Fish swimming in circles

[Jaqueline]

Hello everyone

 

I have a problem with my starry dragonet (Synchiropus Stellatus). It keeps swimming in very small circles and when it is resting it keeps its body in a U shape.

Now to the backgrounds: About four months ago I bought a pair of starry dragonets. They looked healthy and ate frozen artemia and bloodworms right from the start. But the male kept chasing the female which seemed to be very stressfull for the female. So we bought some additional live rocks to create more hiding opportunities for the female. The situation improved a bit but not enough. So after hearing that keeping one male with two females works fine, we decided to buy a second female. The fish chased each other around for maybe one or two days but then the situation calmed down and it was as peaceful as it had never been before with only one female. But then about three weeks ago I noticed that the first female was losing weight and we started to feed the fish more often (three times a day). While the male and the second female started to become incredibly fat the first female just stayed skinny. Last week I noticed that the first female didn't swim around like the others. It started to press itself flat to the ground (usually they kind of stand on their fins) and didn't move much. Yesterday I noticed that when it tries to swim around it can only swim in very small circles. It looks as if it chases its tail. And when it rests it does so in a U shape. The other two starry dragonets don't do that, still look fine and are fat as ever.

 

I don't think that the water quality is a problem since all the corals, snails and crabs are fine as well. Has anyone encountered this problem as well? And is there a solution to it?

[Newstead]

I do not have anything helpful, but good luck with her! I know how frustrating it is not to know how to help an ailing fish. Perhaps try soaking food in Selcon to encourage her to eat?

[fishfreak0114]

Has the fish been eating but still getting skinnier and skinnier? If so it could have a parasite but I don't know, I've never had one of those fish before.

[TFish77]

Hello everyone

 

I have a problem with my starry dragonet (Synchiropus Stellatus). It keeps swimming in very small circles and when it is resting it keeps its body in a U shape.

Now to the backgrounds: About four months ago I bought a pair of starry dragonets. They looked healthy and ate frozen artemia and bloodworms right from the start. But the male kept chasing the female which seemed to be very stressfull for the female. So we bought some additional live rocks to create more hiding opportunities for the female. The situation improved a bit but not enough. So after hearing that keeping one male with two females works fine, we decided to buy a second female. The fish chased each other around for maybe one or two days but then the situation calmed down and it was as peaceful as it had never been before with only one female. But then about three weeks ago I noticed that the first female was losing weight and we started to feed the fish more often (three times a day). While the male and the second female started to become incredibly fat the first female just stayed skinny. Last week I noticed that the first female didn't swim around like the others. It started to press itself flat to the ground (usually they kind of stand on their fins) and didn't move much. Yesterday I noticed that when it tries to swim around it can only swim in very small circles. It looks as if it chases its tail. And when it rests it does so in a U shape. The other two starry dragonets don't do that, still look fine and are fat as ever.

 

I don't think that the water quality is a problem since all the corals, snails and crabs are fine as well. Has anyone encountered this problem as well? And is there a solution to it?

 

To be safe I would test your nitrate, phosphate, ph, salinity, ammonia, and nitrite.

[Jaqueline]

Thanks to all of you for wishing good luck and trying to give some advice.

 

She was still eating but we couldn't bear seeing her suffer anymore. The other female started to attack her very aggressively so we decided to give her to a friend who has a bigger aquarium without any fish who could bully her more. We are hoping that she will do better in her new home where she has plenty of space and no other starry dragonets to chase her around any longer.