Mysterious disease

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
A simple test would be to unplug the heater for 24 hours and see if thay still dart around the tank. The erratic swimming, if it's caused by stray electrical currents should dissapear once the heater is removed. If it continues then it's not a stray current.
 
Thanks for the suggestions guys. Since my posting all has been well -- for now. I will probably end up picking up a couple ground regardless just for safety. It's frustrating being unable to determine what did this damage. The Whirling Disease Neil suggested seems plausible, but it doesn't really help since it's not a treatable condition!
 
I also use grounding probes, my fish weren't dying, but I would get shocked when the heaters crapped out when doing a water change or scraping algae.
A simple test, is to stand on the floor barefoot and dip a finger with a small cut or scratch on it in the tank.
I would not do this unless totally healthy, and there is a proper way to do it so the shock does not pass thru your heart. I believe I saw the technique in an AWWA publication, but I no longer have it.
After doing the test I start unplugging things and repeat until the shock is gone. Could be anything, a heater, a pump, even lights.
I would not recommend the test though if even a slight heart glitch.
 
MonsterFishKeepers.com