Black widow tetra spinning - whats wrong?

[sharktale]

Yesterday I noticed 1 of my black widow tetras was spinning around uncontrollably. It was spinning really fast and then it stopped and seemed fine. I said to hubby about it and he said he saw it doing this the other morning. I've just seen it spinning again. Does anyone know whats wrong with him?
Thanks

 

[Ami]

What do you mean by spinning? Like a dog trying to catch it's tail or something?

Ami

 

[hello kitty]

he might have damaged a fin or something

 

[sharktale]

Hi, I mean he spins really fast like whirling in a small circle, sometimes upside down

 

[The-Wolf]

there is a disease called whirling disease which is caused by a parasite Myxobolus cerebralis
if your fish has this, the best thing to do is euthinise it as the parasite destroys cartalage and bone, eventually the infected fish will die a painfull death.
I say if, because it is a rarity and is more common in salmon and trout, but it can infect other fish.

To help you get a difinative answer we need your water params, ammonia, nitrIte, nitrAte etc.
any othe odd behavoiur you fish is showing, any recent additions to the tank, fish, plants, live tubifex etc.

other cuases for the symptoms could be swim bladder problems, polutants in the water, or flukes.

 

[WILDER]

Already gave her the link to whirling desease, but here it is for members that don't no what it is.

http/freshaquarium.about.com/cs/disease/p/whirling.htm

 

[Ami]

Oh my! That sounds nasty.

I would have just thought he had swim bladder probs, until the description of how he was 'whirling' was posted.

It doesn't say on the link how infectious it is to other fish though...?