jesp Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 I have 2 yellow labs, one is doing smashingly. The other is dragging its tail around pressed on the ground and swimming vertically behind things when it gets a chance. It is also having some odd twitches with its mouth and body. Someone gave me the pair who were unable to care for them properly......which is evident. I see death in its near future, but thought I would consult the great knowledge of AA. I appreciate any help offered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BettaFishMommy Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 if the two fish were housed together previously and are the only fish in this tank then i wouldn't worry about quarantining the one that is having problems, as the other fish has already been exposed to whatever ails the other one. if the labs are in with other fish i would definitely remove the one with odd behaviour to a quarantine tank. i can't say i've ever heard of that sort of behaviour (the odd swimming/pressing on the ground) but i had a bolivian ram in the past that would twitch and it didn't live for too long. never did find out why it twitched, but loss of vision was part and parcel of its passing i think. is the lab in question otherwise in good condition, eating, pooping, etc? if so i would just let him be and hope for the best. maybe its problems are stemming from not being cared for properly by the previous owner and in your care, with increased water changes and monitoring, it will get better? we can only hope. keep us updated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallisneria Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 Does this behaviour look like he is trying to hide/stay away from the other lab? Or is sick? Sometimes i've seen some of my africans swim in this manner. They would swim at an angle and they would try to keep their body positioned a certain way facing the dominant male. Or I"ve seen them "hiding" close to the top of the tank swimming vertically in the corner. Any more info you can provide? Tank size? Tankmates? Water tests? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesp Posted July 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2009 I do not know the water parameters when I got the labs, but it was not pretty. The lab has been like this since I got it. The other lab does not bother it at all really. I now have him in a 20 gallon with some smaller cichlids in my grow out tank. I do lots of water changes on that tank, every few days 30-50%. About 7.4 pH. I feed them NLS with some peas or lettuce now and again. He looks sick. I have had cichlids hiding from others, etc, and this is something very different than anything I have ever seen. He has not been eating well at all. He goes for the food from time to time, and has spit it out when his head starts to twitch. Could this be a parasite? I have never had a fish with one that I know of. Also, I have him in with other fish because I currently have no quarantine tank. Do I need to get him away from other fish? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BettaFishMommy Posted July 23, 2009 Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 i would definitely quarantine him. if you have the space for a ten gallon i could lend one to you, and i probably have a sponge filter you could use if you don't have a spare filter. you'd have to pick it up in millwoods though, i don't drive. does it seem like he is trying to rub against things? that might be a clue regarding parasites. once you are able to quarantine him, i'd keep an extra close watch on the tank he was in with the other fish for any odd behaviour or illness. if it is something contagious your other fish may be at risk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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