My Fish Can't Swim!

[FoundMoney]

I have a female dwarf cockatoo that I've had for about two months. Unfortunately, she's never really been healthy, but in the last few days or week it seems to have gotten worse. Mostly she has been hiding but this evening I saw her and she could hardly swim. She was leaning to one side when she wasn't swimming and then swam almost in a somersault - like head of heels or head over fins - when she did try to swim. She seems to be trying to eat but obviously something is very wrong with her.

After the first week I had her she came down with some kind of eye affliction, where now it looks like a little white ball right in the center and she is blind in that eye. Could it be that she suffered from some kind of parasites or fungus and it is finally taking over?

Is there anything that can be done?

 

[rdd1952]

Anytime a fish has trouble swimming, it could be a swim bladder problem. You might want to try isolating her for 3 days and then give her a cooked shelled pea. If it is constipation, that will clear it up. That's just a suggestion though. It could definitely be something more serious. In any case though, I would definitely isolate her in a hospital tank incase it is something that the rest of your fish could catch.

 

[Mr Miagi]

I would treat your tank with a bacterial. I would issolate that fish if you can and treat it seperately but i would also add treatment to the main tank.

If it is swim bladder it is very hard to rectify or cure, but prevention is even better. Make sure you syphon out all dead and dying leaves, and detritous to prevent microbial infection. Also a sudden change in temp can cause swim bladder problems.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

What are your water stats- nitrate/nitrite/ammonia?

 

[FoundMoney]

What are your water stats- nitrate/nitrite/ammonia?

Ammonia - 0, Nitrite - 0, Nitrate < 5

 

[FoundMoney]

What are some recommended internal anti-bacterial meds available in the US?

Is Pimafix and/or Melafix a good solution?

 

[FoundMoney]

Update: I was considering buying a hospital tank but my lfs offered to take the two dwarf cichlids from me and treat them at the shop. I thought that was a nice gesture as they probably could have sold me a small quarantine tank for $50-75. We'll see if they live.

When I discussed the situation with one of the employees, he said that dwarf cichlids seem to be susceptible to parasites and that may be the cause of all the problems. He got some new cockatoos in yesterday and is holding a pair for me. He wanted to take out the current cockatoos first, have me do a big water change, and then come back and get the new fish. He'll hold the fish in his tank for a few more days to make sure they appear healthy.