Rummynose Tetra Can't Stay Upright

[cambojnr]

Looked in my tank just before to see one of my rummynoses constantly falling on to its right hand side and trying to correct it self, it's head is still bright red and it is trying to keep swimming around with the group.

Tank size is about 300l, the other 29 are swimming around fine, and I did a 100l water change yesterday.

Ammonia is 0 ppm
Nitrite 0 ppm
Nitrate test is unreliable so I never do it as i do big enough water changes and the tank is full of plants.

The other inhabitants of the tank are 15 sterbai corys 6 Angels and a BN a Pleco.

 

[RyanTheFishGuy64]

Can you give us a video? That might help.. Also, what do you feed them? Hopefully this isnt a case of Swim Bladder Disorder

 

[cambojnr]

I feed them sea chem flakes, hikari micro pellets and a mixture of frozen foods like blood worms and brine shrimp
https/m.youtube.com/watch?v=8pTJdS7-ntU

 

[RyanTheFishGuy64]

looks like Swim Bladder Disorder to me Your tank is beautiful though! May I ask how you Val is so tall?

 

[cambojnr]

looks like Swim Bladder Disorder to me Your tank is beautiful though! May I ask how you Val is so tall?

any suggestions to to fix the fish, as catching will be near impossible?

And some of the val is probs around 3 - 3 1/2 foot long

 

[cambojnr]

Sadly had to euthanize as managed to catch it pretty easy and when in the container it just lay on it side panting.

 

[Akasha72]

sorry for you loss 

 
Sadly some illnesses arn't curable and euthanasia is the kindest thing. I use clove oil to put any sick fish to sleep as the other options are just too gruesome for me. I had to euthanase a dying tetra last week as she was just layed on her side on the sand gasping. 30 seconds in clove oil and she was gone peacefully 

 

[cambojnr]

sorry for you loss 
 
Sadly some illnesses arn't curable and euthanasia is the kindest thing. I use clove oil to put any sick fish to sleep as the other options are just too gruesome for me. I had to euthanase a dying tetra last week as she was just layed on her side on the sand gasping. 30 seconds in clove oil and she was gone peacefully 

I haven't been able to find clove oil. So I just have to decapitate them, only ever has to do it to tetras though.

 

[Akasha72]

yeah .... that's the 'gruesome' option that I just can't do. Call me a girl 

 
If you do manage to get hold of clove oil it is much more peaceful death for them. I put the fish (and enough tank water to stay upright) in an old cut down 2 litre bottle and then add 500ml of tap water to an old cola bottle and add 30 drops of clove oil, shake well to mix it and just pour it in to 2 litre bottle containing the fish. Depending on how sick the fish is depends on how long it takes. Sometimes it's instantaious, other times it takes up to a minute but they just stop breathing and slip away. I always leave them in the clove oil for about an hour just to make sure there's no coming back.
 
The down side to clove oil is the smell ... it stinks 

 

[cambojnr]

Another is starting to show symptoms but not as bad yet, so am doing a 100l water change and gonna fast them for a few days as they would not eat the peas I tried to feed them, but the corys loved them.

 

[Akasha72]

oh no ... you could try catching it and dipping it in epsom salts - by that what I mean is add some tank water to a jug  and add a small amount of epsom salt (you can get it at the drug store really cheaply), mix well as it takes some time to dissolve. Once it's dissolved catch the affected fish and add it to the jug for about 5 minutes. Once it's had a good swim around in the salt water you can add the fish back to the tank.
 
If you suspect this is an on-going issue and all fish may become affected you can also add 500ml of tap water to a pot or jug and add a tablespoon of epsom salt to it. Again, give it a good stir to dissolve the granuals then add some fish food to your net and dip it into the salt water a few times then just add the food to the tank. If you do this twice a day for about 10 days it should help push through any blockages in their intestines.  
 
If you lose anymore you may need to consider medicating the tank. As you are in Australia I'm not sure what to suggest but you could try an anti-biotic or specific med for swim bladder disease if you can get one. What's available in meds differs drasticly from country to country
 
Hope that's helpful