Popped Swim Bladder?

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LeafsFan

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Apr 17, 2012
Messages
96
Location
Ottawa, Canada
I have a tiger barb that is going crazy. He is spinning around constantly and is swimming at crazy speeds across the tank. He is only spinning in one direction, so I would some out would be it's swim bladder?

Weird thing is when it calms down another tiger barb and my rosy barb guard it by hovering around it.

Would this be the swim bladder, out some other weird fish thing.

It is now qt'd.
 
That doesn't sound like a swim bladder issue.
What size tank? Can you test ammonia and nitrates? What all is in the tank? How long has the tank been set up? How long has this issue been going on?
 
Swim bladder controls buyoancy so it would have trouble swimming at all and be floating up to the top(ime)
Does it have any fin damage?
And can you try to describe its swimming in better detail? Sounds like its just swimming in a circle?
 
Tank is 38gal.

4 tigers
1 rosy barb
1 gourami
3 odessa barbs
3 clown loaches

parameters are all at 0. I did have a ammonia reading of 0.5ppm early it the week but is cleared up.

Woke up this morning and he is swimming upside down now. In fast tight circles. Tight as if the fish would be swimming around your finger. And he only ever goes to the right and super fast.
 
I had a glofish that did this once when it lost an eye, can you see any damage on an eye?
 
Physically the fish looks 100% fine. Honestly the best way to describe the scenario is that it has gone insane lol. It has tons of energy as it just keeps spinning
 
What test kit are you using? You shouldn't have 0 nitrates unless the tank is very heavily planted.

The clown loaches are not appropriate for this tank size. They require a much larger environment, 75 gallons or more.
 
Oops meant to say parameters are fine. Ammonia 0, nitrate 5, nitrite 0. Api kit. Ph might be a bit low at 6.6.

as for the clowns, this tank is only temp. I am moving in a month to a new house and in the next 5 months I am redoing the basement and getting a 120gal.
 
Please google 'whirling disease' and see if this matches what you are seeing. There is no known treatment or cure. I would remove the fish in question promptly from your tank to prevent the spread of whatever he has.
 
I removed it once I saw it happening. after reading that and seeing the word "stroke" I think that its what it is. It would explain the insanity.
 
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