Hello,
I know the rules about posting the water parameters, but I was running over an hour late this morning and I check on my fish right before I ran out the door. I wanted to go ahead an post what is going on to see if I can get help before I go home later. When I do get home, I will do a test strip and post the water peram asap.
Okay – Last night when I turned the light on in the tank, I couldn’t see my Black Moore (Louie). When I looked closer he was at the back of the tank with one of his back tail fins stuck in the intake tube! This is surprising to me because he is a good size Black More and has always been healthy. AND I have the entire intake tube covered with the stuff that holds the carbon for the filter. I have that stuff wrapped around the tube held on with a rubber band, all except for the very last rung or very last slit in the intake tube. So there is only one exposed, and that is the one his tail fin was caught in. Before this he was the most beautiful Black Moore I have ever seen with absolutely beautiful tail fins. Anyway, unplugged the filter and he got free. After that he was scared and went and hit behind a rock for a couple minutes. Then after that he hung around the top of the tank. I tried feeding but he only went after on bits I dropped in at the top, as they sank he didn’t go after them. Anyway, I figured he would be okay, and I went to bed around 12am. This morning I was horrified to see that he is bent in half!!!!! I know this isn’t the right terminology, but his “torso” part of the body is bent to the right. He can’t seem to straighten out. So before I left I put him in a pitcher filled with tank water and some of the plants at the top and hung it on the inside of the tank. I wanted him to be in a more confined area to help de-stress him. And to keep the other fish from picking on him. Now I’m at work and freaking out! We have mandatory meetings other wise I would be at home.
Tank Info
I have had the tank for about 10 months. I do water changes every week. I do water tests every other week, they are always normal.
I have had Louie for about 5 months.

Please let me know if you have heard about the bent in half thing or not, or if there is anything I can do to help him?

Thanks! Emily

I'm sorry, I just read your post and do not want you to feel like theres no one out here. I am not experienced enough to help. I think taking him out of the tank was a good thing though. Hopefully someone will write in soon with help.

Good Luck.

Morten 33, I did some research and I discovered that this problem can actually be caused when an outdoor pond is struck by lightning and the electrical charge surges violently but briefly through the water. Koi owners have reported the exact symptoms you have. My question is, is there any kind of electric wires that could have touched Louie in any way?

The only other time I have heard of these symptoms is with diet deficencies with Mollies or Guppies. The problem can be solved by feeding freeze-dried bloodworms.

Is there any way he could've been shocked through an electircal current conducted through your filter?

Check out the post below your one entitled "Comet is Bent"...sounds similar to your problem.....May be of some help.
Fingers crossed for the little guy.

No, I don’t think there is no way anything electrical could have come in contact with the tank or Louie. Unless an electrical charge can come threw the filter down threw the water to the intake tube. And i would think if that had happened, i would see some signs of damage somewhere, and I don't. I did get the water testes and here are the readings.

I checked out the other post, but I never saw anything about the fish that was bent. I saw the pictures of it, but they kept talking about the other one that had zits or something. I am going to ask them on that post if they found out what was wrong with the bent one. If anyone else figures something out please let me know. I am attaching two pictures of Louie. One that I took a week ago, and one I took a few minutes ago. I tried putting some food into the "hospital tank" I have him in, but he's not interested in eating poor thing. I feel so bad for him and don't know if I can do something for him, or if he's in pain? If I knew if he was in pain then I would euthanize him. Please let me know if anyone knows what I should do?
Thank you for everyone’s help.
Emily

Well Poor Louie has passed on to fishy heaven over night. His color lightened and the fins were almost to nothing by this morning. They were tattered and in little strands all over the bottom of the "hospital tank". Anyway, thanks for the help.

em

That's an absolute shame. I'm so sorry to hear that. X

I'm so so sorry. I did some more reading/researching and topics concering Louie's situation just weren't out there. Koko might know about this but I've been hard pressed to find anything on it other than what i already found out.

Emily I am sorry to hear he passed. Unfortunetly I don't think there was much you could've done. IT is hard to tell what could've been going on with him. I have only heard of a couple times that fish were bent in half. Electrical shock could've been a cause but I am sure they are others.
Especially if he got stuck to the intake tube, sometimes that can have perminant damage.
Feel better soon.

I'm so sorry!

Sorry to hear about Louie. He was such a beautiful fish

I'm sorry about Louie-I've noticed when fish are stucj to the intake tube their bent so maybe that was it?
I hope you feel better,she was beautiful

I'm so sorry he didn't make it. He was such a beautiful fish. I hope you feel better soon.

So sorry to hear about your fish. You did all you could.

I found reference that distorted body shape due to curvature of the spine is due to sporozoa, no suitable treatment known.

A month or so ago I lost 2 fish, a week apart, from similar symptoms, they were bent into a C shape. They did not respond to a broad spectrum medication but the other fish in the same tank have not been effected.