Ill Swordtail

[spooky_b329]

Hi everyone.

I've got a couple of Swordtails that I've had for about a year, I did a partial water change and cleaned the tank at the weekend, then the next day I noticed one Swordtail was not eating and was moping about at the bottom of the tank.

Closer inspection shows that it has lost the tip of its tail, and after watching for a while I noticed the other Swordtail chasing it around the tank...it seemed very panicked and stressed. Today I found it hiding beneath a tank ornament, thought it was dead until I noticed its gills going. Seems to be 'gulping' constantly, thought the other fish seem fine. I'm not sure if the damage to the tail was inflicted by me when cleaning the tank, or if its been attacked by the other Swordtail. (I also have some neon tetra's and gold barbs in the tank, but they have never been a problem since the Swordtails were introduced)

Anyway, I'm going away for a week and don't want to leave my neighbour worrying that they've killed my fish, should I just cut my losses and kill it now? It doesn't show any signs of disease apart from the gills going ten to the dozen. I read a post by Confusion where s/he says he's never saved a Swordtail once it stops eating...

Also on another note...one of the tetras is eating and acting normally, but as its grown I've noticed it is 'kinked' and thinner than its mates, and has a dark indentation on one side. Just a wonky fish or a developing internal problem?

Thanks

 

[Spader]

what is the ratio of the male to females? and if u have more than one male the are very agressive towards each other. what size tank? and also what are your stats? (ammonia, nitrIte, nitrAte, ph). it should be 1 male to every 3 females as a rule of thumb. (hey its my 500 post!)

 

[spooky_b329]

Just two males. When I stocked the tank I was a newbie and took advice from a shop. They told me 2 males was fine, and that one of the males was likely to change sex to a female...I now know this isn't exactly true, and is normally when a late developing male is miss-identified as a female.

Nitrate: 50
Nitrite: 0
GH-DT-TH (General Hardness or something): 21d
KH/Carbonate Hardness: 3
Ph: 6.8

I'm using test strips which I suspect arn't as accurate as other methods, and although it checks Nitrite and Nitrate, I don't think it indicates Ammonia.

I started off well with the stats, keeping them in an excel file etc, and bought stuff to alter the water softness etc, but after a couple of months it didn't seem to be making much difference, and the fish were still alive, so I have to admit I haven't been checking it that regularly Hence I can't remember the actual limits that its meant to be within. I also found I had some soft water loving and some hard water loving fish.

 

[WILDER]

Sounds like an internal bacteria infection, has the fish darkened in colour, is the fish laying to one side at the bottom of the tank.

 

[spooky_b329]

Hi Wilder, I assume you are talking about the Swordfish and not the wonky Tetra?

It hasn't darkened noticebly, and is lying slightly to one side although this is probably because the tank (a Biorb) is curved at the bottom and it is resting between an ornament and the tank wall. When I've seen it in other places it seems to be resting upright.

Oh, the other factor I forgot to mention is I removed the two plants that were in the tank as they had been nibbled away at and looked a mess...the Barbs seem to be the main culprits. So there isn't much cover at the moment.

 

[WILDER]

Still sonds like a bacterial infection, they always rest on plants or ornaments, in a up right position, or headstanding, to be honest he dosn't sound like he's going to make it, sorry.

Never saw the tetra bit, has the fish gone really thin with a bent spine.


http/www.4qd.org/Aqua/disease/tb.html

 

[spooky_b329]

OK thanks for the help...just didn't want to give it the chilled water treatment without checking first!

Yeh the Tetra is thin with a bent spine. Should I just deal with both at the same time? Shame as I haven't lost anything for about a year now...anyway the girlfriend will be happy as at the moment I won't let her get anymore fish as I reckon 9 fish is about max for a small 30L BiOrb.

 

[WILDER]

Its tb then if the fish is thin and has a bent spine too, the tetra is putting the whole tank at risk, sounds awful but yes destroy it, sorry.