Black moor upside down

Industrial

Industrial

AC Members
Oct 29, 2009
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Buffalo, NY
I have a 4" or so black moor and he has been floating upside when he tries to sleep. When he doesn't flip upside down and slowly rise, he is on the gravel face first with his tailfin pointing upwards. Luckily he got smart enough to swim under something when he sleeps so he doesn't float to the top.

I had him in a 10 gallon and I was thinking it was from swalling air from the flake food. I stopped feeding him flake food, and gave him pellets. It calmed down a little (He was floating like an airbubble and couldn't even get to the bottom). Then it started again, not as badly but more noticeably. At night I hear eating sounds coming from the tank so I figured he was gulping in air because the tank was small.

He is now in a 29 gallon. He almost stopped floating, but now it's coming back. I do not know what to do, and I hate to see him like this. If it helps, he is really fat. I tried feeding him less for the past week.

I was reading about swim bladder infections, but this is starting to go away, but then it comes back not as badly as it first was. If it was a swim bladder problem what are other symptoms and how could I fix it?

I am thinking it's something else though. Give me your ideas.
 
First of what type of food do u feed him? If its flakes try switching to a food that sinks like hikari lionhead. Also have you tried feeding him unshelled peas? That usually helps goldies that are floaty (btw prepare for lots of poop lol). Another think is that how many fish do you have in that tank? If its the one with Black Moor, Albino Moor, Albino Fantail, Amano Shrimp, Three Dojo Loaches then that's pushing it. However, I don't know what type of filter or your water parameters so my helping abilities are kinda hampered in that way. If he is eating try to peas unshelled. If he is not eating then there is another way with Epsom salt.
 
I will try peas, the one loach is maybe 3 inches long right now and the other two are about 4. The faintail is very small, smaller than a skirt tetra for now and the albino moor is about 2 inches, 3 or 4 at the end of the fin.

The tank looks depressing right now due to the emptiness. Also, when I put them in the 29 g, the fish have kind of slowed down their activity (except for the shrimp). I am thinking that they do not like being alone when another fish is out of sight or something.

The peas and constipation thing seem logical though, I just remembered when I got him, he was lying on the bottom of the tank breathing heavily. I took him out and put him in a 1 gallon large mouth bowl overnight and when I checked up on the morning he was happy as can be and piles upon piles of fish feces were at the bottom.

BILD2129.JPG
 
What are the water parameters like? ( Nitrate, Nitrite, GH, KH, & pH). Yea those fish are small but wow do they get large... What is that think that is near the filter in your picture? Also is that and under gravel filter? Also is that an eclipse tank?
 
tyr said:
What are the water parameters like? ( Nitrate, Nitrite, GH, KH, & pH). Yea those fish are small but wow do they get large... What is that think that is near the filter in your picture? Also is that and under gravel filter? Also is that an eclipse tank?
Click to expand...

I will check the parameters once I get home, I have a feeling that they are all okay though. Even in the 10 gallon they remained very stable.

The filter extends half an inch below the gravel, but it's not a UG filter. It's pretty powerful there is a little ditch around it and it sucks up everything (food, feces loose decorations etc). The fish are okay though around it. It is an eclipse tank, somebody was going to sell me a 29 gallon tank and setup for 25 bucks and when I got there it was an eclipse.

For the fish, they will likely end up in a larger tank. I might try a 40 breeder, or 40 L, but that is a long way down the road.
 
I'll second the peas. Please know that it may not be anything at all that you have done. I've raised fancies for years, and swimbladder problems usually crop up-- it varies from fish to fish. Good luck. I love moors, as you can tell from my avatar! :)
 
When I give my fish peas I put them in the mircowave and watch them. Then I kinda pop them out of the shell. Mine usually sink.
 
Definitely. Mine take them better if they are mashed a little, too. One of their faves, actually.
 
Industrial, any updates about your fish so far? Persistent buoyancy issues need a complete change in diet. Avoid foods containing starch. Try sticking him to vegetables and gel foods only. Mazuri gel foods are available at Goldfish Utopia. It's worth a try in my opinion but add vegetables into the mix as it has very low fiber content. If you suspect air and offending commercial foods are the cause, add 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of epsom salt per 10g in your tank to purge the offending foods out.
 
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