Spinning Cichlid

[aidensmomma2000]

One of my cichlids keeps spinning around pretty fast...Im not sure what to do!
I've been caring for fish for years, and I've never seen this  

[DARKPHREAK]

Does it ever stop to swim straight? Any signs of injury? Is it sparring with another fish?

[aidensmomma2000]

Nope- everybody is happy in there...the only time he stops spinning its lying on the ground. It spins pretty fast too- I feelsorry for the little guy!

[DARKPHREAK]

Broken back maybe?

[dpatte]

Either that or the fish had too much to drink

But seriously, this sounds like a balance problem - this may be caused by some biological problem or infection,  but Im sorry to say that it will likely die of exhausion before whatever caused it is determined.

[saltydog]

Could it be a swim bladder problem?

I had a cichlid where something sort of like this happened. He was in danger of being killed by this tankmates who did not seem to enjoy his behaviour. I isolated him in one of those little netting cages within the tank. Perhaps this is what saved him as I think that in such a confined space he was actually able to occasionally"bump into" some floating food that I placed in there for him. After a few weeks he actually recovered his balance & became normal again. However, when I returned him to his community the others still seemed to sense a weakness in him, I guess. They bullied him to death in pretty short order.

Hope this helps!

[aidensmomma2000]

Thanks everyone for the advice- but he died =P

[Marc]

Sorry to hear that.  Sometimes it just works that way.