Ever seen a cowfish do this?

[Ben jammin]

This afternoon my cowfish started hovering vertically, head down in the corner of my aquarium. See attached pic.

I thought he was just acting silly for a while, but hours later he is still doing it and he didn't come to eat at a all when I fed the other fish. I have read that cowfish can develop buoyancy problems by eating at the surface. I use a turkey baster to feed him below the surface but he still goes after pieces of food that float to the surface.

Does anyone know if this is symptomatic of a buoyancy issue, and if so, how to treat it? My family loves the little guy and we definitely don't want to lose him.

Thanks for any advice...

 

[oscarinw]

When I have seen it in my tank (I don't keep cow fish) it tends to fix itself. What the fish will do is try to expel the excess air by staying at the bottom. when they just float, it's normally a sign of exhaustion and potentially a bad thing.
My forecast, therefore, for you is that he'l come around with time

 

[Ben jammin]

Update: This morning he was swimming normally, but since then he has spent most of the day sitting on the bottom motionless. He doesn't even react when my juv. French angel comes over and picks at him, but he will still swim up to eat when I put algae sheets in the tank or feed. Any ideas what may be the issue? I'm worried about the little guy...

 

[Ben jammin]

That's encouraging. Thanks. I will keep a close eye on him but I think that's about all I can do.

 

[Dalmatia]

It can be a bladder infection

 

[Mtnbikedan01]

Update: This morning he was swimming normally, but since then he has spent most of the day sitting on the bottom motionless. He doesn't even react when my juv. French angel comes over and picks at him, but he will still swim up to eat when I put algae sheets in the tank or feed. Any ideas what may be the issue? I'm worried about the little guy...

Glad he is doing better. I wonder if it is due to stress from the angel picking at him. Fish don't handle stress well.

 

[Ben jammin]

Actually the angel never picked on him before. It is starting to now only because the cowfish is sitting still on the bottom.

 

[Squishie89]

Any recent changes? Are there any signs of being injured or sick?