they will float on the top. It may be ideal for top feeders, but the middle or bottom feeders might miss out.

When I put the worms into the tank I hardly got chance to see them as my fantail shot around the tank and ate the lot in seconds. I take it she liked them! My black Moor has poor eyesight and could clearly sense there was something going on as he swam around the tank with his mouth opening looking excited. I ended up hand feeding him some which he gobbled up with gusto.

They both seemed pretty lively for a while after their treat and I have already recommended it to a fellow fishy friend because of it’s safe and easy way to treat all aquarium fish (and turtles and terrapins!) with bloodworm. There was no wastage and the bloodworm didn’t disintegrate so the water stayed nice and clear. I also really liked the fact that you can choose exactly how much you want to feed. With the live or frozen products I’ve looked at in the past, you get a set amount and I’ve always thought that would be too much for 2 little goldfish and I didn’t fancy frozen bloodworms flying around my kitchen as I attempt to cut a block in half!

Bloodworm is high in protein and a great way to complement a balanced diet. It’s what they would naturally eat in the wild, but too much can cause constipation so it is a treat, not a standard diet. I will certainly be adding it in to my weekly routine and am looking forward to seeing how my fish react to more King British treats soon.

Lois

The good news is that there remain plenty of fish fanatics in the UK- in fact 3.9 million homes in the UK keep fish! This is an increase of 400,000 households over the past 16 years- after much speculation it seems that fish keeping is infectious after all! There are between 117m and 134m fish kept in the UK, which is pretty amazing when you consider that the UK dog population is only estimated to be around 8 million!  

Tropical freshwater fish are still most popular, being kept by 70% of customers to aquatic stores, with pond fish being the next most popular. Marine fish seem to be kept less frequently with just 1 in 5 customers visiting retailers keeping marine species. We were quite surprised at the low popularity of marine fish keeping given that keeping marine has been made more accessible over recent years with the introduction of increasing numbers of marine products, simplified marine aquarium set ups and the focus on marine fish in fish keeping publications. So our question is…what is preventing people from entering the world of marine? Is it the increased start up costs? The more technical aspect of marine fish keeping appearing daunting to other fish keepers? Or perhaps more simply a lack of interest in marine species?

According to the report, fish keepers are 6 times more likely to own reptiles than non-fish keepers. We thought that this may be because both fish and reptiles require some level of technical skill to maintain the correct environmental conditions for their care. The statistic seems to be correct for the King British office but are you the proud owner of both fish and reptiles?

Even the most experienced fish keepers will need some advice or support at some stage. The report suggests that retailers are the most popular source of information for fish keepers regardless of demographics and type of fish kept. One fish keeper surveyed travelled an amazing 182 miles to visit an aquatic retailer- we don’t know which store in particular was involved but we are pretty sure they would be a King British stockist (of course!). Internet forums and online resources were found to be an important source of information, but are generally more popular with the younger generations.

So what are your thoughts and opinions?

King British Turtle and Terrapin Multi-Vit contains all the essential vitamins including; Vitamin A which promotes skin integrity and healing, helps to maintain immune function, and protects against skin problems, conjunctivitis and breathing difficulties; Vitamin B1, B2, B6 & B12 which enhance the ability to digest certain foods; Vitamin C which helps to maintain capillaries, bones, teeth, and aids in the absorption of iron; Vitamin D3 which is important in the formation, function, and health of normal bone, tooth, and shell structures. Too little vitamin D3 results in metabolic bone disease, soft shell and egg retention. Vitamin E is also included which acts primarily as an antioxidant, combating free radicals in the environment.

A 20ml bottle of King British Turtle and Terrapin Multi-Vit is competitively priced with an RRP of £3.49, and is launched to market complete with the new packaging re-design. The new packaging uses sharp photography to ensure that the product really stands out on the shelf whilst still reflecting what King British has always been about; providing easy to use, high quality products.

For more information on King British Turtle & Terrapin Multi-Vit or any other King British product please call our Customer Care Team on 01427 675663 or visit www.kingbritish.co.uk.

If a swimbladder problem already exists it is advised to use King British Revitaliser Tonic to treat the immediate problem and then start feeding….yes you’ve guessed it; King British Goldfish Sinking Pellets!

To find out more about the new product and to chat with likeminded fishkeepers and aquatic retailers we invite you to join the King British facebook page (www.facebook.com/kingbritish); a community of passionate fish keepers and King British experts await you! We have a great competition running at the moment.

For more information on King British Goldfish Sinking Pellets or any other King British product please call our Customer Care Team on 01427 675663 or visit www.kingbritish.co.uk

Why small granules? Discus have a relatively short digestive system for their size making it very easy to over feed them. Naturally Discus will eat ‘little and often’ throughout the day. King British Discus Granules help replicate their natural feeding behaviour in the wild.

Why do they sink? Discus are not a surface feeding fish. They prefer to take food from the middle of the water column or from the substrate. King British Discus Granules have been formulated to slowly sink through the water column.

What’s in it? Studies of the stomach contents of wild Discus reveal that they consume both animal and plant matter. King British Discus Granules contain both animal and plant protein as well as naturally occurring compounds to boost the immune system and enhance colours. It also contains the right balance of vitamins and minerals.

Anything else? King British Discus granules are made from high quality, natural ingredients. This makes them highly digestible, leaving very little waste and promoting good water quality.

King British has always been about; providing easy to use, high quality products for the family fishkeeper. Discus Granules is the latest in King British’s range of aquarium foods that has been designed, without compromise, to provide exceptional nutrition for ornamental fish.

King British is committed to providing fishkeepers with ongoing support throughout every step of their journey in the hobby. By  joining the King British Facebook page (www.facebook.com/kingbritish) you’ll become part of a community of passionate fishkeepers and aquatic retailers. You can ask any fishkeeping questions by posting on the wall. King British retailers and consumers have a wealth of knowledge and experience and we encourage everybody to join in the conversation. Sharing fish tales is part of what makes our hobby great! There’s also a competition or two on Facebook, and there’s a whopper coming up so head on over to the King British page now and click ‘like’!

For more information on King British Discus Granules or any other King British product please call the Customer Care Team on 01427 675663, visit www. kingbritish.co.uk or why not tweet at @KingBritishUK?

Red Panda Discus

Article Written By Aquatic Specialist: Gary Rolfe.

There are thousands of species of freshwater tropical fish in today’s aquarium hobby, but in my opinion, there has always been one that has stood alone. One species of fish that has become the icon of aquaculture, royalty of the fish world and king of the aquarium. The Discus.

Strictly speaking that is not 100% true, there are actually 3 species of Discus. All are very closely related, in fact they are all in the same genus, Symphysodon. Ichthyologists have agreed that we have Symphysodon aequifasciatus and Symphysodon discus, but there is still debate over the name of the third species. It may be Symphysodon tarzoo, or it may be Symphysodon haraldi, for the purpose of this article it doesn’t really matter. We’ll just use ‘Discus’ to cover all three species respectively.

Discus are native to the Amazon river in South America. There are many different biotopes within the Amazon system, Discus inhabit the lowland lakes, tributaries and floodplains. These are the areas of slow moving water and heavy vegetation. Heavy amounts of vegetation decaying in the water releases tanins and stains the water brown. This type of water is often referred to as blackwater.

Blackwater is naturally very soft and relatively acidic. Soft water by nature has a low mineral content. Minerals in the water neutralise acids, resisting change to the water’s pH, this is known as the water’s buffering capacity. Because of blackwater’s lower ability to buffer against pH changes, maintaining the correct water conditions for Discus in an aquarium has always been more of a challenge when compared to keeping harder water species. But with a combination of water softening technology and a relative acclimatisation of captive bred Discus to harder water, this challenge is now well within the grasp of most experienced fishkeepers.

Discus are perfectly adapted to their natural environment. Like the more common Angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare) Discus have a laterally compressed body shape, hence their common name. Why would this be beneficial to the Discus? Well, every year during the wet season, the Amazon’s water level rises significantly causing it to break it’s banks and flood the surrounding forest. The discus’ thin shape allows it to slip and glide through the mass of tangled roots and branches as the Amazon’s fish inhabit the flooded forest. This seasonal environment reveals exciting new foraging grounds for the grazing Discus.

Tangled roots in an Amazon tributary

Discus are omnivorous fish, the stomach contents of wild caught Discus have been examined by ichthyologists, revealing both plant and animal matter. Their digestive system is relatively short for their size suggesting that they pick at small food items, but on a regular basis. Their feeding behaviour in the aquarium has also confirmed this and experienced Discus keepers will feed their Discus small items, such as granules, at least 2-3 times per day. This allows Discus to fully digest their food with minimal waste and none of the health problems associated with over-feeding.

A wild Discus’ natural prey consist of small crustaceans, worms and even small fish, even though they are not the most adept predators in the river! It’s hard to say whether they are actively eating plants or if they are just ingested as a result of grazing on invertebrates, but the nutrition gained from these plants should also play a part in their aquarium diet. Luckily, granules high in both animal and plant protein, specifically engineered to meet the nutritional needs of Discus are now available.

Discus are a member of the Cichlidae family, the cichlids. Cichlids are renowned amongst freshwater fish for their excellent parental care. Discus are no different, in fact they take parental care one stage further and have a rather unusual method for raising their babies. Before the eggs hatch, the parents will attentively fan the eggs with oxygen rich water and guard them from predators. Once hatched the Discus parents will start producing a nourishing mucus through their skin that the babies will feed on for a few weeks. This mucus has been compared to mammalian milk as it has been shown to contain valuable antibodies that boost their babies’ immune systems.

I’ve always been a believer in understanding the origins of your pet fish in order to give them the best environment possible. This is never truer than with Discus, create the right physiological conditions and provide a good quality diet and you can achieve something special within the fishkeeping hobby. You can keep the king of aquarium, the Discus.