Can Fish Have Fits?

[cosworthlady]

I have a lovely golden gourami who i rehomed from someone on here. It had been kept in a bucket for a while but he appeared to have no problems for months but now i think he is fitting.

Usually, for no reason I can see, he flips out in the tank. He hits the hood and dives to the bottom and curls up and swims around and around chasing his tail till just rolling over on his side as if he is out of it. his gills going frantically. When i've seen it happening I have helped him back to the top of the tank to gulp a wee bit of air before he goes away quite happily as if nothing has happened. Its really upsetting as I thought maybe i was giving him a fright or that another fish was attacking and chasing him but its not that. He recovers really quickly but thats not the point. It happened 3 times this morning and I can see no cause for it. My fish tank is well established and I have some very happy fish in there including a 17 year old syno. He's not suffering and is quite happy to feed out my fingers still. Basically .... can fish fit?

 

[fatheadminnow]

My fish sometimes do some weird stuff, but nothing quite this elaborate?

I really hope this fish dose not have some sort of internal parasite? It would seem weird though, as you said your tank has been well established for years.

When you mentioned he rolls over on his side, that to me seems like he might have some sort of internal parasite, but I sure hope not.

Hopefully Wilder will come along and give you a good answer as to why your fish is acting like this.

-FHM

 

[WILDER]

The symtoms you are descrbing can be many things from ph shock, internal parasites, toxins, external parasites.

Is any chemicals getting into the bucket.
Does the fish look bloated or thin.
What does it look like when the fish goes to the toilet.
Any signs of flicking and rubbing.

Fish Behavior
Movements
----Violent reaction of thrashing, darting, and dying mid-gasp (pH shock or quickly lethal toxins)
----Shimmy (staying in one place and moving side to side) (Bacteria, missing salts)
----Equilibrium decreased, cannot maintain normal position in water (bacteria, dinoflagellates, toxins)
----Scratching on objects in tank (bacteria, parasites, toxins)
----Twitching (bacteria, parasites, toxins, skin irritant)
----Spastic, uncoordinated movements
----Sluggish, lethargic
----Swimming with head up, tail down, at surface
----Constant swimming at surface (dinoflagellates [free-living or parasitic], toxins, pH shock)
----Trying to jump out of tank (dinoflagellates [free-living or parasitic], pH shock, toxins)
----Sticking head out of water and squirting (black-flushing gills) water (dinoflagellates, gill problems)
----Normally bottom fish now at surface
----Normally mid-water or surface fish now at bottom
----Normally hiding fish now out and visible
----Lying on bottom and gasping (near death; heavy bacteria, parasite or dinoflagellate infection)
----Swimming to top, then sinking to bottom

Info taken from here.
http/www.aquarticles.com/articles/management/Lawler_some_signs_of_sick_fish.html

 

[cosworthlady]

hi wilder. Its a bit of a puzzle. He's not in a bucket now i rescued him from one some months ago. He's in a 150L tank with 1 syno, 2 harlequins, 5 serpae tetras, 1 Phantom tetra, 3 swordtails and 1 albino red tailed black shark. The ph is 7.5 and is always around that every time i check. There are no chemicals in the room where the tank is. To be honest i.ve never seen it poop although i know it must. Its obviously not stringy poop like swords. He doesn't flick about the tank. None of them do. He eats everything offered from cucumber to flake to bloodworm. He swims up and down the tank from top to bottom as normal. I thought maybe he was blind but when the light goes on he comes to his corner wanting food. I really do think he has fits.

 

[cosworthlady]

hi wilder. Its a bit of a puzzle. He's not in a bucket now i rescued him from one some months ago. He's in a 150L tank with 1 syno, 2 harlequins, 5 serpae tetras, 1 Phantom tetra and 1 albino red tailed black shark. The ph is 7.5 and is always around that every time i check. There are no chemicals in the room where the tank is. To be honest i.ve never seen it poop although i know it must. Its obviously not stringy poop like swords. He doesn't flick about the tank. None of them do. He eats everything offered from cucumber to flake to bloodworm. He swims up and down the tank from top to bottom as normal. I thought maybe he was blind but when the light goes on he comes to his corner wanting food. I really do think he has fits.

 

[cosworthlady]

its been 24 hours since his last episode. He's just tucked in to his flake as normal. A normal fish with a distressing reaction to something.

 

[WILDER]

Ok.
What his body weight like.
Check his anus to see if its enlarged or red and inflamed.
Is his tummy sunken in. Any area's on the fish that look sunken in like lateral line, tummy, or eyes.
Any black colouration on the fish.
Does he swim on his side.

Fish can get brain damage due to internal parasites, injury, not sure if bacterial can cause the same symtoms.

Can you issolate him.
I had a fish that would swim in circles fast. He never made it i'm afraid.

Also check all fish for when they go to the toilet.

 

[cosworthlady]

hi wilder. This gourami has no black marks anywhere on its body. Its body is exactly the shape it should be. His eyes are as bright as a button. His markings are perfect too. In all the months he's been here he has never trailed a line of poop behind him and i.ve not seen him poop although i know he must. This fish tank is right next to me most of the day and he's the only one showing odd behaviour. He only swims around in circles after he's jumped out the water and knocked himself out on the hood. His nose touches his tail! It only last a few seconds. I'll upload a picture i'll take right now and you'll see how nice he is. Thanks for your input. Btw this has been going on for maybe 2 months on and off with at most 8 episodes in that time including those yesterday. Thanks for replying.

 

[WILDER]

Ok.
What does his gills look like. Do they look inflamed, or pale with excess mucas.

Does he ever swim in add manor now and then like jerky swimming.

 

[cosworthlady]

Ok.
What does his gills look like. Do they look inflamed, or pale with excess mucas.

Does he ever swim in add manor now and then like jerky swimming.

Hello again. He swims just as normal. No jerkyness. very smooth and all over the tank. His gills also look good to me. no mucus and no inflammation.

Ok.
What does his gills look like. Do they look inflamed, or pale with excess mucas.

Does he ever swim in add manor now and then like jerky swimming.

Hello again. He swims just as normal. No jerkyness. very smooth and all over the tank. His gills also look good to me. no mucus and no inflammation.

 

[WILDER]

He's a beautiful fish.
He looks very healthy.

I can see why you are at a loss to what's wrong as I am too.

Just going to check something out for you.

 

[WILDER]

The only option left is to issolate the fish in a bare bottomed tank, so you can observe the fish waste.

 

[cosworthlady]

The only option left is to issolate the fish in a bare bottomed tank, so you can observe the fish waste.

i shall sort that out tomorrow. I have an 18" tank and a spare heater so i'll put him in there to observe the poop lol. I have a fluval 2 spare but no media in it so it will have to have new sponges. I will fill up the tank with water from the gourami's tank. That be ok?

 

[cosworthlady]

i'm gonna sound really odd now. Its just happened again. Not as severe but he definitely spooked himself. My ginger cat sat by the tank and the fish freaked. My cats don't go near the fish i promise. I'm not housebound or bed bound but the tank is at the side of my bed and i'm in my room about 90% of the day. I rarely go out due to phobia's so i'm always near my tanks. I.ve seen the fish freak before when there has been no cats near. He does watch tv though. No i'm not mad honestly. Its a standing joke in the family that he's got square eyes lol. The tv is on the other side of the room so its not noise that upsets him. He just seems extremely jumpy (literally). Sigh. Its such a puzzle.

 

[cosworthlady]

poop is just normal looking poop. Nothing wriggling in it. Not very long but enough is there to say his bowels are working as they should be. Poop sunk to the bottom so no air bubbles in it. Think it may be something he's just gonna do. Maybe my bedroom is too quiet for him?