Hi new to this...... little advice please?
After cleaning out some of the mess in the bottom of the tank with a ‘tank vac’ a sat down and looked at the tank. Then I noticed something strange the three clown loaches that are always together… weren’t, odd I thought so investigated further!
Two clowns where running around as usually, but one was not moving much at all and was breathing very rapidly, I thought it might have been the excitement of been cleaned out?
Then later I went back to the tank to see if it had calmed down… alas no luck and it now had its eye spikes locked in the out position… I was worried it might catch one of the other fish. Again I left the tank and came back later.
It now had its head in a plant and was not putting in any effort to right its self-back in to a normal swimming position. It also seamed to be twitching very slightly although it was always a very busy, erratic fish.
I placed my hand in to the tank to move it to a quite area so it could recover in peace, but as soon as my hand got close, it swam off at quite a speed although admittedly leaning to one side.
I thought it might recover but in the morning was found with its spikes tangled in a plant.
The other two are still fine…. Although depressed at the loss of a comrade.
Has any one had this happen to them or is it a situation of worrying about nothing?
I thought it could have been stress … hart attack? Old age?
(When I got the clown out of the tank there where no marks, wounds, swelling or smell and while it was alive there was no lost of any of its brilliant colour)