Poorly Swordtail

[arobinson1984]

I have a female blue swordtail that is coming up to 3 years old now. In this last week I'd noticed that it has been a bit quiet so I've kept a close eye on it.

I've just done my weekly water change of 75% and noticed the swordtail has clamped fins and its clear fins have turned yellow, this wasn't like this yesterday so its a recent occurance. It also seems to be tilting to one side slightly so wondered if it was swim bladder. I've never seen fins turn yellow before.

The tanks 3 years old and established running a eheim 2075 external at 10x turnover.

Size - 33 gal
PH - 7.6
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 20ppm

Any help would be great

Andy

 

[WILDER]

The fish is quite old for a livebearer.

Does the yellow on the fins look like a gold dusting, or look like cotton wool.
Tilting can be swim bladder, bacterial, internal parasites.
Does the fish look bloated or thin.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing, excess mucas, laboured breathing or darting.

 

[arobinson1984]

The fish is quite old for a livebearer.

Does the yellow on the fins look like a gold dusting, or look like cotton wool.
Tilting can be swim bladder, bacterial, internal parasites.
Does the fish look bloated or thin.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing, excess mucas, laboured breathing or darting.

Hi Wilder,

The fins are more like gold dusting. Certainly not cotton wool growths. It looks as if the fins have changed colour, maybe my fish has been smoking

The fish is neither bloated or thin really. If I had to say one or the other i'd say slightly bloated but not enough to be obvious.

The fish seems quiet and is hanging around in the bottom corner away from other fish, no flicking or rubbing, just slow swimming and tilting to one side on occassions.

Andy

 

[WILDER]

What do you normally feed the fish.
Try some shelled peas.
Can you issolate the fish.

Golden dusting on fish can be velvet. So make sure the fish isn't flicking and rubbing.
Also check all fish for gold dusting, yellow golden spots, rusty coloured varnish, or dusting of talc on fish.
Turn tank lights out and shine a torch on all fish for velvet symtoms.
Is the fish shimmering.

 

[arobinson1984]

What do you normally feed the fish.
Try some shelled peas.
Can you issolate the fish.

Golden dusting on fish can be velvet. So make sure the fish isn't flicking and rubbing.
Also check all fish for gold dusting, yellow golden spots, rusty coloured varnish, or dusting of talc on fish.
Turn tank lights out and shine a torch on all fish for velvet symtoms.
Is the fish shimmering.

Thanks for your help wilder.

Unfortuanately the fish died this afternoon. It looked like it had dropsy, it couldn't keep its balance and the scales started to pertrude, I put it in a breeding trap as other fish were trying to pick at it whilst it was helpless.

All other fish seem fine though I will use torch to check for signs of velvet but nothing noticable whilst lights are on. The fish wasn't flicking or rubbing but it was having trouble keeping balance so this may explain why it wasnt flicking.

I normally change 40-50% water a week but have missed 3 weeks due to being away so I did a large 80% change last week so wonder if it possibly put the fish into shock.

Andy

 

[WILDER]

Bless her. R.I.P.
Keep a close eye on the other fish as dropsy can pass onto other fish if they peck at the body.