# Head & taillight tetra doing the dog paddle



## im_a_clownfish (Sep 19, 2005)

Hi All!

I think my last head and tail light tetra is sick.

I had one die a few days ago, and so I checked all the water parameters, and they were all safe - ammonia, nitrite and nitrate were all zero. (Nitrate just above zero). Temperature is 76 degrees. I did a water change anyways. Then, my other head and tail light tetra started acting really weird. He doesnt eat and he just swims around the tank almost vertically (as opposed to swimming horizontally like they normally do). He looks like hes doing the dog paddle, and gazing towards the sky, going round and round in circles. He keeps to the very top of the tank, whereas the other neon tetras are behaving and eating normally. I started medicating the hell out of the tank with maracyn I, Maracyn II, Coppersafe, and Maroxy as I'm not sure what it is. 

Any idea what this could be? I think hes going to dye if he doesn't start eating soon. It's been about a week since he started acting like this, and about a week since I have started the mediciations.


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## azn1stknightsou (Aug 25, 2005)

Sounds like swim bladder disease. Stop feeding for 3-4 days. If it doesnt help, then feed the tetras fresh spinich leaves or peas with the skin pealed. That should help a bit.


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## im_a_clownfish (Sep 19, 2005)

Thanks!

Since he hasn't been eating for a while anyways, should he be getting better soon?

And is there any kind of meds that will help the swim bladder disease? I will feed him some spinach (if he will eat it) Just curious what it is about spinach that helps?

Also, should I keep using maracyn or stop the other meds?

Thanks so much!


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## azn1stknightsou (Aug 25, 2005)

Spinach and peas are supposed to act like what exlax does for humans. If you get the hint. I'm not sure about any other medications. If you want the exact answer, wait for Old Salt to get on. He is like the doctor of this website.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Did all your head & taillights do this same thing? Did any other fish do this same thing?
Are the other fish all okay?
Asid from the odd behavior, are there any other symptoms, like red/ragged areas or odd discolorations or paleness?
Were the head & taillights in the tank as long as the neons and other fish? If not, which were the first to be in the tank, and how were each batch in the tank?

As for the use of all those meds... well, I don't think any of them are going to do you any good in this case, BUT you can't stop using antibiotics once you've started until the treatment is complete. If you were to stop, all the nasty badguy bacteria & fungus which survived would only give rise to new resistant strains, making for huge problems in the future.

Your fish could have any of a number of ailments, but until I know the answers to those questions I asked I can't narrow it down much.


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## im_a_clownfish (Sep 19, 2005)

Hi there!

All my fish are okay, and none of the headlights have done the same thing. I treated the tank with maracyn II a week ago as I think the neons may have had a bit of internal bleeding, but that cleared up with the maracyn II. However, the headlight looks good - no torn/frayed fins or bleeding areas. And good point about folloiwng through with the meds. The headlights were the first to be put in the tank, about 8 months ago, and then the neons a month or two after that. So they have been in there a while...

How can I get the headlight to eat the spinach if he won't eat at all? A bit of garlic guard?

Thanks again for the help!


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

If it won't eat at all, then it won't eat spinach.

Your fish may have been injured somehow, resulting in some internal injury causing this problem,
OR
it may have some internal parasite or fungus like a worm or myxosporan or spironucleus which is desroying it's nervous system,
OR
it has extreme fatty degeneration of the liver, resulting in bouyancy problems, 
OR
it has some swimbladder problem, either infection or hernia
OR
It has been poisoned
OR
it's balance sensory organs are out of whack
OR
a few other really weird things so rare they're not worth mentioning.

I know that's no real help at all; sorry about that. I was hoping your answer would be a bit different. There are no cures for most of the things on this list.


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