What is this behavior and how can I help?

[Lyss]

So today my blenny ate and afterwards is behaving this way — see video below. Is he constipated? Something else? What can I do?

He’s in distress but no stress stripes. He’ll just swim to his “bathroom” corner, and down to the bottom of the tank where he rests in the zoas, and then does this weird body flip, rests again, then does the whole thing on repeat. I’ve never seen this behavior before, but I have seen him hang in his bathroom corner for a bit before he’s able to go. I’ve also previously seen him flick his belly on the rocks in what appears to be a behavior to help himself go — he’ll then go right after.

All other fish, and inverts, are behaving normally.

Edit: also I’m not in emergency mode b/c I’ve had a few false alarms w/this fish. He’s a sensitive little guy, but I’ve come to learn that so far the sky is never falling if he acts like it is. But this is a weird different thing, and he looks uncomfortable.

 

[blaxsun]

The rolling over is a new one.

 

[vetteguy53081]

So today my blenny ate and afterwards is behaving this way — see video below. Is he constipated? Something else? What can I do?

He’s in distress but no stress stripes. He’ll just swim to his “bathroom” corner, and down to the bottom of the tank where he rests in the zoas, and then does this weird body flip, rests again, then does the whole thing on repeat. I’ve never seen this behavior before, but I have seen him hang in his bathroom corner for a bit before he’s able to go. I’ve also previously seen him flick his belly on the rocks in what appears to be a behavior to help himself go — he’ll then go right after.

All other fish, and inverts, are behaving normally.

I dont see the behavior as abnormal however when it returns to its little spot, there are signs of buoyancy issue which suggest possible internal issue. If its eating, you can boil a couple of frozen peas and allow to cool then take the meat out and feed to the blenny.
With buoyancy, struggling to maintain a normal swimming position is relevant to swim bladder infection or similar iternal issue/symptom.
If severe buoyancy problems exist, the fish may not be able to feed normally or even reach the surface of the water. This disorder is sometimes caused by compression of the swim bladder, which may involve a distended stomach from rapidly eating, overeating, constipation, or gulping air, which is thought to occur with floating foods. Eating freeze-dried or dry flake food that expands when it becomes wet can also lead to an enlarged stomach or intestinal tract.
Other causes are :

• Trauma/Injury
• Bacterial infection
• Parasitic infection
• Stress/rapidly changing water parameters
• Poor water quality

Water change(s) may help and antibiotic should also help. If issue persists, Kanamyacin or neomyacyn should help greatly and best done in a quarantine tank

 

[Lyss]

The rolling over is a new one.

Right?? I’m like what is this now.

 

[Lyss]

I dont see the behavior as abnormal however when it returns to its little spot, there are signs of buoyancy issue which suggest possible internal issue. If its eating, you can boil a couple of frozen peas and allow to cool then take the meat out and feed to the blenny.
With buoyancy, struggling to maintain a normal swimming position is relevant to swim bladder infection or similar iternal issue/symptom.
If severe buoyancy problems exist, the fish may not be able to feed normally or even reach the surface of the water. This disorder is sometimes caused by compression of the swim bladder, which may involve a distended stomach from rapidly eating, overeating, constipation, or gulping air, which is thought to occur with floating foods. Eating freeze-dried or dry flake food that expands when it becomes wet can also lead to an enlarged stomach or intestinal tract.
Other causes are :

• Trauma/Injury
• Bacterial infection
• Parasitic infection
• Stress/rapidly changing water parameters
• Poor water quality

Water change(s) may help and antibiotic should also help. If issue persists, Kanamyacin or neomyacyn should help greatly and best done in a quarantine tank

Thanks for this! I suspect overeating and eating too rapidly given what I’ve observed per usual but especially since yesterday.

The tank gets easy masstick and a little mix of reef nutrition roe and pac pods. He eats constantly.

Edit: I’m also observing more and it almost appears the rolling is a thing he’s consciously doing, perhaps for some form of relief. IDK.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thanks for this! I suspect overeating and eating too rapidly given what I’ve observed per usual but especially since yesterday.

The tank gets easy masstick and a little mix of reef nutrition roe and pac pods. He eats constantly.

Edit: I’m also observing more and it almost appears the rolling is a thing he’s consciously doing, perhaps for some form of relief. IDK.

They do feed aggressively to the point which it looks like they just cant get enough.

 

[blaxsun]

Right?? I’m like what is this now.

My blenny hardly leaves his barnacle. He's taken this whole COVID lockdown thing just a tad too far...

 

[Lyss]

He’s just hiding in the zoas now and looks distressed but still no stress stripes or discoloring. I’m going to let him be for now and see if he calms himself down.

LOLOLOLOL and just as I finished typing that he is up and back to pecking at the rocks. I’m betting he’s constipated, so I’ll keep an eye on him and try to limit feeding some for now.

 

[blaxsun]

Lol, what's the Ex-Lax equivalent for fish again?

 

[Lyss]

Lol, what's the Ex-Lax equivalent for fish again?

This fish is going down in history as the weirdest martian I’ve ever had. The only reason I posted this was b/c of the rolling, b/c that looked very not right. But he’s weird and hypersensitive, and I usually have to stop myself from posting and ask myself if it’s really a thing or just him being a hypersensitive weirdo.

Less food, and I’ve got my eye on him today, but he seems just fine again now. Hopefully it’s nothing worth worrying too much about and just another of his quirks.

 

[Lyss]

Okay, so it does appear he was constipated. He finally went, and took a while to pass it all (lol). I guess file the rolling behavior under quirky reactions to stomach issues — he hasn’t done that since, and he did look to be doing it voluntarily. I’ll have to monitor how much I’m feeding a bit better I suppose.