Occasionally tail-buoyant ornate

[Viverr]

Man, it's been an up-an-down month for fish here!

At any rate, I picked up an Ornate at the LFS this past Saturday. Naturally, the girlfriend named him "Bob."

Until yesterday, "Bob" seemed to be settling in fine, eating well, alert, etc. Took quite a liking to shrimp pellets and the market shrimp. Didn't eat yesterday, but I didn't think much of it at the time. This evening, though, he's positively buoyant at the tail end. Only sometimes, though, which is a little confusing. I caught him going up for a "breath" as I came in the door tonight, much like a Pleco would, which was followed by 20 minutes of tail-end buoyancy, and then Bob settled back down to the bottom and acted like nothing happened for an hour or so. The pattern's repeated a handful of times, minus the breath at the top.

The reading I've gotten through tonight suggests that there's not much you can do about this sort of thing? Fasting, salt, tank temps around 80 (normal range for this tank)... Anything I'm missing? Colour's good, scales are normal, no sign of serious bloating or red belly, etc. I'd like to see him stay healthy!

-V

 

[DrZacharyus]

hmm thats weird, everytime he goes for a breath it happens? does he fart the air out? he could just get the wrong pipe sometimes..

 

[Viverr]

No, I'm starting to think that the breath was just a fluke. He's not taken another trip up to the top yet, but he's still off-and-on buoyant. 10-15 minutes (or less) of cramming himself under the driftwood to stay down, followed by 30-40 or so of normal behavior. The pattern's shortened or lengthened once or twice, but still there.

Did a W/C, dropped in some salt just in case. Holding off on feeding for tonight. Definitely open to other suggestions.
-V

 

[Cohazard]

I bet it's a small juvie ornate?

That sounds like normal juvie poly behavior and should go away with time.

If you feed floating pellets, they may get it once in a while when they're older too, but it usually get's taken care of on it's own when the poly's pass excrement.

HTH

 

[Viverr]

9" or so, so I don't think he's a juvenile, but since I don't really know the growth rate, maybe? I think the chances are low, though it's a good suggestion (and something to look out for if I start buying lots of little ones!).

No floating pellets, either. Just sinking carnivore and shrimp pellet, along with various frozen. He does seem to be managing, though. Much longer spells on the bottom, and shorter floating spells, so hopefully it was a premature worry.

Maybe the best course is to wait this one out?

-V

 

[Cohazard]

Yes definitely. I wouldn't do anything about it; let it solve itself.

I consider that to be a juvie still because of the potential size of adult ornates.

 

[Viverr]

So far, so good. No more uncontrolled lift. Maybe the smallest bit buoyant overall sitting on the bottom, but nothing like yesterday. Wasn't planning on feeding for the next day or so, just in case. The wait-and-see method seems to work, but it's hard on the nerves

Thanks for all the feedback!

-V

 

[mrfryc]

Hello - just found this thread bc I had the exact same problem. My 10" bichir has been some since early last Friday, and the LFS owner used to feed him comets a few times a week. I put some comets 3 days after he was in his tank and he ate 2 by my count. I figured he was in an adjustment period still. He had been doing nothing out of the ordinary, swimming on the top at night or if it was generally dark, and he'd hang out on the bottom when the kitchen light was on. I came home today at 7:30 and he was very much diagonal. I though that he couldn't have died bc he had NO problems at all so far. I gave him a touch and he was receptive (he turned and looked at he like I was bugging him, go figure). He's still receptive, and moving his fins and all, but still nearly vertical. I had read these were very hardy fish, so my thought was to wait and see. I'd hate to see him die bc he seems to be a very mellow fish with a good attitude...

 

[Cohazard]

mrfryc, they seem to be vulnerable to this at almost any size.

My hypothesis is that it has to do with adjusting to tank height, and that they maybe judge incorrectly how much time they have to get to the top of the tank for a gulp of air when they're new to the tank.

 

[Viverr]

On my end, everything worked out for the best. Colour's perfect, no buoyancy problems I can see. Acts happy as a clam. Eats well without further lift, so I think I can relax and call the matter solved.

Mrfryc, hope yours recovers as well.

Cohazard: Interesting theory. I'm fairly certain that my tank's the same height as the dealer holding tank, though, but that doesn't null your idea. I think we'd need a much wider data set to prove that one, though. Anyone else out there have the problem and remember the dealer tank height?

-V