Angel fish swimming straight up and down.

[spoonman]

A couple days ago one of my angel fish started swimming straight up and down. His nose is pointed at the top of the water. He is always like that. Never swims normal now. He still eats and doesnt have any injury or damage, just swimming this way. Is this a sign of a swim bladder issue? Is there anything I can do for this and should I separate him and put him in a QT? Or should I just let him live out in the main tank. I assume this will eventually kill him? Will this effect the other fish? This is the first fish to have a problem in this tank in a year. The readings yesterday were ammonia 0ppm, Nitrite 0ppm and Nitrate 40ppm and I did a 50% PWC today so will have new readings tomorrow.

[happygirl65]

It could be swim bladder issues...how long have you had the angel?

[spoonman]

Close to a year. And by all outer apperances is normal. Other than the pointing at the sky thing....

[happygirl65]

OK, cool.
If it is a swim bladder issue it could be from an injury (are there other angels in with this one that could have rammed it and injured it's swim bladder?) or from overfeeding (possibly one angel being especially aggressive and getting the lions share of the food and eating itself sick)
You could try isolating this angel to a QT tank, daily water changes and withhold food for a couple of days and see if it comes around. Hopefully it will get better in a day or two....if not you can try epsom salts to help clear any constipation that may be causing the issue.

[spoonman]

Thanks, gonna set up the 20G QT with the filter from this tank and starve it for a couple days and see if it gets any better. If not I will just feed it sparingly and see what develops. May be coming back to find out about how much epsom salts to use for 20G.

[frshwaterfinatc]

Good luck!

[bs6749]

With a 50% water change you will have the same readings unless you have ammonia or nitrite in your tap water. The nitrates should read 20 ppm after a 50% water change assuming that you don't have any of those in your water either. I'd do another 50% water change as 20 ppm is still rather high. It's on the upper limit of the "acceptable range" and you should try to get it as low as possible, definitely under 20 ppm.

It could be a swim bladder issue or it could be normal behavior for your fish. I too have an angel that has done the same thing for 6 months or more and it is perfectly healthy. It always uprights itself when it is time to eat but I often catch it peering up as you described.

[meegosh]

Its hard to tell. My angel always stares up at the water surface, I think it is because he's a big guy and is always hungry. Does your angel appear to be struggling to stay in position? If he/she was struggling to stay in one spot then I would be a little concerned.

Every once in a while I will see my angel chasing his reflection in the glass. He will shake his tail back and forth and then drop down to the bottom of the tank, aims up, and swims up the glass, sometimes repeating for a few minutes.

[spoonman]

He is in the QT tank now and all he does is lay against the side of the tank and gasp for air. His mouth like snaps open and closed. He has no energy at all. He is resting on his tail and it side fins are just working to keep him from tipping over. I have not fed him in two days. I dont know what to do.

[spoonman]

He is struggling. Please see my post in Freshwater-sick fish forum.

[Zagz]

Threads merged.

[happygirl65]

I am sorry to hear your fish has taken a turn for the worse.

If you are not comfortable with the epsom salt treatment you could try to get him to eat some frozen or fresh peas (without the skin) as it is basically trying to get a lot of fiber into him at once.

You could try the epsom salts 2 Tbsp per 10 gal and mix it up before you add it to to the QT tank. Make sure it is the pure kind for foot soaking.
If the problem is constipation then this should help within a few hours. If not I am not sure what to do, perhaps treat for a bacterial infection with antibiotics either in the water or with medicated food if he will eat.

[spoonman]

I will try the epsom salts. He will not eat at all and he has started to get so weak that he kind of just spins around. I dont think he has much energy any more. I dont think he will be around much longer, but I dont want to give up either. I feel like crap.

[happygirl65]

I am really sorry spoonman. I know how it feels. You are doing the best you can for your fish. Just keep hanging in there.

[hacket]

Any update on your fish? Is he doing better?

[spoonman]

He is still hanging in there in the QT tank doing the same thing. Now I have noticed like a white film on one of his eyes and it seems to be bulging out a little. I am thinking I should medicate this but I dont know with what kind of medication? What do you think? Do I need to post a pic?

[hacket]

A pic would help a lot. Make sure you are changing about 25% of the water everyday and keeping it very aerated.

[spoonman]

I will try to get a pic when I get home from work tonight.

[WhiteDevil]

Im sorry, this thread went from eh ok to worse.


I to have an angel doing the same thing, less porposing now and alot more sideways swimming, it refuses to eat peas and seems to be struggling to stay in place horizontally not vertically in the water column.

Mine eats fine but gets over anxious like all angels and goes to a 45 degree angle and just flies all over the tank completely missing the food he had his eyes set on when he started swimming. It eats and poops fine, doesnt appear to have any externals and he was just treated for septecemia and came back from that with this swim disorder.

I have salt in the tank and thats not helping so I am just letting nature run its course.

It sounds like you need some medication for him, his eye is a symptom of an internal illness.

[spoonman]

Mine just sits against the glass sometimes halfway up the side of the tank. When he does swim, its like he has no sense of direction, almost like an airplane in a flat spin. It is horrible to watch, but I still dont want to give up. What do you think I should treat him with. He is in a QT tank by himself and I have the water at about 81 degrees. I am doing 50-75% PWC's every day. I put food in there but I dont know if he is actually eating any of it. His sides arent sunken in yet but it is hard to tell with an angel fish. I am more worried about the eye now being a sign of something more serious. Give me an idea? Maybe a broad spectrum antibiotic? I have never medicated a fish before so am really in the dark here. Please help!