spiralling upside down cat

[roo]

Hi

Please help me i think I'm about to loose one of my upside down's (Synodontis nigriventris). He's got good colour and doesn't look unwell (fins etc) but he's sort of swimming in spirals and he's at the front of the tank (they only come to the front of the tank in late evening, normally hiding in various places at the back of the tank) and sort of sitting on the bottom when he's not swimming in spirals and he's the wrong way up (he's not upside down).

I've sort of webbed for ideas and thought it might be his swim bladder. What's the best thing I should do for him.

Thanks in advance

Ruth

[syno-kev]

first thing is to checkout the water conditions ,
ph should be around 6-7 for river synos ,and of course checkout nitrite,ammonia etc

[roo]

thanks for advice - got home and he'd passed away. He's buried in the garden. I did a water change to be on the safe side but my nitrites and ammonia are good (as in zero to 0.05) and my tank is pretty under stocked at the moment cause they are all babies. Hopefully I won't loose my other upside down's - although I'm pushing the pH a bit as mine is nearer 8.

[Bas Pels]

The spiraling can - I'm not saying is - the result of some toxic substance

pH changes can - again, I'm not saying nescessarily are - influence the availability of these toxic substances. Therefore, it would be far too dangerous to change them now.

You better look for a cause, and in the mean time, I'd empty the tank, rehousing the fishes

[Shane]

As Bas said, this behavior can be related to toxins. I have also seen fishes do the "whirling devil death dance" in tanks where the pH has completely crashed. The strange thing, to my mind, is that only one fish suffered. There is therefore a distinct possibility that the animal developed a swim bladder infection.

Not sure I would rehouse the fishes at this point, but I would do a large (60-70%) water change and keep a very close eye on them.

-Shane

[roo]

Hi

I did a 25% water change straight way and will do another tomorrow (i have given a couple of days to settle). Just to let you know that the other four (including 'dodgy fin' - an upside down with a birth defect dorsal fin) are all still okay and flitting happily between their hidding places in the back of the tank. The shrimpies and 'grumpies' (five marbled whiptails) are also fine. The only common thing I have found with both my catfish dieing ( a bristlenose died about three months ago) is that baby platy appear at the same time as a death. Would and large female platy attack other fish when she released her babies. If so she and the other platy will be shipped to a new tank pretty quick!!

thanks

Ruth