# 3 days of illness- spinning; erratic swimming;



## pub2club (Oct 12, 2003)

Hey fury friends, long time since I posted,

Problem

[2 red bellies 5/6 inches, 3.5 years old, in a 36x28x15 tank]

1 of them for the last 3 days has been periodically spinning over and over, then flipping out and swimming erratically. After about 10 secs, or more, he's back to normal. He'll go mental and seem to lose all control, hitting the top of the water, or bouncing off the rocks and side of the tank.

He seems to be slightly darker than the other one, top fin slightly frayed at top, and back fin nipped by other fish.

Most of the time, he'll swim about normally, no sign of mentalness, but over the last few days it's got worse.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what this may be?

The local fish shop, when I phoned them, suggested it was swim bladder. Do pir's get this too? Thought it was just gold fish. They said it could be bacterial, or just genetic, and should knock it on the head and remove it from the tank - as it will die in the next couple of days.

Any remedies, apart from water changes.

Worried me.

:-|


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## theanimedude (Jun 4, 2005)

...wowo that sounds sooo freaky!!! iu suggest a salt dip. cuz that'll take out any parasite internally or so...erm.......and i'm alot of people will mention that.....but ofcourse...there should be another remedy...


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## pub2club (Oct 12, 2003)

theanimedude said:


> ...wowo that sounds sooo freaky!!! iu suggest a salt dip. cuz that'll take out any parasite internally or so...erm.......and i'm alot of people will mention that.....but ofcourse...there should be another remedy...
> [snapback]1111401[/snapback]​


Salt dip - not the easiest thing to do with a broken foot and on crutches.

Sad to say that my fish have out grown from net, silly as it sounds, so catching in with my hands whilst balancing on 1 foot is out of the question.

:-|


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

Mmm... sounds familiar...








Read this thread, http://www.piranha-fury.com/pfury/index.php?showtopic=90532 (also check out the video I posted - does that look familiar?) 
That thread is about what happened to my Manueli last week, which does sound a lot like what you are experiencing. I got some useful tips there (although the fish didn't make it): maybe it's useful...
Is it getting worse, btw?

Test for ammonia, nitrIres, nitrAtes and phosphates, and see if your water is well oxygenated.
Is it just one of your fish that behaves like that?
Also, Google up information about swimblatter problems, Whirling Disease and Myxosoma.

Hopefully it's nothing serious, but symptoms like what you described are often not a positive sign...








Good luck!


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## pub2club (Oct 12, 2003)

Interesting video, but very sad. Sorry to hear of the loss of Manny.

Yes, my "nemo" is found to have a similar rolling manner (albeit a lot more agressive in the spinning and flapping about), of which was quite disturbing to see another fish suffer this oddity. Maybe a disease that's cross the US to the UK mainland?

I have done 20% water change, and will do another tomorrow morning. Since turning on the 10 inch air stone, the fish has seemed to quieten down the activity.

Will do some water testing tomorrow too, and might treat him to a few peas. Quite a change from Thailand Tiger Prawns and Argentinian Organic Steak =)

Will keep you posted.

Thanks,

pub2club


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## Dr. Giggles (Oct 18, 2003)

Wow, first time i saw that. In that video it is showing definite problems with the swim bladder. This is a no win situation in 99.9% cases. The only chance of survival is if it is caused by constipation causeing other organs to press against the bladder which can be relieved by feeding frozen peas that will act as a laxative. Other possibility is something wrong with the kidney and its pressing against the swim bladder. Unfortunately there is no way to tell whats wrong unless you perform a post mortem autopsy.


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## pub2club (Oct 12, 2003)

Post-mortam? Very doubtful - future wife is vegetarian, and it'll be best that I am not found using the best kitchen knives conducting a personal science lesson on the chopping board.

Question:

Would it be safe for the remaining red bellie to consume the ill fish, in a circle of life type of fashion? Is there any risk that the last fish will catch some form of knock on illness?

Otherwise, I will have to wait for the perishing day, and take out what's left of him and send him on his way down the white flume.


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

pub2club said:


> Post-mortam? Very doubtful - future wife is vegetarian, and it'll be best that I am not found using the best kitchen knives conducting a personal science lesson on the chopping board.


I'm sorry, but that was pretty funny











pub2club said:


> Would it be safe for the remaining red bellie to consume the ill fish, in a circle of life type of fashion? Is there any risk that the last fish will catch some form of knock on illness?[snapback]1115810[/snapback]​


I wouldn't - not in this case, nor in any other case for that matter. Especially if you don't know what caused it. If the illness is caused by a virus, parasite, bacteria or something else contageous, there's a good chance it will affect the remaining fish as well.

Any updates on the poor little guy?


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## pub2club (Oct 12, 2003)

Fish still alive. Not too keen on the frozen peas. How a meat eating fish is meant to be attracted to a small lifeless vegetable, beats me?

Will try to post a video, but his circus antics have become infrequent.

Thanks for advising on whether the fish should be fish food. Seems a sensible answer considering.

The photo attached shows some of the damage he's had to take over the last day to two from the other piranha. A few flesh nips too on his sides, but still swimming.


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## Quint (Mar 25, 2004)

I think this is happening to my P too


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## pub2club (Oct 12, 2003)

Sad, Sad, Sad News























This morning (UK time), I awoke to carnage. As expected and inevitable, the fish had met its' maker.... well almost.

The fish had been attacked either during the night, or at first dawn. Found the poor sod floating upside down at the top of the tank, taking very shallow breathes with hardly an ounce of energy to contemplate a fin wiggle or sigh of sadness.

The attached photo in previous post showed you his status only a 24 hours previous, now below is the sign of weakest will get picked on by the stronger.

The attached videos can be viewed with Apple Quicktime player, as the file is a .3gp (a Nokia mobile phone video file).

You will see the damage at the topside of the fish, and the underbelly, where the deep hole appears spookier than a fairground attraction.

To Jona, I stand with you on the feeling of misery, this piranha sadly never made it through. I took him out of the tank and sent him on his way.

To Quint, I'm afraid I never found the cause of this, and cannot pass wisdom to you. Give your P some peas, and TLC, normal tank checks, and hope for the best. If nature takes it's cause either by itself or by fish tank frenzy, I hope his time has been well spent.

RIP.

pub2club


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## pub2club (Oct 12, 2003)

Videos must be played using Apple Quicktime player. These are created from a Nokia mobile/cell camera phone.

Video #1
pub2club_nemo_piranha_attack1

Video #2
pub2club_nemo_piranha_attack2

pub2club


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

Oh man, I'm sorry it ended up like this








It's part of the hobby, but I doubt anyone will ever get used to it...

Quint: do the same as I adviced pub2club in my first post.


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