Can Fish Have Fits?

[Twinklecaz]

This is a little strange I know but my red platy sometimes goes into what looks to me like a fit.

He's done it for quite a long time every now and then so I'm not urgently worried although he does seem to be doing it a little more often now. It's very hard to describe..........sometimes I look at him and his tail and fins are spread out as far as they can go, almost like he's rigid and his eyes are wide open. he swims/flaots almost on side, like there's a huge fish swimming above him that he's frightened off. Then I look 10 mins late and he's back to normal swimming about with the yellow platy.

Anyone got any ideas? Fitting or something else?

 

[Twinklecaz]

Bums, I didn't think anyone would know.

 

[StandbySetting]

I had a neon tetra that used to do that a few years ago, lived to the ripe old age of 3, didn't affect his life. I presume fits are possible amongst fish, I'll have a search through some journals and get back to you on it.

 

[Twinklecaz]

Hiya

Thanks . Glad it's not just me. Same as your Neon he's never seemed ill because of it. What's the average age for Neons? *has just realised I don't know the average age for a lot of my fish*

 

[StandbySetting]

As far as I'm aware in captivity it is 3-5 years

 

[soybean]

What's the average age for Neons? *has just realised I don't know the average age for a lot of my fish*

Some of mine are 5 years and counting, but starting to look their age.

 

[Twinklecaz]

Thanks Lol I always think the thing with Fish is though, a lot of the time you're not sure how old they are when you get them. My Pygmys were wild caught for instance so they could be like 5 now for all I know (doubt it).

 

[emmettbaby]

My fish has been doing something similar to this for about a month now... Except mine spirals. He's a scissortail rasbora I rescued from my mother (and the toilet) about 6 months ago. Him and his buddy have been in my 10 gallon ever since. He had been doing great then one night I clicked on the light and he just zoomed around the tank. He hit everything, rocks, plants, his buddy, the heater, dug himself into the sand, then came to rest upside down in a plant. I thought he was dying but figured I'd give him the benefit of a doubt. Couple hours later he was fine... Now every time I turn on the light, he does the same thing. My mom, not knowing he had done this before, almost took him out of the tank. I still don't know why he does it, and he's the only one of the pair that does it. The other fish is just fine...

I moved the pair into a 29 gallon about 5 days ago. I haven't seen him do it yet, but it may be because he's adjusting to his new surroundings? I've also considered that maybe it was the lighting. The 10 gallon has really bright lights considering how shallow the tank is, the 29 gallon has a bright light but the tank is a lot deeper...

Or maybe it's just that, like people, some fish are just weird for no reason

 

[Twinklecaz]

Lol. Maybe the lights frighten him.

I'm going to try and film mine doing it, then I can show you all.

 

[Rogue4Fish]

You're not supposed to go from dark to light/light to dark with fish as this can freak them out. You need to try and give a dawn/dusk period, where you might turn the light off on the tank, but leave the light on in the room. Likewise if the room is dark and the tank is off, turn the room light on for 10 minutes or so first.

Fish don't have eyelids...so a light shock can send them a bit dizzy.

 

[Twinklecaz]

Lol yes. It's because of this I can never go to bed before 10pm even if I want to!