a fish with a "crooked spine"?

Question

i started maybe a month ago.. one of my favorite fish.. a molly if i remember correctly. we called him wobble cause he would wobble about, however a month ago something happened. his spine sort of seemed to bend or something. the fish cant help but to be bent over and would pick at the bottom only he just wasent able to swim up with what looked like a crooked spine. he just got weaker and weaker and a few days ago he settled to the back of the tank just lying down looking like he was ready to die. I cant stand it anymore, fish or not i just cant bear to watch him suffer like this.. any chance anyone knows what i can do to help the fella get better other than just flush him now and make it easy for him?

Answer 1

There are a number of conditons that involve the spine being crooked. Genetics is one, if the fish already had this when you got it.

If the condition has progressively worsened, It wouldn't be likely that genetics was the only problem. Some of the conditions are as simple as scoliosis (caused by a vitamin or mineral deficiency) through fish tuberculosis (bacterial infection) through camallanus (an intestinal parasite). This last one can be identified the easiest, because when the fish are at rest, you can often see thin red worms sticking out the anus of the fish (see photos: http://www.gaem.it/pubblico/articoli/malattiepesci/camallanus/camallanus03.jpg , http://www.alaquairum.net/imagenes/Camallanus1.jpg ). They'll pull back insdie once the fish begins swimming. This is fairly easy to treat if you can find the correct medication. I've used Levacide (Levamisole) the two times I've identified this. The medication is a livestock dewormer, and needs to be purchased through a farm supply store or a veterinarian. This is a link which gives specifics on the treatment, although when I treated for thhis, the recommendation was to treat the tank twice, a few days apart, to kill any eggs the worms had laid: http://www.inkmkr.com/Fish/CamellanusTreatment.pdf . Because this can infect the other fish, it's necessary to treat the entire tank.

If the problem is fish TB, this could be transmitted to humans as well as your other fish, so using gloves and safty glasses when working around the tank is a good idea. Besides the curvature, fish infected by this often have other symptoms, such as loss of appetite, emaciation (extreme thinness), or open sores. This is highly contagious to your other fish, so if you even suspect this, the affected fish should be isolated. It is possible to treat this with antibiotics, and you can get more information on that here: http://www.fish-disease.net/diseases.htm .

Scoliosis is treatable by providing a good (and preferably varied) diet. Since this affects bones, calcium, magnesium, vitamin D and phosphorous are important, so look for these in product labels, and use food sources rich in these.

Even though you can treat the underlying causes, none of the treatments will affect the curvature of the spine - this is an affect that's permanent, once the curvature has happened.

If you would decide to euthanize your fish, flushing isn't the way to go. There are products that are fish anesthetics that can be overdosed to kill your fish more quickly and humanely:

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-most-humane-way-to-euthanize-a-fish.htm
http://www.petplace.com/fish/euthanasia-in-fish/page1.aspx
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=15556&N=2004+113016

Answer 2

A bent spine can be a sign of bacteria tunerculosis. It is very important you wash your hands well each time you work with the tank. Bacterial tb can get in cuts on your hands and have bad effects. Antibiotics used to treat fish in the form of foods, medicines, or injections for larger fish can help. Antibiotics will kill your tank cycle. If it is TB, you'll want to treat the tank whether or not the one fish lives.

Flushing a fish means it has to try and survive for weeks in the nasty septic tank water. Usually flushed fish die of massive chemical burns. If you feel bad for the fish now, why would you flush it? Obtain some clove oil from a pharmacy and put it down humanely with a few drops of clove oil in a cup of water.

Answer 3

I bought this stuff that you put in the water, containing essential vitimins and minerals, because I had problems with fish being born with crooked spines. An expert on the subject told me that it was because the diet of the pregnant mother was lacking and that in order to prevent it, I had to feed 100% live food, such as mosquito larvae, brine shrimp or daphnia. But it's such a pain to prepare for so few fish and smells if it dies. So I bought this vitamin/mineral additive by a company called Azoo and so far (fingers crossed!) the problem hasn't happened again.
As for the fish that is already affected, I suspect irreparable damage has already been done. But if he is eating well enough, I'd just leave him where he is. He'll just not be the prettiest out of your fish!
But if you decide euthanization is the best option for him, don't flush him alive (it is very stressful to them and they still live awhile if you do; not too nice!) I euthanize mine, if they really need it, by closing them in a plastic bag of water, then leaving it in the fridge. They fall asleep and never wake up.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

Well I have had a fish with a bent spine... He was just as normal as the other fish... meaning he was able to swim just fine...

I think your fish might be sick, and I am not sure about how to kill him... Me personally I would not be able to kill a fish. However, you could always take him to the pet store and they could possibly help you...and by helping you I do not mean killing him... They could tell you what is wrong with you if anything... It could be your water...they will test it for you. They can do lots of testing...

Answer 6

Its most likely genetic
check the links here
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=fish+disease+crooked+spine