Sitting on the bottom - not swimming very well.

[anna]

My Laetacara flavilabris is about 8 cm long, I have had it for about 2,5 months. In the last few weeks its taken to sitting on the gravel all the time, and its got worse and worse, its been eating less and less till today, but now it seems as if it dosnt have the energy to swim to the food. It gets up but has to get back down a few minutes later where it breathes very hard. When it does swim it wobles a bit. So its sits under the filter, or under the plants, or in its little cave and moves every so often. Its looks normal.

Its in with a pair of rams, 4 otos, and 5 small loaches and I just moved a temporary resident an 8 cm Satanoperca jurupari to another tank - who the Laetacara usually chases a bit - its stopped doing this aswell, its always ignored the rams. The tank is a 130 liters - long and has been established for 6 months. Its planted and gets C02. 2 loaches were introduced 3 weeks ago. All the other fish are fine, the loaches swimming and playing like little maniacs.

I feed flakes, algae wafers, catfish pellets. they get peas, live red worms and live daphnia weekly. The Laetacara flavilabris usually eats everything.

Any ideas? help someone, this is my first ill fish and im thinking a parasite or bloat...? I can isolate it and treat it, but i dotn know for what.

 

[chapman76]

I hope I heard about this too because my male A. Nijsseni is experiencing the exact same thing right now and I am very worried. He still swim around a little bit, but spends most of his time on the gravel or on the powerhead.

 

[chapman76]

Anna, you might want to look at the post in this forum called "Ram not eating and breathing heavily". It seems to be what my apisto has and it might be what yours has.

 

[anna]

Hi Ron,

thanks for your reply and the link to the thread. It dosnt really fit the description of my fish. How is yours doing now?

Mine dosnt leave the bottom, but sort of moves around sliding on its belly using its fins! Its also breathing normally - it was heavy after trying to swim - which it dosnt anymore. It now hasnt swam for 3 days.
Its still eating, its ignoring the flakes, but when i fed live daphnia on saturday it ate as many as it could reach and today it ate peas and bloodworms. So its still eating and staying upright - but not swimming. It seems to be a swimming problem.

I remember it ate a small hatchet fish about 2 weeks ago, dont know if it could have picked somthing up from the hatchet. I have been doing lots of water changes, and otherwise just tried to not stress the fish - I have no idea what it is. I posted this question in a few forums but so far not much help. (But, one of my rams has turned up dead yesterday. found him upside down still allive in one of the plants. The loaches are all fine and symptoms different - Im not sure its related). I could isolate it if anyone had any ideas of a treatment, but dont want to stress it if not. The fish shop guy has no idea, and didnt want to advice me on any medicine.

Anyone any ideas?

 

[chapman76]

I'm not sure how mine is. I think mine is something that the Metronidazol will be able to fix. I am picking some up on my way home and putting him in the Q tank and hoping it's not too late.

I have no idea what yours might be. I've ton looking lately online and your symptons just seem strange. It's weird that he stays on the bottom and still eats. Mine only moves for brief periods of time and then just sits. He might eat something, then he just spits it out.

I hope someone can help you. I know how it is.

 

[fishgeek]

sorry for the exceedingly late reply
i just got in from mexico today


(how's that for an excuse)


we need the water parameters as all the vague signs you are witnessing could quite simply be poor water quality
firstly do large water changes from a known good quality water source(perhaps check source water first)
certainly nitrogenous watse's could be involved or other toxins

also it would be nice to know if the fish has developed any other outward signs
weight loss/belly tucked up?
palour scale consistency
feacal quality

health probs in fish are complex and enviroment is a major factor
if ither of your fish are still about let me know what else i can do to help

andrew

 

[anna]

Hi fishgeek thanks for the late answer and here is my late reply.

Im also just back, from 3 weeks work related travel, not as exiting as mexico

Before I left I was pretty sure I would not see my Laetacara flavilabris again. But 3 weeks later and its still allive! I suspect it must be swimbladder disorder. It sits on the bottom all the time, when it does swim its very low and breathes very heavy after. It does swim more now than before I left, especially when it gets daphnia. The fish is much paler than usually, it practically blends in with the gravel, but occasionally goes darker and shows its markings. I cant see any faeces. It stays upright all the time, and mostly seems to move around the bottom on its belly, prefering to sit under the filter or in its cave.

Its thinner, but could be because its not eating as much. It will only eat live foods now (daphnia and worms), and peas - ignores everything else. I dont have time to go to the fish shop all the time so doesnt get fed every day - and can't because of the loaches.

My water readings seem fine, Nitrite: 0 and Nitrate 40 - the water here is very hard 7.5 ph. But while I was away the water was only changed twice. Usually I change 20 liters a week. My second little ram died while I was away, however all the loaches who share the tank are fine.

Any ideas? thanks, anna

- sorry about my spelling mistakes, english isnt my first language.

 

[fishgeek]

abnormal negative bouyancy could certainly be associated with ruptured or leaking swim bladder equally so large heavy objects in the fish cyst/stone or other foreign body in the gut /growths

i have read something about belly sliders though i believe this was a genetic not an acquired problem
andrew