Bonochick

I noticed that my red eye tetra Alex has been swimming funny. His body always tilts sideways when he swims. He's still really active and eats and swims with the other fish (well, he tries to), but it's very obvious that he's having trouble swimming.

There is nothing different with his appearance, he looks like his perfect self. I just tested the water and got these readngs:

pH: 8.0
ammonia: 0
nitrite: 0
nitrate 20

Those readings have been the same since June, and I haven't had any fish problems in this timespan.

Any ideas?

lilsoccakid

i would deffinetly take a look at swim bladder problems

COBettaCouple

yea, he might need to be quarantined for a fast followed by the pea treatment to see if that helps any.. swim bladder disorder or flipover are the most likely causes, although i'm not sure of that being the cause - do you have a pic?

Bonochick

I didn't take a picture, since I'm positive that he looks exactly the same as usual...it's just his swimming that is messed up. I could try to get a picture later though.

As far as quarantining him...could he still stay in the tank, and I could just get like a breeding net or something (which I've been meaning to do anyway)? I'd hate to take him out of the decent, stable water parameters, and I'd also hate to completely take him away from his friends. He's still being really social with the other tetras, especially the one other red eye.

COBettaCouple

yea, you'd just want to have him seperated for fasting purposes so that would be a good idea.

Bonochick

My boyfriend thinks I should set up the little 2.5 gallon tank I have to put Alex in, instead of just separating him in the tank...but, like I said, I don't want to take him out of the nice, established tank if I don't have to.

Bonochick

Okay, I bought a breeding box. They had a couple breeding nets, but the packaging was all torn up on them. I'm sure they were fine, but that always puts me off a bit.

My thought was that I would only have to put Alex in insolation during feeding time for the other fish...then I could let him join the others after the food is all gone. As long as the other fish continue to not pick on him, do you think that's all right? Like I said, he still loves being with the other tetras, so I'd hate to isolate him more than necessary.

COBettaCouple

yea, i'd only isolate him at feeding time when you're fasting him. anything that can make him happy is an intangible help to him getting better.

Bonochick

I feel horrible!

My boyfriend convinced me last night to put Alex in the breeder box because he said that when Alex gets off track with his swimming, the other fish are crashing into him, since he gets in their way. I figured I could at least try it, and if he seemed too upset in it, I could take him out and just put him in during feeding.

I took the canopy off the tank and was moving the cover so that my boyfriend could put the breeder box in...and it felt like water had dripped down on my foot. I looked down...and Alex was next to my foot, laying on the carpet! He had jumped out!!!!! My boyfriend hurried up and grabbed him and put him in the breeder box...and he just laid on the bottom. He started swimming all of the sudden...but then he sunk back down to the bottom and just laid there again. He hadn't ever been just laying around in the tank, so I know it was the fall that screwed him up. He made it through the night, but his behavior is still the same. I feel so awful.

COBettaCouple

hopefully it's just a temporary thing.

armadillo

Aw, that's awful. I thought this stuff about fish jumping out was a bit exaggerated. Is Alex the neon fish with the swim bladder problem?

COBettaCouple

yea, we've had some jump too.. they really can surprise you with the sudden jumps.

Bonochick

Yeah, and he's not doing any better. He's still hanging on though.

When I first got him, he did a few jumps out of the water...but the cover was on, so it wasn't a problem. Having already seen him jump, he always made me nervous when I had the cover off to vacuum the gravel or top off the water or someting...and the one time I really wasn't thinking about it, since he was sick...he goes and does it.

My boyfriend and I were at Petsmart one day, and a tiger barb had jumped out of one of the tanks, he was laying on the floor. My boyfriend put him back in the tank, but he was swimming pretty funny, I doubt he ended up making it. Alex's fall, coupled with him already being sick...it just doesn't seem good.

COBettaCouple

poor little Alex.. we sure hope he surprises you and gets on the mend.

Bonochick

Well, Alex is still alive, but he hasn't improved. Now, I've noticed that the color in the black band on his tail is fading. I am certain he is on his way out.

COBettaCouple

sounds like our little Ariel.. i'm sorry, i wish we could help them..

Bonochick

Still the same! I can't believe how long he has held on! He's a tough little guy.

My other red eye tetra (Oliver) seems so lonely. The two of them would hang out with the one black skirt and the two white skirts, but then they'd often go off and swim on their own. I feel bad when I see Oliver swimming alone.

Bonochick

He's still alive. I tried to get him to eat something this morning, but he wouldn't...not that I expected him to, but I figured I'd try.

Well, here's my question. I'm probably going out of town this weekend, but I'm worried that if he's still alive, he might die soon after I leave and then be in the tank all weekend. He's in that breeder box, but he's still in the same water as the others. Would it be better for me to set up the spare 2.5 gallon tank I have to put him in to keep him separate?

timg

I had a neon that went just like that, so I put him into the QT with another couple of neons and for nearly 2 weeks he held on, then one day I looked for him and there he was, swimming perfectly with the other two! It was about a week before I noticed that one of his fins wasn't working, and that was what made him swim sideways, in circles or just on his head! I left him to it, and he recovered. I am rather thinking that you may have a similar problem with alex and that time will put it right. Let's hope so. Have a good weekend!

COBettaCouple

I'd probably leave him in where he's at now.

Bonochick

Well, my boyfriend and I were considering camping this weekend, but the weather was iffy. I'm still going out of town to visit my parents, but he will be home at least if Alex dies. You should see Alex though! He's still not giving up. His body doesn't move, but he still flaps his tail and his fins, and his eyes move around a lot...it seems like he's trying with everything he's got to get up and swim. I still have hope, I can't believe what a little fighter he is.

COBettaCouple

they fight hard, the little fish.. i hope he pulls thru!

Bonochick

Well, Alex died Saturday night. I buried him when I got home on Sunday.

Thanks to everybody for their replies and good thoughts. I appreciate it.

COBettaCouple

aw, we're sorry to hear that he didn't make it.. he gave it his best and so did you and he had a real good life in your care.