Male Rosy Barb Swimming Awkwardly

[celaeno]

one of my male rosy barbs has been swimming awkwardly for at least the past few hours. it seems like it's trying to touch it's tail with it's mouth, bending slightly to the right repeatedly as he swims forward.

can the cause be my pouring the water too fast into the tank when doing yesterday's 25% water change, causing damage to its swimming bladder and/or organs?

what should i do to help him out?

water stats are all acceptable:
pH 6.9, ammonia/nitrite 0, nitrate 15, kH 3, gH 4

 

[celaeno]

anyone?

 

[evilchild]

your nitrate '15' is high that can't be helping to much? try get that down and see what happens? how long has the tank been set up for?

 

[celaeno]

a high nitrate would be over 40 ppm. mine's been 15 ppm for over a year. tank has been set up for over a year.

i just need to know if this is indeed swim bladder disorder and not something else.

 

[celaeno]

no one has any experience with swim bladder disorder (sbd)?

 

[celaeno]

i rest my case.

 

[WILDER]

That nitrate reading is good, wish mine was that good.
Is the fish swimming fast grabbing his tail.
Or does the tail weigh him down in the water.

 

[WILDER]

A fish suffering from swim bladder will struggle to get off the bottom of the tank or top.
Unable to maintain its balance in the water.
Headstanding or resting on plants.
The fish looks like the tail is weighing them down in the water.
Has he banged into anything in the tank during the water change, or a fish banging into him in the tummy region.
Look under swim bladder explains it pretty well.
http/www.fish-disease.net/diseases.htm

 

[celaeno]

i don't know if he has banged into anything or if another fish banged into him.

he just twitches to his right repeatedly as he swims forward. no buoyancy problems (yet).

he also sometimes coughs up the food he eats, though i haven't been feeding him for a day now. he also has some problem aiming for food at the surface.

 

[WILDER]

Is he coughing or spitting food out.
Just check the gills over to make sure there not red and inflamed or pale with excess mucas on them.

 

[celaeno]

gills look ok.

 

[WILDER]

Coughing and spitting can be gill flukes just wanted to check.
Does it look like something irratating him.
How is he at this very moment.

 

[celaeno]

he looks very slightly bent to the right even when not swimming and just hovering. still twitching to the right when swimming.

i just moved him to one side of the tank divider. he is by himself now.

 

[WILDER]

Poor thing, don't know what it is to be honest, sometimes its hard to say.
I would prepare for the worst bless him.