Bicher is upright?

[Jenna23]

Hello all and thanks for taking the time to look at my thread.
SO I have a tiger bicher, that I've had for over a year and he has always been healthy with a very good appetite. However, yesterday he was completely capsized, so I flipped him back over and he was "fine". He didn't move from the spot but he was not longer upside down. At any rate I kept my eye on him, this morning when I got up he was vertical. He's still breathing, still really strong, just upright. Weird thing is though, he ate the night I found him capsized and had been showing no symptoms or signs of illness. I know he's still fighting, though because he'll move every once in a while and when I net him he fights for dear heck to get out of the net. Any input as to what this is or what to do?

Oh all other fish are healthy and water is . Temps is around 78 and warm. I'll attach a pic so you can see.

 

[mikee870]

it might be a rare case of SBD "swim bladder disorder" due to overfeeding or maybe some undigested food. try viewing the polypterus sticky for more help

 

[Jenna23]

it might be a rare case of SBD "swim bladder disorder" due to overfeeding or maybe some undigested food. try viewing the polypterus sticky for more help

That's what I thought, go figure! Thanks

 

[Jenna23]

So, I pulled out the hospital talk to get my bichir alone, just in case the sbd is a result of a bacterial infection. I put a low amount of h20 in there to get air more easily. At any rate, he/she/it stayed upright for a few minutes, but then quickly turned over and hid under the stump deco I put in there. (I'm assuming it's also using it to keep itself rightside up.) I'm going to try fasting for a few days and see how that works I turned up the temp to 86 I believe. I'm not familiar with fish anatomy so I will not be attempting a poly enema as some have suggested in other threads lol. But, if things don't get better I'll try some eurythromyacin and see if that helps. Here's another pic.

 

[Jenna23]

Oh, by the way, when I bought this guy, I was told it was a tiger bichir, but it just doesn't look like the others I've seen...NVM def. tiger bichir

 

[bluehairman]

Pictures didn't work, but if it could be undigested food, try feeding him a pea to get things moving.

 

[Jenna23]

Perhaps this works better.
http://www.mypicx.com/06052009/Bichir/ just click the link, I can't figure out how to post images without them not showing.

I tried gut load smaller pieces of silversides but the bichir just spit it out. I tried running my finger down it's belly, I felt a weird like gurgle, no like sorta vibrating feeling, and he turned back upright but it only lasts for a few minutes then he kinda capsizes again.
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[bluehairman]

Maybe he's constipated and it's affecting his swim bladder?
Try massaging the stomach area, but be gentle. The point isn't to squeeze feces out of the fish, it's to loosen the bowels.

 

[Jenna23]

I've been doing that and like I said he'll go right side up for a while. I guess I just have to wait it out (for him to do his business).

 

[Retuks]

ROFL... that link you sent had a wonderful ad of a girl jiggling her duds...

anyway, what do you feed him? if its any kind of floating pellet or air-filled food that could be it.