My loaches have a tick (spasming)

[gaines]

I've now noticed two of my loaches that seem to have intermittent spasms. These spasms or ticks only seem to occur when they're actively swimming. They also will stop swimming and sit on the bottom...sometimes even rolling over to the side a bit. Here is a link to a video of one of one of them twitching a bit. Here's another video of one laying a bit on his side.

Is this normal behavior at all? Other than the fact that I had one of my five new tiger barbs die, all of the fish seem healthy and active.

 

[webcricket]

Hmmm, just looks like the loach is napping to me - could be the current is tipping it more to one side while it rests on the unlevel surface.

 

[gaines]

Here's a link to a video that shows the twitch/tick much better.

 

[kveeti]

Looks like "flashing" to me. If you look up/search the term flashing you'll get more info. Something is irritating your fish. Could be water quality, could be parasites (ich, flukes or other). You have to go through process of elimination.

Are the fish new? (These or any others in the tank).
Do you have water test kits? Please post your test results.

 

[gaines]

It appears it's gone away now. I guess they were just reacting more visibly to the high ammonia than the other fish. Now they're playing in the bubbles.

 

[budrecki]

Your ammonia should be zero...

 

[Roan Art]

It appears it's gone away now. I guess they were just reacting more visibly to the high ammonia than the other fish. Now they're playing in the bubbles.

That loach was flashing, not "twitching", because the ammonia is burning his gills. There will be permanent damage if he is continually exposed to ammonia in this manner.

Unless you want dead fish, you need to get the ammonia to 0.

Roan

 

[dorkfish]

I looked at your member page, it says your amonia is 1.25, WAY to high, you need to start doing daily water changes until everything balances out (amonia and nitrite 0).

 

[gaines]

I looked at your member page, it says your amonia is 1.25, WAY to high, you need to start doing daily water changes until everything balances out (amonia and nitrite 0).

I think you were reading my tests backwards. That was my very first test. My last test before your post showed it had dropped to 0.25 (May 22).