Poorly Red Eye Tetra

[kev]

Details first

20Gallon Tank - with tank mates below

Fully cycled and been up and running since I joined this forum - Probably about 12 months now - All parameters were normal on last test (all 0 and last one (nitrate??) was 30)- Will test again tonight.

Only add declorinator during water change - no other chemicals

25-30% water change ever fortnight

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Problem - It has been suggested that its swim bladder, but I'll let you decide

Symptoms - I thought it was dead - it was laying on the bottom so i reached in to fish (hehe) it out but then it swam off and joined the shoal with the other - and I couldn't tell anything wrong with any of them.

Later he was being sucked into the side of the filter - again presumed dead - but again he swam off

this morning - he was on the bottom but when he started swimming he was leaning over on his side and not swimming strongly.

Solution - Well thats why I'm here -
is it swim bladded?
and what is swim bladder?
If not what is it?
Is it going to affect my other fish?
whats the Cure?
and is there anything for Future Prevention?

 

[Tempestuousfury]

I don't think there are any cures.

I'd suggest doing a water change of around 25%. The changes of this helping the tetra is quite low, though.

If you can't get the problem resolved soon, euthanise so your other fish don't get similar problems.

 

[Magnolia_360]

Was it swimming vertically?

 

[kev]

Not vertically but on its side like it was swimming dorsel fin up the it would slowly fall over so that the dorsel was pointing at the front of the tank.

is it swim bladder?

Has anything caused this or is it just a poorly fish??

Right done some research and swim bladder would cause the fish to float rather than sink - Any other solutions

 

[tstenback]

often when fish start to lean over it is because they are fighting an internal virus of some kind and they are getting very weak. This means that they have enough energy to stay upright but if they exert themselves then they get tired quickly and the current pushes them over until they recover from the effort. I dont think that it is swim bladder as this condition usually means the fish will have difficulty swimming down to the bottom or at times getting off the bottom. Your fish may have an interal bacteria which is causing the problem. maracyn2 might help.