# otherwise healthy 'looking' fish swimming on bottom?



## Daryl (Jun 1, 2010)

I have a keyhole cichlid that is constantly swimming or hanging out on the bottom of the tank. In fact it sort of 'scoots' along the bottom to get around the tank and very rarely swims without part of it's anal or dorsal fin dragging along.

The fish otherwise appears and acts healthy - it competes for food, it's fins are not clamped and it has a normal colour.

At first I thought it was just 'burrowing' constantly, but after watching it for a week it's not just burrowing - it's almost like it can't get bouyant.

I've tried looking for this as a symptom for the common ailments but I can't find anything that seems to explain this behaviour.

Could it be stress related? The behaviour started after introducing a pair of angel fish to the tank. Prior to that the keyholes 'ruled' the tank with a velvet glove. This one may be the female that spawned 2 months ago or so - but I can't say for certain.

*Set-up*
75g
78 degrees F.
moderately planted
2 x 4' coralife dual light strips
Rena XP3
AC 70
lots of wood (manzanita branches & stump)
lots of rocks/caves

*FISH*
2 x Angelfish (mated pair)
6 x Keyholes (juvenile to young adult size)
2 x Bolivian Rams (both male)
1 x L199
1 x L201
2 x BN Pleco
@20 Cardinal tetras
@15 Rummy nose tetras
4 x ember tetras
1 x SAE
1 x self cloning crayfish (2" long)
8 x dwarf panda cories

This keyhole is the only fish displaying strange behaviour... One of the other keyholes has bent spine (but acts normal) - I bought these two keyholes from the same place... Could this be a fin bladder issue?

FYI: I just did a 50% water change and all the parameters are normal (ammonia, nitrate, nitrite)... No one is currently spawning but I have had a pair of keyholes and the angels spawn recently. I have no idea what the ph, gh, or kh are, but I just use Vancouver tap water treated with prime... I do dose with flourish excel, phosphorous, nitrogen and potasium but I usually use less than the 'beginner' recommended dose (I use the suggested amount 1x/week, it says you can do up to 2x/week). No CO2.


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

Daryl,
Likely your GH and KH are 0 but when adding plant supplements it is hard to say. Testing for these levels would be interesting. I am not saying the lack of hardness is the cause for all problems but it does sound like a balance issue which low GH will cause. Try adding some Equilibrium, it will help the plants and may solve your problem. Bring in some water and we can test it for you.


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## Daryl (Jun 1, 2010)

I'll try and get in on Sunday if you're open.


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

We only close on Christmas day. Guess that makes me a thanksgiving scrooge!


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## InfraredDream (Jun 24, 2010)

Sorry for the off topic, but I was impressed with your setup. How is the cray, corries and plants doing together? I have a small cray (about 1") and had to move it out a few weeks ago as she was harassing the cories (stealing the food from them, etc.) and was doing gardening for me all the time, thus ruined some nice plants.
Good luck with solving your issue!


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## Daryl (Jun 1, 2010)

Noticed another sympton... When the keyhole is competing actively for food, it swims on a 30 degree angle with it's rear end pointing down...


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## Daryl (Jun 1, 2010)

InfraredDream said:


> Sorry for the off topic, but I was impressed with your setup. How is the cray, corries and plants doing together? I have a small cray (about 1") and had to move it out a few weeks ago as she was harassing the cories (stealing the food from them, etc.) and was doing gardening for me all the time, thus ruined some nice plants.
> Good luck with solving your issue!


I don't see the cray that often... I saw it the other day though for the first time in weeks (I thought it was eaten)... Then today I saw it's exoskeleton - so I presume it's growing (but vulnerable at the moment).

It does out compete some of the fish for food. For example if I drop in an algae wafer one of the pleco's (which are 4"+ and dwarf the crayfish) will sit on it eating away and the crayfish will come out and start poking the side of the pleco, but as the pleco's are well armoured it doesn't do any damage... Because the pleco's boss around the cories when it comes to algae wafers I think turn about is fair play...


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## InfraredDream (Jun 24, 2010)

Thanks for the reply. Did not work that way in my case and I did want to risk my corries at all, they are so nice and peaceful.
Good luck with your fish! Hope it will be OK soon.


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