Scoliosis?

[Duffmanj]

My female aggie is looking pretty ropey recently, wondering if it's scoliosis or something similar, perhaps you guys can let me know what you think. Had her around half a year, male aggie is perfectly healthy and bright, they're in with some otos and rummynose. TDS is around 100, ph 6.8, no ammonia/nitrites, trace of nitrate as per usual. Weekly changes and all that, well planted and mature tank (1 yr plus) at 25c. Diet is a mix of cichlid pellets, dr bassleer regular, frozen cyclops and daphnia and live daphnia and mosquito larvae, plus the odd bits of algae wafer from the otos and occasionally some good quality flake. No other outward signs of disease or infection, shes slightly smaller than I would expect at less than 4cm. Her swim pattern is strange, barely uses her tail at all.

 

[gerald]

Sounds like something has damaged the spine or spinal cord. Could be a mechanical injury (fallen rock when digging out a cave, crushed duringt netting, etc) or some kind of infection (bacterial, sporozoan, myxozoan, etc).

 

[Duffmanj]

So you would discount scoliosis as a result of inbreeding? I've had this happen to another female aggie from the same supplier, which sadly passed, that was some time ago now. Was just a thought.
I would discount physical injury as I've never had to net her out and theres no room in the decor for falling objects.

Cheers

 

[gerald]

Probably NOT genetic if she looked fine growing up and this symptom recently developed in adulthood. Death of your previous female with same symptom also suggests disease. Spinal deformity by itself doesn't usually kill fish (as long as they can still get around well enough to eat).

 

[Duffmanj]

It was quite unfortunate timing with my previous female as she'd been nipped by the male too (no sign of that in the current situation, if anything its always been the other way around!) And she developed an infection and died. Would her tankmates not be showing signs too if it was an infection? I can see no other outward signs and she still eats well. Am reluctant to try and treat with meds if I don't know what it is.

 

[gerald]

There are many diseases (Mycobacterium being one of the commonest ones) that fish can live with for months or years before showing any obvious symptoms. Quarantine for new fish is a good idea, but it doesn't always work against all diseases. Some infectious "bugs" can remain inactive in a fish's organs for years until some other stress (or age) lowers the fish's immunity, then it can grow and spread. Certain slow-progressing diseases often show up in just one or a few fish at a time, and Apistos for some reason are often the most sensitive.

 

[Duffmanj]

Thanks for the info. So, what would be your suggested next step?

 

[Duffmanj]

This is the kind of thing I was thinking

http://www.apistogramma.com/forum/threads/kinked-spine.875/