# Please help, peacock swimming upside down, any hope?



## CITADELGRAD87

My 24 hour new peacock had a rough first night, so I put him in a grow out tank to get him away from the main tank stress. He's been in there all day, but now he is swimming upside down, well, he swims to the bottom and sits there.

I righted him in my net, but he went right back.

My wife says I am being cruel, I've never had one give up like this and snap out of it.

What should I do?

Edit details, main tank is an established 50G with 5 medium sized cichlids in it, the bigegst is a 4-5 inch frontosa that has recently become agressive, turning on another peacock about one week ago after I had to move the tank and re set it because of a non fish plumbing issue. The other peacock seemed very high strung, and had periods of stress which I didn't think he would make it through. After the move stress and the front picking on him, he apparently dies of stress. All other fish are healthy,m even beautiful, ;s a Front, an electric yellow, a smaller peacock that just started showing his colr, and two smaller fish. No ammonia, no algea bloom, no sunlight, it's got a functioning chiller so no temp swings, I chalked up the lost fish to the stress of the move and the newly agressive front being too much for him./

The new guy was very colorful, displyed and ate when I put him in the main tank, but the front went straight for him, chasing really, so I turned off the light as it was bedtime for man and fish, and I heard that can help. This am, about 8 hours after putting him in, he was washed out and lethargic, looked like a different fish. I netted him and put him in a juvie grow out tank to get him away from the stress, and he swam and ate a bit. 10G, but it's all I have right now.

Tonight, he's upside down on the bottom, barely moving. When I net him, he weakly struggles, and when I free him, he swims to the bottom and literally is perfectly upside down, barely moving.

Should I net him and euthanize him? I've never had one thos far gone snap back, it's like a switch goes off and they are done.

What do you think?


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## k19smith

I would just leave him be in the dark and wait, I wouldn't bother him at all. Sounds like he won't make it but I'm one to give them a chance but that's just me.


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## DJRansome

I just had a mbuna that was beat up in my tank recover just from being isolated in clean water. He was swimming upside-down when I left two days ago.


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## koslonc

I also recently had a Lemon Jake peacock who was beat up, and swimming upside down. I subsequently moved him to a small tank by himself. After about 3 or 4 days, he started to improve. I kept him there for about a month to let him fully recover. He is now back in the main tank and doing as good as ever. I would continue what you are doing and give him a chance to recover.

BTW, here is a recent pic of him now, after the ordeal.


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## CITADELGRAD87

Update, thanks, all, he died last night. Really sad, he was in spectacular shape, 24H later he's gone.

Again, it seems like they are either having an event like a stroke, or they just give up.

I wish I could make this a learning experience.


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## runawaypencil

Alright I had a red zebra and a yellow tail acei which were both holding as i have done many times I seperated from the main tank and put them both in the same 29g after some time week or so its time to strip (they babies are fully developed and free swimming) So i stripped them and put them back in the 29gallon tank to rest. As i normally do I feed them 3 times a day for the next 48 hours, But after the first 24hrs the yellow tail acei was no longer eating. The next morning the red zebra seemed to be picking on the acei 36hrs. So I put the zebra back in the main tank as she seemed to be doing well. now that I'm home again 48hours the acei is unable to hold her self up right. She slowly spins belly side up and then fights to correct her self. She does manage to correct her self but slowly flips back over,

ammonia 0 
nitrate 17-20ppm
Temp 80
7.8 no buffs 
and no salt... I am going to add salt right when i get done with this email when i do a small water change maybe 5 gallons to mix the salt with.

Extra info: 6-8 years old and hold once every 3 months like clock work for the past couple years. 
the red zebra about the same age.

Could it have been the aggression from the red zebra, with out the hiding place her being old and extra weak from the abnormally large spawn size 75ish.

Im also going to snap a quick shot of her, I also left the light off all day because she wasnt eating....


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## DJRansome

Mbuna have an 8-year average lifespan. Maybe it's her time?


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