Angelfish acting wierd

[trojik]

I've never seen this before in angels but one of my angels is acting strange.  at first I thought that it was preping to spawn the way it was swiming up and down the smooth side of my driftwood.

Symptoms

sporatic tail and fin twitching
not free swimming like normal
its body seems to be constantly bent in a "C"
seems to be "Breathing" faster then the other fish

no visable signs of infections, Fungus, I've added nothing new to the tank or changed anyting in particular.  Been feeding them Frozen Brine shrimp.

I don't have any supplies on hand to test Water Parameters but will take a sample tomorrow to LFS.

This has been going on for a week.

any input would be apprecieated.

[touchofsky]

Is it cleaning the wood and does it have a breeding tube showing?

[trojik]

No Niether, and now its moved down to the bottom of the tank sitting by a rock.. Its the strangest thing I've seen.

[touchofsky]

Tell us a bit about the tank, how long it has been running, size, how many fish, maintenance routine etc.

Also, you should feed a varied diet, including flakes, pellets, etc.  Frozen brine shrimp are not a complete diet.

Please post the water tests when you get them, and in the meantime, I would do a partial water change of around 30-40%.

I hope all works out.

[exv152]

Is the fish swimming on its side, or having issue swimming upright? If so, it sounds like me/she might have something called swim bladder.

[trojik]

The Tank is a 30 Gallon Hex tank.
Florite Substrate
planted with Dwarf swords and some tall grass type plant which name escapes me atm

Its been Running for 5 months now but it was a transfer from a previous tank that I had running.

The Water Test didn't show anything wrong but I've missed place the paper that I wrote it all down on it but after a lengthy discussion with the guy at Big Als even he was stumped

I do a weekly water change and the feeding is not straight Brine shrimp sorry i also use flake as well and alternate feedings.

Residents:
2 marble Angelfish about 1.5"
one Batman Platy
1 clown Loach
5 Zebra Corydoras
assasin Snails

Hope that covers it all.

[exv152]

trojik - is the angel fish swimming on its side? lying at the bottom of the tank etc???

Need more info regarding this fish's odd behaviour, especially if none of the other fish in the tank are displaying the same thing and your water tests appear normal.

[touchofsky]

What temperature is the tank at?  If it is in the 70's, try raising it a bit to about 80-82 f.  Also, if the fish is still eating, you could try feeding vegetables, like some squashed cooked peas, or finely chopped green beans (canned without salt).  

How is the fish acting now?

[trojik]

EXV- No its not on its side, it does however seem to want to "rest" all the time, As in it is always kinda balancing itself on something (ie a plant, the Wood or a rock).  It does from time to time take a swim around almost normal like it it wasn't for the listful nice of its swim and the wierd "bend" it always seems to be in.  Its as if its constantly trying to turn but swiming stright if that makes sense.

[exv152]

The bend could be due to an internal growth. Fish have pockets of air inside that they regulate themselves to stay afloat and upright. If there is something internally that affects these air pockets the fish will either swim weird, be bent or somewhat off balance, depending on the severity of the internal issue. The heavy breathing can also be a sign of stress or illness. Have you considered quarantining him in a separate hospital tank? By quarantining him you can also better treat the fish with proper food, or meds if necessary. Crushed peas are a good treatment for fish suffering from swim bladder issues, and the symptoms of this condition can vary from one fish to another, but all hinge on the fact that the fish is not swimming normally. How old is the fish?

[trojik]

They were bought Back in December and where fairly young at that point. I'm working on setting up a hospital tank and will get him in it on saturday. 

Thank you both for all your insight into this matter as well!  I'm new to the area so it was nice to stumble on this community  and double nice to actually find that the people here and Helpful!

[trojik]

Alright strangest thing, So I come home from work tonight and it looks like I have some sort of "Mites" or something in the tank.  they are small and white and ALL over the tank.  I don't know how in 6 hours how these things came to be or how I didn't notice them but I guess this could be a reason for the problem.

Any Thoughts on what these are?  I'm going to finish setting up the hospital tank and now move EVERYone into it to get them away from these things..

[Fishnut]

Is it possible for you to take some pics and post them?

Have you added any fish recently?

One medication I usually try first is Prazi-Pro.  It kills flukes,which are parasites that drive fish nuts and that we can't see.  An infestation can be harmful.  These parasites are particularly resilient when it comes to quarantine.

As for the little mites...it's hard to say without seeing them.  Sometimes an excess of little critters in a tank is a sign of over-feeding, however our water test should have reflected something out of the ordinary...or maybe higher nitrates?

I don't believe it's a swim bladder issue.  Fish that have a swim bladder issue either float like buoys or sink like rocks even when they don't want to.  A sick fish will go hide at the bottom of the tank though.

[exv152]

Do you have any pictures?

[trojik]

No I don't and I think they would be too small to actually make out. its like little whit dots and the only reason I can tell they are alive is that they seem to "Stick" to the glass and move before the current takes them away. THey are not worm like at all and my impression would be that Fish lice are a lot bigger then that. its just wierd..

[exv152]

They may be completely harmless, but without a photo it's hard to say what it is.

[angelcraze]

I have those white critters in my planted tank, no fish, so I assume they came with a plant.  When I reseached them, they were Copepods, Cyclops and are harmless.  But that's just my tank.  They are tiny, stick to the glass, and "jump" a bit.

[dpatte]

copepods, and cyclops, are fantastic food for newborn fry. I'd love to get a culture going in some of my tanks.