Shimmy and Clamped fins?

Question

As many of you know I had a tank with 20% if its water missing yesterday for a good four hours. When the water came back on I let it run for 2 min I filled up the tank and used aqua-safe. This morning one of my swordtails is hanging out by the heater and her fins are clamed when she does move i can tell its shimmy. I've vaccumed out the tank changed 20% of the water and added quick cure. Is there anything else I can do?

ammonia and all other levals are nomal

Answer 1

Have you checked your ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate levels? Thanks to your water being off, there may have been extra nitrates building up in your water supply (normally, nitrates should measure any more than 10ppm out of the tap, but sometimes they will be higher).

Get your water tested. Ammonia and nitrite should be at 0ppm, and nitrate should be at less than 40ppm (though less than 20ppm is ideal). Check your pH as well to make sure you're not experiencing a swing in the levels.

Did you have the filter running while your water was low?

Answer 2

This is called shimmy, and is very comon with mollies. It is sometimes seen in other livebearers. It's generally a sign of stress, or other diease. I'd check out the below links to see if your fish has any other diease.
Are you using distilled water? (If so you need to gradually switch over to tap water, or a mix of the 2.)

Are you feeding the fish a blanced diet? Liver bearers are omnivores and need considerable amounts of veggies in their diet. (I alternate between algae flakes, and brine shrimp/blood worms for my mollies, platty, sowrdtail tank.)

Add a little table salt it will reduce stress and the iodine will be good for the fish. (Note swordtails aren't as tolerent of salt as mollies, but they can take a lot more of it than most fish.)

Add 1 teaspoon to a glass of tank water then add the water back into the tank.

What is your pH? It should be at least 7 if not higher?

What temp is the tank at? (Swordtails can take the mid 60s, but they do better at 80.)

PS- Just remember to make any changes gradually. Rapid changes are far more likely to kill your fish the actually condition you are trying to fix.

Answer 3

The stress from all of the water change drama has left your fish susceptible to parasites and disease. It sounds like your swordtail has some external parasites. Just go to the pet store and get something for parasites and treat the tank. Make sure to remove the carbon from your filter and follow the directions on the medication.
Your fish should be ok within a few days.

Also you can never have too much salt in an aquarium with livebearers. One tablespoon of kosher salt per five gallons of water will keep your little guys very healthy. The salt provides electrolytes and improves gill function. It also helps in the production of body slime, aids in breeding, and helps them recover from injury or disease.
It never evaporates, just replace the salt whenever you do a water change (for example, if you remove five gallons of water, put in another tablespoon of salt)

Answer 4

Sound like metalchick is right. Clamped fins are usually sing of infection/parasite. Buy treatment, do what she says.