YoYo isue

[Marcos Mataratzis]

Hi,

About a month ago (jan 11th) I had a suicide YoYo loach here. My cat brought the dead body to my room and I found it when I woke up. Since that day I could only find 3 YoYo loaches on my tank but it should be 4 as the 5th had just passed away.
Today, about a month later, I found the missing 4th YoYo loach. She was in a very tiny space between one of my internal filtersand the glass. Anyone here would say... "she is there because she wants to" but not at this time. She was really stuck. I was able to help her to move out that place but noticed her spine was not straight and she was not swimming the way she ought to.
I take her to a small nursery and made this video:



As you can see, her spine is bend left and she can´t stand straight. Sometimes she gets upside-down or lay on her side but still with bended spine. Looks like she has a crick, wryneck.

Her breathing is faster than the others. All conditions in my tank are good: No ammonia, no nitrites, nitrates at 25 ppm, GH=5, kH=2, temp=29°C.

I´m keeping her here while wonder what to do...



Has anybody had an isue like that?

All advices will be most apreciated.

Thanks!

[Tinman]

She may be septic from her location and this could be biological the way it was swimming, Stress will cause the rapid breathing also.how long after removal from the spot was this taken. I would think a few days might show improvment if there is no internal injury.....

[Marcos Mataratzis]

Hi Tinman,

This YoYo is here on my tank since april 30, 2007. She is very active but I missed her for last month. She simply vanished from my eyes since that. You may say... "ah... you have lots... how can you be sure it was this one missing?". Notice her special marks. I often call this one "alphabet YoYo" because of the z Y ? H Y marks on her body. she was really missing.
Today, I was looking for a missing albino Corydora on my tank when I found her. Video was recorded 2 hours after I take her out from behind internal filter but she is still bent right now (about 9 hours since I found her).

Thanks for the prompt answer.

[Diana]

Part of the problem is the stress of the small box she is in. If you can move her to a small tank with hiding places then she can relax and do whatever healing she can.
Often a fish with a minor problem can get along just fine once they have healed all they can.
Lets hope there are no internal injuries. Shouldn't be, she was able to eat enough, even in the awkward location.
She might never really straighten out, though.

[Marcos Mataratzis]

Hi Diana,

Thanks for answering. I decided to put her in this small nursery to use same water and filtration she is accustomed with. also, my Q-tank is not so big and my circulating pump to use on it often warms the water a lot (remember we are on summer here and water temperature without cooling system reaches 32°C or higher - it is 29°C now with cooling system on). That´s why I´m keeping her here.
She ate a few Enchitreus albidus but didn´t touch the crisps or sticks she often eats.
Her aspect looks good. Colors are bright, she looks helthy but she can´t stand straight.

[shari2]

Being stuck in one position for so long would have me stiff, too. I don't know if he'll ever straighten out entirely, but other than the positional issue you don't see any injuries, right? If you want to give him the chance to stretch out again, you should probably give him more space.

I'd try to fill in that space he got stuck in immediately, and any other possible similar locations. Don't you have a couple of those internal filters in the tank? I'm surprised he's in as good a shape as he seems to be given the length of time he'd gone missing. Hope he will snap out of this, can't say for sure, but even if he remains bent, it looks like he'd still do alright. (as long as you can eliminate his liking for too-small spaces! )

[Marcos Mataratzis]

Hi Shari,

Wait a minute... she was not stranded behind the filter for last 30 days! She was missing! I took those internal filters out yesterday for cleaning and she was not there. She was somewhere else for last 30 days (I assumed she passed away and was eaten by the others - look my signature: 3 YoYo instead of 4) and was discorevered there today at 4pm, 10.5 hours ago.
I tryied a guided freeing her in main tank but she can´t swim and seams that bigger spaces tend to make here stay upside-down like swiming bladder isue but I´m quite sure it is not but bent isue only.
As I said before, she is bright colors and looks like she ate lots all this time.
Will free her again tomorrow and watch.

Many thanks!

[Tinman]

"ah... you have lots... how can you be sure it was this one missing?".

I can tell most of my fish also . How are the respirations now? Maybe a little pipe in there to hide in for her today for her comfort until you deem her ready for release?? Yours are much more used to cover than mine !

[Marcos Mataratzis]

Well...

As planned, I released her in the tank today. Her breathing was normal, she was calm and she ate normal.
The very moment I released her she quickly swim all around (still bent body) and guess were she stop?




She is there for last 2 hours. I went there and gently took her out. She fought me and entered there again. She just want to be there. Maybe because she is not feeling 100% secure and is hiding, maybe she thinks she will unbend staying there so tight.

[Marcos Mataratzis]

Keeping you posted...

Condition did not change. Fish continues to swim in a bended way I put it again in the nursery...

[Ashleigh]

Hi Marcos,

That really sucks did you find out where she might have got stuck that would have caused this?

I personally would have just left her in the tank-it would be a lot less stressful, and the fact that she knows were she can take cover would be a comfort to her.

A guess could be that shes just a bit stiff like Shari said and take a while to come around, she could have maybe done some sort of nerve damage maybe?

Im guessing if she is not seeming overly stressed or giving you any hints of pain, I would just leave her be-fish have an amazing way of recovering/adjusting to things, I just hope it works in your case

Good luck with her

Ashleigh

[Marcos Mataratzis]

Thanks for posting,

did you find out where she might have got stuck that would have caused this?

I don´t have a clue. She had vanish from tank for last month. I could surelly say "she has passed away". Now, one month later, she apears like this.

Im guessing if she is not seeming overly stressed or giving you any hints of pain, I would just leave her be-fish have an amazing way of recovering/adjusting to things, I just hope it works in your case

Well... no pain indication but hard to eat. She tryies to eat but most times misses the food. I´m afraid if left by her own she will not be able to eat. Will consider your point.

Thanks!

[Ashleigh]

Hi Marcos,

Always up to badness-Pippa my little clown got stuck in bogwood a wee while ago, we had to saw off bits of the wood and then push her back (she couldn't go foward), she damaged her face badly and part of her tail in the process-I though she wouldn't pull through but she has-happy days.

At the end of the day, you will know what is best for her-she is right in front of you and is your fish-you will know her better than anyone.

It is difficult to say what is right and what is wrong, and what will help more, I hope whatever you decide, she pulls through-shes a very pretty little loach

Ashleigh

[Marcos Mataratzis]

It is difficult to say what is right and what is wrong, and what will help more, I hope whatever you decide, she pulls through-shes a very pretty little loach

Thank you!

I´ll keep you posted.

Marcos