Question: Larvae floating

[Cif]

Hi all,

I sold some of my larvae and now one new owner e-mailed me with a question on which I don't know the answer. So, may be you guys can help us out.

She bought two larvae from me. They both are eating well, but one floats a lot, has his gills on one side not 'up', but hanging and lies on his side most of the time. They are about 4cm.

I suggested to change more times a day or put an air pump in it (they are used to an air pump in my aquarium). But the things are contradictory: adults floats when they got to much air, but they will sink over time. This one doesn't. So I'm not really sure what's wrong.

Some of you guys now?

 

[Skilly]

Floating can be caused by the axie not getting enough food, swallowing a pebble, and also by not having a cycled tank and high ammonia.

Ask her what substrate her axies are on and what her ammonia and nitrate, nitrite levels are. I bet it has something to do with this.

 

[Cif]

One of mine is lying on his side now too, but not floating. We both have them in a tank without pebble's, they're eating fine and we both do a daily water change. So, I don't think it's one of the things you are saying now.

If I gently poke the side-larvae, he swim away fine... he also lays only on one side (the left). You can clearly see that he eats fine. So it doens't seem to hinder the larvae.

 

[MereB]

I had a few do this, they had air bubbles in their bellies which in the light ones you could clearly see but once they passed the bubble they were just fine again. They were always well fed and ate just fine regardless of their poor balance and floating. Hopefully it's something nice and simple that will resolve itself since you say there is no chance they have ingested anything that could get stuck.

 

[Cif]

I called a vet about this and he said it could be an airbubble, as you said, but also many other things like problems in the stomach or so. It should correct itself or they die... So, i hope on the last part.