burgo Posted November 14, 2006 Report Share Posted November 14, 2006 Hi, Can someone please help I purchased some of the above cichlids approx 3 weeks ago. They are in my community tank with Discus etc. About 4 days ago one of them started swimming erractically so i quarantined it. I have just discovered this morning, another one is doing the same thing. It is as though they have lost their balance, they are swimming around in circles unable to keep themselves balanced. Can anybody tell me what they have got. All the other fish in the tank seem happy and I am doing my regular water changes. I have never had fish do this before (that I remember) and am concerned that either the cichlids are dodgy or they are being invected with a disease. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmchick Posted November 14, 2006 Report Share Posted November 14, 2006 Burgo Did you get these of trade me? I bought some around the same time and 3 of my 5 are doing the same as yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burgo Posted November 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2006 Yes I did, wonder if they are susceptible to this problem. Farmchick do you have contact details for the person you got yours from. I thru all the details away. I would like to contact them to discus this problem. Mystic-- Is there anything than can be done to save them. They seem healthy enough. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmchick Posted November 14, 2006 Report Share Posted November 14, 2006 Ive PM'd you with the details I have. One of mine was dead when I got home last night I think the kribs may have bashed him around a bit with him not being able to move that quickly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmchick Posted November 14, 2006 Report Share Posted November 14, 2006 Ummmmmmmmm, yes and no. Mine are ok for a few minutes and then are on the bottom of the tank (horizontal), then they swim in a couple of circles and then are back on the bottom. They arent doing the upside down thing though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burgo Posted November 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2006 Mystic, It does look like that. I might try the epsom salts idea. They dont seem sick just unbalanced. I wonder how much a Vet would charge for the surgery, more importantly how would they do the surgery. I just cant imagine someone going to that much trouble. I will update in a couple of days. Farmchick-- It is from the same place. I am going to contact them and ask for a refund. If it had only been my fish I would have thought I was doing something wrong however as yours are doing the same thing, It could be a generic thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmchick Posted November 14, 2006 Report Share Posted November 14, 2006 Im thinking so because I got a friend some at the same time and I have just spoken to her. She tells me hers are the same but she didnt say anything because she thought it was something she had done :-? I might email the breeder as well I think and let her know whats going on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rnbo Posted November 15, 2006 Report Share Posted November 15, 2006 Hmmm I just got some tonite , have sent you a pm farmchick. Will keep an eye on dem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whiskas Posted November 16, 2006 Report Share Posted November 16, 2006 This may sound like a weird thing to do and dunno how easily it could be done with tropicals. But, i had some goldfish a few years ago who got a sorta swim bladder thing (i dunno what it was) where they would swim erratically and on their sides etc. I put each of them in their own small round container with another small round container in the middle, like a donut. I put the fishes in the ring of water which was just wide enough so there was no room for the fishes to fall over onto their sides. Left them like that and checked them daily to see if they could swim upright/properly. Eventually they all did and were put back in their pond. Now i think back to it, it seemed quite cruel! But it worked! I was only 12yo at the time and i have no idea where the idea to do this woulda come from! Possibly because i knew that if sheep get cast (get stuck lying on one side) if you rolled them over and held them down for a bit it would rebalance them, so possibley i just modified this idea ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sid 201 Posted November 18, 2006 Report Share Posted November 18, 2006 I'm looking to buy some -I've pm'd to check if it's the same seller Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burgo Posted November 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2006 Hi, I would say so, I am in the process of seeing if I can sort something out with the people Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmchick Posted November 19, 2006 Report Share Posted November 19, 2006 Well, Im down to 2 now :evil: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rnbo Posted November 19, 2006 Report Share Posted November 19, 2006 Mine are looking good so far...but might be early days yet (only 5 days). About how long had you had them before you noticed them swimming strangely? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmchick Posted November 19, 2006 Report Share Posted November 19, 2006 roughly 2 weeks but another 2 before the first one died Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burgo Posted November 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2006 I have been in contact with the people and they are more than happy to refund me for the fish, which is a good sign. Mine are still alive however still swimming erractically. I have started treating them with epsom salts. I dont know how long it will take to see if it makes a difference but I will keep you updated. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
burgo Posted November 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2006 I tried my second epsom salts bath last night on the fish and it seems to have made no difference. I think it might be time to euthanize them. its been over two weeks and there has been no improvement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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