HELP my male Cockatoo has started spiraling when it swims. one of its eyes seem to be looking up and the other down. Any ideas . I have moved him to a smaller tank (less to dose) and dosed with melafix and stress coat. it started happening yesterday but seemed to go away, now its permanant ???????????????????

any fish that could have injured/been bullying it?

The only changes made in the past few weeks have been one flying fox added and run my MH for a day

I think I read somewhere that that is a sign of poisoning???? Could be wrong though :-?

Usually yes stress, poisioning related, trauma or sudden change of temp, ph...

Frenchy

any idea on what to do ie meds or do I ride it out and hope for the best

I have had this kind of thing happen for two different cockatoos - very sad they are one of my favorite fish.

In my case, neither of them survived. (sorry)

They both developed it following a water change - because they are so inquisitive, i assumed that they may have gotten in the way of the gravel vac and had a bump - but I am pretty careful to keep away from them all...

I make sure my water going in is very similar in temp to the water allready in the tank, and in fact put it through the filter, so it is mixed thoroughly before it enters the tank at all. Also, I do water changes pretty frequently, so there won't have been any dramatic fluctuation in water parameters that could cause it.

I'm giving cockatoos a rest at the moment - too sad to lose them.

Aren't cockatoos short lived in any case? Could this just be him at the end of a short life? (Sorry, not trying to be morbid, just brainstorming.) How old is he?

i think they normally live 2-3 years?

Oh no is this my old male?? Guttered!

Yea, Only thing i can think of is melafix or something general as you dont realy know what it is....

Good luck man!!

yea evil its him was a beauty, everyone commented on him, hes still alive but doesnt seem to be getting better resting alot as I think the spiraling would be wearing him out and making him dizzy :-? hope he dosent die as hes my fav fish (in the community tank))))

That sucks!! Have you tried putting him in a little floating breeding trap or something so he doesnt have to try and swim against the currents or anything, something little so he can sit on the bottom if he wants but can also try and swim.

Hope he gets better!!!

Do you know how old he is evil?

the fish not Mat 8)

LOL

Um, I got it when it was very little, about a year and a bit before i sold it to mat, And hes had it since about the start of this year???

Probably around the 2 year old mark soon i would say....

yea hes in a breedind net as he kept swimming into things and getting syuck I think if no one has any real remedies Ill put him out of his misery in a couple of days

is he like spiralling as in always turning a certain way or spiralling as in going belly up the spinning back upright, belly up, then upright again, if it's the later, i'd put him out of his misery, thats got something to do with the lateral line in them being damaged and cant keep themselves upright in the water anymore, most fish that we have do that usually die within a hour of it starting or i put them out of their misery

yep the later but hasnt died and its been a few days must be a strong little begger 8) but your right one more day with no improvement and itll be getting the freeze

Done it hes gone

Sorry to hear that Mat692 - they are special little fish - it's very sad to see them go.

hes gone but got my baby gba's (thanks fishboi) and another cockatoo (thanks sharron and paul)