# Worried about my Black Skirt Tetra



## lookralphsbak (Jun 16, 2009)

A couple days ago my black skirt tetra started acting weird. During the day it seemed off balance. When it would swim to eat flakes it would often miss the flakes and have to go around 2 or 3 times to get one. I have to drop flakes around it just so it could grab 2 or 3. 
At night instead of staying in one place like the rest of the BSTs is spirals around the fish tank and it might eventually stop and just stay in one place on the gravel or in a plant if it gets stuck. But the fact is it's literally swimming around going crazy when it's supposed to be sleeping and I don't know why. During the day it is calm like the rest of the fish in the tank. 

I did a water change 2 days ago thinking maybe that would help but it hasn't.

If anyone has any information on what is wrong that would be amazing!

Thank you


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Either this fish got poisoned somewhere along the line or it has brain/neurological damage.
Name him Dizzy. It won't recover.


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## lookralphsbak (Jun 16, 2009)

TheOldSalt said:


> Either this fish got poisoned somewhere along the line or it has brain/neurological damage.
> Name him Dizzy. It won't recover.


oh, that would make sense. I'm hoping it does recover but it's lived for a couple days now and I don't see it dying anytime soon. I feel bad for it. It is eating though so that's a good thing. I guess I'll just wait it out and see how it does. Thanks


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## Peeps (May 24, 2010)

It could be Hydrogen Sulfide, Eldrin, organophosphate poisoning, copper poisoning etc., could be the reason. It's usually a poison which causes a neurological disorder like rolling and spiral swimming. You have to do a massive (70+ %) water change with a chloramine and heavy metal binding neutralizer like Dechlor or Detox.


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