Bendy spine White Cloud Mountain Minnow

[AilyNC]

I got this fish on Friday. It had a curved spine. I thought I'd wait a few days & see if it was injury & improving. I posted about it in another thread but I think this part of my post got lost.

So posting seperately as I worried about other fish catching something. The tank is getting wormer & anti fluke as advised when I first added fish in.

Anyway here it is... Bendy. Arrived bent. Eating & swimming well. @Colin_T

Ammonia 0, Nitrire 0, Nitrate 5.

 

[Colin_T]

It looks like a genetic deformity. I would take it back and get a replacement fish.

 

[AilyNC]

It looks like a genetic deformity. I would take it back and get a replacement fish.

Phew. I was worried it was contagious. I'm hoping to get to pet store tomorrow. Our second lockdown comes Thursday.

 

[Colin_T]

If you can't get to the shop to replace it, just call the shop and let them know what is going on, and see if they will give you a credit for a replacement fish after the lockdown ends. Maybe send them an email with a picture of the bent fish to prove it is actually bent.

The fish itself should live a reasonably normal life even though it's deformed, just don't breed from it, or if it breeds, don't keep any of the eggs/ babies.

 

[AilyNC]

If you can't get to the shop to replace it, just call the shop and let them know what is going on, and see if they will give you a credit for a replacement fish after the lockdown ends. Maybe send them an email with a picture of the bent fish to prove it is actually bent.

The fish itself should live a reasonably normal life even though it's deformed, just don't breed from it, or if it breeds, don't keep any of the eggs/ babies.

If the fish is ok (except deformity) should I just keep it? I think the ship might kill it

 

[Colin_T]

It's hard to tell from the pictures but it just looks like it has a genetic deformity (birth defect). I would need better pictures to check it properly.

 

[AilyNC]

Video

My camera focus is a bit wonky but hopefully better pics.

 

[Colin_T]

the fish looks fine, just a bit bent out of shape

 

[kwi]

Could be a birth defect rather than a genetic defect, especially if the only one in the tank at the store.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Personally if that was me, I think would just keep that fish, let it live life in a nice tank rather than taking back to LFS where it won’t get chosen by anyone due to its bent spine and left in a overcrowded LFS tank too small for it.

Does look like it’s either a old injury or a deformity of sorts. So therefore it’s highly unlikely it will spread any diseases to its tankmates imho.

I had a endler with a deformed spine, think was an injury caused by LFS staff catching it in the net and spine was caught on net somehow.

It lived absolutely fine for a few years actually and mixed with its other endler tankmates with no issues at all.

You can let LFS know of your fish having this spine injury or deformity with your pictures and video and see if they will credit you with another WCMM. Worth trying anyhow IMO.

 

[AilyNC]

So I brought him back before I saw these replies. The guy got a bit snotty with me about it so I said if it's definitely not genetic I'll take him back home. "You can't i put him in tank now" but eh get him out of the tank... "No you can have a different one now from that tank".

Now i feel poopy (don't bar me for swearing) but he's gone to fish shop. I got another WCMM fish as replacement.

Wish I had kept him now ah well. You swim some you lose some.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

So I brought him back before I saw these replies. The guy got a bit snotty with me about it so I said if it's definitely not genetic I'll take him back home. "You can't i put him in tank now" but eh get him out of the tank... "No you can have a different one now from that tank".

Now i feel poopy (don't bar me for swearing) but he's gone to fish shop. I got another WCMM fish as replacement.

Wish I had kept him now ah well. You swim some you lose some.

Eh, sad for the individual fish, but someone else will probably decide to get him purely because he's special needs. My LFS has a list of people willing to home deformed fish that come in, there are lots of us with a soft spot for a fish with special needs, so try not to fret.

The guy had no need to get snotty with you, you've a right to get healthy fish, it's not on you!

 

[AilyNC]

Eh, sad for the individual fish, but someone else will probably decide to get him purely because he's special needs. My LFS has a list of people willing to home deformed fish that come in, there are lots of us with a soft spot for a fish with special needs, so try not to fret.

The guy had no need to get snotty with you, you've a right to get healthy fish, it's not on you!

I just thought it was so silly he wouldn't give it back to me. The replacement is looking a tad stressed out so turned off the lights again.

When they sold me the fish if they'd pointed out deformity & assured me it was fine I'd have kept it. But it concerned when I got home to see that. I don't like that they don't let you pick each fish out the you're getting. But at least this place isn't the awful shop. And I've heard them tell people to cycle tank & that Betta aren't for community tanks.

 

[AilyNC]

Arghhhhhhhh I'm so fracking mad. The replacement fish is dead. It was floating instead of swimming then darting around in panic. Lights were off to try help it settle.

I'd say about 2.5 hrs in the tank and dead.

I'm so p*****!

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Arghhhhhhhh I'm so fracking mad. The replacement fish is dead. It was floating instead of swimming then darting around in panic. Lights were off to try help it settle.

I'd say about 2.5 hrs in the tank and dead.

I'm so p*****!

Take that one back too. Get your bent spine one back!