Gas bubbles disease (GBD) in freshwater fish

 This disease occurs when aquarium or tank water is supersaturated with gases. Gas bubbles disease is a disease of fish exposed to water supersaturated with natural gases like oxygen, carbon dioxide, or nitrogen. Bubbles of gas may form in the eyes, skin, gills, and fins.

How do fish get gas bubbles?

Fishes are cold-blooded creatures, which means their body temperature depends on the temperature of their environment. The water they live in and their blood-Stream can become supersaturated with gases when there is a sudden rise in Aquarium water temperature or a sudden surge in pressure. When the cold water in the aquarium is suddenly heated, it can release and trap gases within the water causing gas bubble disease in the aquarium fish.

Similarly, pond or tank water can become supersaturated with gases when filled with well water through a submerged hose. These gases can also lead to gas bubbles disease.

External factors that change the water temperature or atmospheric pressure may also lead to a buildup of microbubbles within your tank.

How to prevent Gas Bubble disease?

Gas bubbles disease can be prevented by slowly heating up water when it is added to the aquarium. Also, do not submerge the hose when filling up a pond. Instead, spray water from above, as this will allow all the gases to harmlessly be released into the air. Maintaining proper water chemistry and pristine water quality, feeding, feeding a varied diet of High-quality fish foods, and providing fish with an optimum habitat and suitable tank mates.

What does gas bubbles disease look like in fish?

Gas bubbles disease (also known as GBD) presents as bubbles inside the fish that become trapped within the eyes, fins, or skin. It does not include any swim bladder or buoyancy disorders. This disease starts as a collection of very small bubbles, known as microbubbles, that slowly form larger, more viable bubbles.

Acute gas bubbles disease manifests as acute mortality and may occur in minutes. Eggs float to the surface and fish may show hyperinflation of their swim bladder.

Cranial swelling, exophthalmos, blindness, swollen gill lamellae, gas bubbles in the yolk sac. Up to 100% of fish may die.

• GBD presents as bubbles inside the fish that become trapped within the eyes, fins, or skin.
• Gas bubbles disease is a disease of fish exposed to water supersaturated with natural gases like oxygen, carbon dioxide, or nitrogen.

Symptoms of Gas Bubble Disease (GBD)

• Bubbles inside the eyes or underneath the skin and fins.
• External lumps.
• Internal bubbles.
• The GBD can be detected by the formation of small gas bubbles under the epidermis which includes the formation of gas bubbles in the skin, the gills, and eyeballs causing exophthalmos.
• Gas bubbles damage the fish's tissue.
• Causing tiny gas bubbles to form in the gills, fins, and eyes of the animal.
• This tissue damage, if extensive, can even lead to the fish's death.

Does gas bubbles disease go away?

Small gas bubbles in fish can be prevented and somewhat cured by relocating fish into deep water that contains Higher pressures and therefore a higher amount of gases can be dissolved in the water. This will cause nitrogen excess to be dissolved into the body tissues and the gas bubbles will eventually disappear.

• Treatment of the disease involves eliminating the excess gas in the water sources.
• GBD can be prevented by slowly heating up water when it is added to the aquarium, also do not submerge the hose when filling up a pond. Instead, spray water from above, as this will allow all the gases to harmlessly be released into the air.
• The most important treatment of gas bubbles disease is to determine the cause of the microbubbles within the system and remove them.