Sick bichir, can anyone help diagnose him?

[mirs]

Back with more poly problems! I've had my albino bichir for about 7 months now and I just noticed his spine is bent. This appears to be impairing his swimming, he seems almost wobbly. I'm extra worried because I mixed up my quarantine tank buckets with my main tank buckets and a new poly in quarantine seems to have the same swimming problem (but a straight body) and seems much more sick.

My albino in the main tank has a good appetite still and the only symptoms are slightly heavy breathing, bent body and "awkward" swimming. I have attached a photo of him.

Anyone have any ideas about what this could be?

 

[Deadliestviper7]

Spinal problem of some sort, do not net or touch your fish, unsure of cause of spinal problem, perhaps fish TB or injury, do not add any more fish for now

 

[mirs]

Spinal problem of some sort, do not net or touch your fish, unsure of cause of spinal problem, perhaps fish TB or injury, do not add any more fish for now

Eek I was hoping you *wouldnt* say fish TB... he's in my main tank with 5 others, would it be too risky to put him in quarantine?

 

[kno4te]

Post ur water parameters. What’s it diet? When did u just notice the bent? How is it’s swimming behavior?

 

[Deadliestviper7]

Eek I was hoping you *wouldnt* say fish TB... he's in my main tank with 5 others, would it be too risky to put him in quarantine?

Put them all in quarantine,leave the infected bichirs where they are,and put the potentially infected in a different fish quarantine.

 

[mirs]

Post ur water parameters. What’s it diet? When did u just notice the bent? How is it’s swimming behavior?

I noticed it about 3 days ago because he started swimming oddly. Here's his swimming in a YouTube video:

They usually eat Hikari carnivor pellets and freeze dried Krill/bloodworms as treats.

I shared a testing kit with my old roommate she moved out a couple months ago and I've been putting off getting a new one... With this recent development I'll probably grab one tomorrow.

I'd be guessing on my parameters until then but I do a 50% change once a week at least and I have a fluval FX6 running on a 75g.

 

[mirs]

Put them all in quarantine,leave the infected bichirs where they are,and put the potentially infected in a different fish quarantine.

Oof that's a lotta fish juggling. Not sure if I have enough space to QT all of them :/ only have two 20gs and a 75g

 

[Polyaddict86]

I dont think its the water or the food your giving, I think its more of poor genetics, cb poly deffects usually shows when they get bigger, i had a endli with no problem till it hit a certain size, it had a S shape spinal problem.

If your poly got injured like got spoked and made a dash then hit the glass, the broken spinal will be toward the front not the back of its spinal.

 

[mirs]

I dont think its the water or the food your giving, I think its more of poor genetics, cb poly deffects usually shows when they get bigger, i had a endli with no problem till it hit a certain size, it had a S shape spinal problem.

If your poly got injured like got spoked and made a dash then hit the glass, the broken spinal will be toward the from not the back of its spinal.

That makes me feel a little better.. He is an albino so I wouldn't be surprised if he had poor genetics. He's still mobile and eating so if he's just a little handicapped I'd be quite relieved.

 

[Deadliestviper7]

That makes me feel a little better.. He is an albino so I wouldn't be surprised if he had poor genetics. He's still mobile and eating so if he's just a little handicapped I'd be quite relieved.

Albinos aren't necessarily weaker, instead it's the constant inbreeding , this is why I always recommend outbreeding