Barb Swimming "up And Over" Ending Up Upside Down

[coolie]

Barb swimming "up and over" ending up upside down.
 
This is basically what is happening to one of my male Rosy Barbs.
 
The way it seems, is not a swim bladder problem, but it seems more like his left and right and up and down are confused. It's like watching someone who is confused and dizzy.
 
Fortunately he is still occasionally grabbing food in his mouth after a bit of effort, as if he couldn't feed that would be the end I'm sure. But he's not eating as much as he should.
 
 
I'm hoping he has hit the glass and is dazed. But who knows? Has anyone seen this in any fish? Is it possible fish can get a brain problem like stroke?

 

[DrRob]

One of my golden barbs started to do this in the heat wave when the temperature went up. He's been fine since, but he was a great marker of the tank temperature going up.

 

[coolie]

The temperature is fine, but you made me wonder about CO2 levels could be high. I only monitored this to set the system up initially.

 

[coolie]

This morning I turned the light on to check the fish and while it startled the others and they darted away, he was just tumbling over and over in circles. I quickly turned the light out.

 

[DrRob]

My suspicion was that it was O2 levels with the heat, so may be worth looking at surface agitation or dialing back the CO2 for a test.

 

[coolie]

You might be onto something...

 

[KirkyArcher]

Would excess CO2 amounts and suspected reduced O2  just affect a single fish though? It just seems very unlikely to me.

 

[coolie]

That's what I though initially, but it could be that a fish with poorer circulation or a faster metabolism needs a little more oxygen and is in effect acting as an indicator that the other fish are getting close to that point also.
 
I am just speaking hypothetically here. The gas has been off all day apart from the first hour and he seems to be improving.
 
 
Edited to say that I though of a better word for this condition, it's that the fish repeatedly falls over.

 

[coolie]

OK, well I no longer believe it's to do with the CO2 or O2 but I am getting more and more worried for the fishes welfare and am hoping it is not in pain when in tumbles and spins.
 
This is a bit scary to watch, so only watch if you feel old enough and that you can have a go at identifying the problem. I will put the fish down if need be, but would like some expert opinions from you guys.
 
Obviously, he's eating less and less as this goes on and you'll see him go off to sulk on his own at the end while the other fish go up to feed...
 
http/youtu.be/rYnJTxCwknU
 
 
 
 
 

 

[KirkyArcher]

Not an expert opinion but looks more like a neurological condition rather than deseased fish. and then this post/link appeared on my browser after watching your video so it's not a unique condition  http/answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070405071837AAzqoW7

 

[coolie]

It's interesting that that example was also a Barb. I know it is a very common fish with keepers, however, I still picked up on the coincidence.
I had also considered the possibility of it being brain or neurological and tagged this in the video which might be why these tags
brought up Barbs with the same issues.

 

[coolie]

Just to update this topic, the fish wasn't able to compete for food, the other Barbs are very energetic feeders, so to feed he is in a large net of his own. He is still alive though.
 
I think, after much deliberation, this is an illness of the swim bladder after all. I know this contradicts everything I said, but I feel his body wants to be exactly perfectly upside down, so he is able to keep some equilibrium for quite a while, but as soon as he makes a quick movement , such as to feed, or gets excited for any reason, his body goes to fall over and he fails to compensate.
 
In fact , it seems like  an illness of over-compensation, causing him to go into a spin.

 

[coolie]

This Rosy Barb is still surviving and spins all the time but has made small improvements. Although he goes into a spin at feeding time so can't compete, he manages to eat algae off the back wall of the tank.