My Lionhead headstands when he stops swimming.

[soupmonster 59]

Test Results for the Following:

Tank/Tap

• * Ammonia Level: A little less than .25 / .50
  
• * Nitrite Level: 0 /0
  
• * Nitrate level: 0 (or close to zero?) /0
  Other Required Info:
• * Brand of test-kit used and whether strips or drops? API master drop kit
  
• * What is the name and "size of the filter"(s)? Fluval C4 on lowest flow
  
• * What kind of water additives or conditioners? Just Prime
  
• * Water temperature? 66F
  
• * How often do you change the water and how much? It's been less than a week with my new fish, so I haven't done so because I want to give those seeded BB's something to eat. I plan on doing 20% weekly.
  

• * How many days ago was the last water change and how much did you change? He had 100% new water 4 days ago.
  
• * Tank size (how many gals.) and how long has it been running?20gal 4 full days
  
• * How many fish in the tank and their size? Just the lionhead baby
  
• * What do you feed your fish and how often? 2 days prior to setting up the tank I fed him a little SG while he was in a bucket, but I saw him headstand after so I fed him a pea the next day just in case. The 4 days in his tank, his diet has been just roots from the water lettuce i brought over from the main tank.
  
• * Any new fish added to the tank?No
  
• * Any medications added to the tank?No
  
• * Any unusual findings on the fish such as "grains of salt," bloody streaks, frayed fins or fungus? No
  

I got a new fish. A lionhead the size of a quarter, with his own 20gal tank and filter (seeded from main tank). However, since day 1 in his solo tank, he has been headstanding. I'm wondering if it is his genetics because he is so small and young and short-bodied... or if this might be curable.

For the last four days he has only been eating water lettuce roots that I brought from the bigger tank and pooping regularly as far as I can tell.

Here is a video

Picture of him sitting still:

http://i50.tinypic.com/2m7u2v6.jpg

[Gcourtney 854]

Hope he does better it might just be that the tank is cycling , and he is in a new environment . Maybe a mod might know better

[dnalex 13,633]

Was he headstanding at the LFS? Sometimes water quality issues can cause this to happen, and the best thing to do is to nurse him back with extremely good water.

He also seems to have a really tight/big belly. What does his poop look like?

[soupmonster 59]

Gustave - I really hope he gets better soon with water quality. Thanks for checking my thread, Gustave.

Alex - He looked like a clumsy swimmer at the fish store, like he was always swimming upstream. I assumed the filter was too much for him in a small petstore tank. I never saw him do a real headstand, but maybe you're onto something... he already had previous issues that I didn't notice.

Actually yes, he does have a round stomach... does it mean something? He doesn't have any raised scales and his stomache is definitely the same size on both sides.

Here's a picture of his poo. The poo color is a dark green. I chased him all around for these shots:

http://i47.tinypic.com/105y5bl.jpg

http://i48.tinypic.com/fl9i13.jpg

[dnalex 13,633]

For now, I 'd like for you to do daily WCs of about 50%, or every other day, and just let him recover on his own. I am just thinking that he came from water with really bad quality, and just needs time to get over it.

[soupmonster 59]

For now, I 'd like for you to do daily WCs of about 50%, or every other day, and just let him recover on his own. I am just thinking that he came from water with really bad quality, and just needs time to get over it.

Okay. Will do.

I'm sure you've seen lots of similar goldfish cases... how often have you heard of headstanders recovering? or heard of goldfish that end up headstanding long term?

[dnalex 13,633]

Headstanding can come from a number of causes, including water quality issues, frontal kidney damage/infection, or even spawning. So, it's hard to say, but the first thing that we need to do is to let him de-stress in QT and go from there.

[soupmonster 59]

Okay. How long do you think I should keep this up? I don't really notice any improvement so far. I'm still letting him eat water lettuce to his own judgement. I haven't been feeding him anything else. Is that ok?

[dnalex 13,633]

You can feed other things.

I have to warn you that he may not ever improve, if the damage is irreversible.