Zebra danios with bended spine.

[Vision]

Two of my 6 zebra Danios are having a problem with their spine. It is bended and their stomach is caving towards the inside. What do you think this problem is? Is there a cure or should I let things stay the way they are. Also my Zebra loach is very agressive. It has managed to take out one eye of most of the zebra Danios. I like fish of the Botia family. Can you recommend a more peacefull one. My aquarium is a 20 g long.
be well Vision

[yashinfan]

I think there's a botia called stratia botia, but I haven't been able to find it in stores. V. cute tho, they kinda resemble yo-yo loaches. Now, as for bended spines: did they come that way from the store? I would think so and obviously it is a birth defect from too much inbreeding. It cannot be fixed because we cannot put casts on fish. You will either have to live with it, or dispose of it, which I hope you will not choose to do.

[yashinfan]

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?siteid=21&pCatId=1588

Sorry it's Striata Botia Loach. Semi-aggressive 30 gal fish. So other options are Yo-Yo Loaches, Clown Loaches, which are the most common. You can search the live aquaria site for other options.

[Captain Hook]

I don't much about loaches so I'm not much help there but I have a leopard danio with a bent back that has been doing well for years. I think yashin is right, it's from inbreeding and poor practices.

[Hans]

bent? neon tetra disease!

[Vision]

The botia I have is the botia striata. It was peacefull in the beggining but now is quite agressive. Though I will not give it back to the store because it is very cute and it kinda keeps my snail population in control. As for the spine, a book I have suggests interenall parasites in the digestive track. What do you guys think could that be it. The fish where normal when I bought them. I think they got that way due to either my bad fishkeeping practises (I don't always keep up with the water changes), or it is something they ate. My suspision is on the frozen foods I give them.
be well Vision

[vanguy]

I had a zebra danio that was fine when brought home from the store, but after a year, was seen to getting very bloated, and the spine went with it! He didn't seem to unhappy about it, but I am sure it was somewhat unpleasant for him. I could see that he was getting a little more aggressive as time went on, as I am sure most of would if we were possibly in pain and it never went away. But all in all, he lasted for quite some time, and died not so long ago. I do believe that it was predetermined condition that led to this. Although, there are many factors that cause wierd things in tanks. My two cents.

I am in a way happy that he is no longer around, as I am sure my other fish are quite happier than I. Now its my tiger barb that's running around like King of the Jungle! I believe he actually killed one of my newest aquisitions, a Bolivian Ram (butterfly).

[Drakerizzo]

I would have to agree with yashinfan and vanguy, the little guy was probably born with the afliction

[ScottoMacD]

I have heard quite a few times from different sources that the bent spine that you have is from improper nutrition.

Not to bash any one company because I have sometimes used their products before with no ill effects, but Wardley flake came up a couple of times when discussing this matter. What food are you using?

I would try changing the diet of the fish. Switch dry foods and add other varied foods to the diet and see what happens.

[yashinfan]

Hmm.. now if the zebra danio was not born that way, then I think it would be possibly reverseable. They have plenty of room in that tank, so it wouldn't be stunting. But malnutrition would cause the problem. I wouldn't believe it was BECAUSE of a certain food, but exactly the opposite, maybe something is missing in their diet? You should try and give them foods with high protein levels to give their systems a boost.

[SimonWoodstock]

i notced when i was netting some baby guppies to feed to an oscar one had a bent spine. i thought i may have smashed it up against something when i was trying to catch them. it seemed to be fine and dandy in that oscar tank.....for a little while anyway:D im glad you posted this. now i can start watching the others to see if i can catch it early if it happens and adjust its diet to see if that will prevent it.

[yashinfan]

Well Simon, I wonder if your fish would be inbred by now? That's the #1 reason for bended spines.

[SimonWoodstock]

yash, that is very likely. you see, they were just feeder guppies when i got them. there is really no way to say how long they have been inbreeding in the tanks of the people who sold them to the LFS.

you will have a pm shortly
*nevermind, your box or whatever is full....

[Vision]

Maybe it is malnutricion but I feed a varied diet. The truth is I do give them wardley flakes but I also give tetra flakes. They also receive bloodworms, tubifex and brine shrimp(all of these FD) and once a week a Frozen food. Thanks for the suggestions guys lets hope the problem is reversible and that the fish don't succumb to it. One of them is realy skiny and I am worried about it.
Be well Vision

[yashinfan]

Simon: My box is empty, so I don't know why it didn't work.

Vision: The fish that is skinny, is it a male or a female? Brine shrimp is very important in the diet of fish. I feed mine Hikari Brand Brine Shrimp and they are now dazzling fish, and about 2" in length.

I think it's about time I took some pictures of my 30 gallon, but those fish zip around so darned fast!

[yashinfan]

Look how fast these little buggers are!

[Vision]

Yashinfan the fish that is very skiny is a male. I have six fish in all two males and four females. They used to breed in the past( never saw any fry) but since the introduction of the Botia striata they have stoped. I think the constant harrassement by the Botia is preventing them from spawning again. I know males are supposed to be skiny but that fish is not in a good shape. Its been that way for quite a few months lets hope it recovers.
Vision

[yashinfan]

Does he eat at all? I think your fish still do spawn, the only way you'd know if they weren't is that the females would start to get HUGE! Why you haven't seen any fry would be that the adults eat all the eggs, and a loach isn't going to let any eggs get out of his reach. If you want them to hatch you'll have to change your substrate. I'd keep an eye on your fish, and does the loach have any other loaches in there with him?

[Vision]

Yashinfan the male Danio eats normally but he stays very thin. He has been that way for quite some time. I didn't notice my Danios breed because when they do there is the usual spawning ritual (the male chases the female) which I haven't noticed for quite some time. But to be honest I haven't been paying close attention to my tank lately so you might be right maybe they do spawn and then the eat all the eggs and propably the fry that survive. I noticed you are a Zebra Danio breeder. I want to ask you what do you feed the fist days because I know the Zebra fry are too small for artemia.
Vision

[yashinfan]

I don't feed them for the first 3 days, as they can live off their yoke sacks and other micro bacteria. After that I feed Infusoria, wardley brand baby fry liquid food. I do this for about a week before feeding baby brine shrimp.

[Vision]

Ok thanks for that info.
regards Vision