Sooky Swordy or Actually Sick

[Angry_Platy]

I have a marigold wag swordy girl who has been in the 30gal for ages now. I noticed over the last few days she is clamping a bit. Still eating and being sociable, just clamping.

So lat night I moved her to the sick tank which is housing another swordy with an ulcer and healthy guppies (fry and adults)...the tank has melafix and salt in it.

When I put her in there she acted like nothing happened and stopped clamping. I go over and watch her and she starts clamping and acting sick. I go away and watch her from a diatance and she is acting normal again....in fact, just as I walked to the computer she is hassling the guppies....not clamping, like a healthy fish.

Is she being sooky cause she knows I am watching? WEIRD

 

[thrdwatchfan]

What is "clamping"?

 

[bluefire]

clamping is when all a fish's fins are closed up against their body

 

[Polardbear]

Interesting, my marigold wag Meri has been acting the same way for the last couple of weeks. I was getting concerned about her but I can't see anything obviously wrong with her, she just looks unhappy. She's also been hanging out in the back corner a lot which isn't like her and has been the last one to come out at feeding time. I thought maybe the 2 hi fin males were driving her nuts but they went to a new home over the weekend and there was no change in her behaviour. I checked the water in the 75 gallon tank and it's showing a very slight nitrite reading so I decided to move her back to the 55 gallon since it's water seems to stay more stable. The 75 gallon is salt free for the corys but the 55 gallon has salt in it at 1 tbls per 5 gallons. I've noticed that some of my swordies are much more sensitive to any nitrite in the water than others and Meri is one of them. She's been in the 55 gallon since yesterday afternoon and is acting more her normal self today. She's still clamping a little when I go over to the tank but as soon as I move away she relaxes and cruises around checking out her new buddys. She even seemed happy to see Reuben and doesn't seem bothered by his one track mind. I'm going to keep an eye on her for a while though. My next thought if she doesn't improve is to treat for parasites.

 

[thrdwatchfan]

Thanks bluefire for clearing that up for me