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i just noitced one of my week old betta fry having trouble staying horizantal, it's head keeps tipping down is this fry going to die? its the only one that i have noticed as of yet

anyone?

Is this head tilting accompanied by other signs of disorientation, e.g., difficulty in maintaining lateral stability?

If not, then the fry might not have filled its swim bladder with air properly. Another possibility is that the air above the aquarium was too cold when it took its first gulp of air. Which is why lanyrinth fish fry are supposed to be kept warm, and with warm air over the water surface. Failure to keep the air wwarm has a less than delightful effect upon some fry. Make sure the lid is close-fitting when fry are free-swimming, and the air is kept warm. Trouble is, if the room air is significantly colder than the air above the tank, lifting the lid to feed and perform water changes will ruin things for you. Fry losses in such circumstances are, sadly, inevitable. A temporary temperature increase once the fry are breathing air might cure the problem, but only might.

If the fry is unstable in more than one axis, i.e., it's tilting its head down AND having trouble maintaining an even lateral keel, then you've just been plain unlucky, and that individual fry has somehow developed central nervous system damage. Which can happen spontaneously on occasions even in the best cared for fry. If this has happened, your fry is better off humanely euthanased, because it won't ever be cured, and will have a severely shortened life in any case. in the wild, such fry would end up as lunch for the other fish.



Last edited by Calilasseia at 19-Feb-2005 00:27

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002