Electric Yellow Is Sick

[bam]

i woke up this morning and checked on the fish and theres one electric yellow that was laying on his side and gasping a little. when the currents put him upright he'll swim for a bit but then flip back over onto his side.

he's one of five yellows in a 80g tank with no other fish sick like this. i took him out anyways to put him in a little emergency 10g. its a stable tank and only 3 hardball sized apple snails in there right now. when i had him out there was no bite marks or rashes or spots of any kind or slimes etc. he looked perfectly healthy on the outside

tank parameters
temp 80
ammonia 0
nitrite 0.1
nitrates 15? (its between 10 and 20)
ph 8.1

*edit* they might be a bit high because of some new fish additions from 3 days ago and the filtration is playing a bit of catch up.

their diet is hikari cichlid pellets, then a frozen cube (of bloodworms/brine shrimp/squid/or the mega pack) a day. they're not getting overfed and i'm trying to keep their diet varied too with the different frozen foods.

it almost looks like a swim bladder or balance problem? just watching even when he's on his side he will get up and swim around though when he slows down he gets unstable again.

right now in his emergency tank he's wedged himself between the glass and one of the snails so he's more or less upright and not gasping nearly as much as when he's on his side or back.

Can anybody offer any help?

 

[WILDER]

Sounds like his swim bladder, what do you feed the fish, you have a slight nitrite reading, i would preform a water change.

With the heavy breathing as well thought i would post this but not the writer of the information, does he look blaoted, and has he been flicking and rubbing on objects.
Laying Over- Layover or Sleeping Sickness is usually a bacterial infection caused by parasites chewing on the gills or skin. In other instances, it is only a result of severe stress, such as a bitter cold or exposure to chlorine. The most common found parasites are Costia, Trichodina, and Chilodinella.

You will have to evaluate for all sources of stress and get them corrected. It is recommended by http/www.koivet.com to salt at 0.3% and then in at all possible, inject the fish to offset any infection that may be in the fish's system. Several medications are available. top



Not the writer of this information below.
Swim Bladder Disorder



The Swim bladder is a gas-filled sac located inside the fish’s body cavity just above most of the other internal organs. This sac is what gives the fish buoyancy and controls equilibrium. The amount of gas in this sac changes as the fish rises and sinks in the water, enabling it to swim, hover and move in the water. Without the use of the Swim-bladder organ a fish is unable to control it's own movements.



Symptoms:

Fish with a swim bladder disorder appear to have an abnormal swimming pattern, usually with their tail end up. They also appear to have difficulty maintaining equilibrium. They may even float upside down or appear to be stuck at the surface of the water, being unable to swim down, or they may lie on the bottom, unable to rise. Fish with a swim bladder disorder will continue to try and feed, showing a normal appetite.



Cause:

The most common cause of swim bladder disorders is improper diet. An improper diet can lead to intestinal gas or intestinal blockages. Intestinal blockages can irritate the bowel, giving bacteria or other parasites an entry point where they can then cause damage to the swim bladder. Swim bladder disorders are most common in the larger, deep-bodied varieties of Goldfish. Fish also fed a lot of dried foods, especially pellets, are most susceptible. This condition is frequently observed in the later stages of Malawi Bloat, which is primarily due to an improper diet as well and intestinal irritation.



Treatment:

Because this disorder is due principally to an improper diet, a change in their feeding needs to be made. Dried foods with lots of protein should be kept to a minimum. Pellets and other dense foods should be soaked prior to feeding or completely eliminated from their diet. Foods with lots of fiber should be introduced, such as zucchini, squash, spinach, romaine lettuce, peas, and grated carrots. If you suspect that the fish is victim to a bacterial infection, treat the fish with a medicated food.







http/www.thecichlidgallery.com/article_bloat.htm

 

[bam]

i tried the shaved carrot thing and threw in an algae wafer and all the fish just went psycho, didn't know they needed the vegetables. thanks though the guy died so I hope this stops anyone else from getting sick.

quick question: how much vegetable food do you usually use? do you chop it up fine or just throw in a large chunk and get the fish bite off pieces?

 

[WILDER]

Sorry for your loss, R.I.P.

http/www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/feed...egetables.shtml

 

[LabidoLad]

Sorry to hear about your loss...

Any yellow lost is one too many.

I've had 8 for about two years with no casualties yet... (Touch wood)

Anyway, in response to what you're feeding the yellows - as far as i was aware they are very much a 'vegan' fish. Their digestive system is not equipped to handle such 'protein-based' foods. In some cases this leads to Malawi bloat - quite a common disorder with a great deal of literature available. Though I'm not saying that was the cause of your yellows death.

I feed an abundance of vegetables from zucchini, carrot, lettuce, peas and corn (Corn contains Xanthophyll, which aids in healthy colouration) algae discs, tropical flake and a blended recipe of other vegetables (which is then frozen into tablets).

Vegetables all the way home with plenty of aeration - can't go wrong!

 

[freddyk]

Keep blodworms out of the diet completely, they're really not healthy for them at the best of times.