My male dovii swim weirdly. Help!

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Pyluper

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 3, 2025
65
13
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Thailand
Today I was out doing business in the town for around 3 hours. I came back home and saw my wounded and injured male dovii(possibly got attacked by the female). They're just about 5 inches. The wounds and injuries are mild, will take the pictures later. The tail fin was ripped, other fins are fine. He's still reactive and responsive to his environment well. I think he swims pretty fast and normal when he tried escaping from my hands, just less than he normally does. He still swim straight, no upside down nor swim in circle. But he's just uh, swim weirdly whenever he's idly swimming, you know? Like a little bit shaking left and right, like a drunk person. And he likes to just stay still or coming to the top with his weird swimming. Is this permanent? Or will he get better overtime?
 
And also his swimming is not that weird, but I also feel like it isn't normal. It's different from my other cichlids and different from yesterday.
 
Is this the pair you just had shipped? Is he alone in a tank w the female? You’ll need to divide the tank or move him to a hospital tank alone to heal and gain strength back.
He should heal up though mate. Sometimes the weird swimming is simply an attempt to avoid further aggression. Subservience type behavior.
Add salt @ 1tbsp/5gal to reduce bacterial load & stimulate slime coat regeneration. Keep the water w nitrates <5. Replace salt w water changes until the tail heals.
 
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Is this the pair you just had shipped? Is he alone in a tank w the female? You’ll need to divide the tank or move him to a hospital tank alone to heal and gain strength back.
He should heal up though mate. Sometimes the weird swimming is simply an attempt to avoid further aggression. Subservience type behavior.
Add salt @ 1tbsp/5gal to reduce bacterial load & stimulate slime coat regeneration. Keep the water w nitrates <5. Replace salt w water changes until the tail heals.
He has been alone since I came back home.
 
Keep him solo in a quarantine tank and keep water fresh with nitrates below 5ppm. Can add a little seachem stress guard as I've personally found it to help keep the slime coat on fish strong and help it heal but a quarantine tank with clean water will help the most.
 
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