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Zebra pleco for sale12/17/2023 Newton suggests the following factors as some of the most common causes of fish shimmies: If your fish start swimming erratically, it’s time to break out your aquarium water test kit.ĭr. When it occurs outside of breeding rituals or lasts more than a few seconds at a time, however, it is more likely to be shimmies-particularly when it is accompanied by other changes in behavior.īehavioral changes are often an early warning sign of a developing problem in the aquarium. Shaking is a natural courtship behavior for many aquarium fish, particularly cichlids. Shimmies can be an indication of this process. Over time, chronic stress can tax the nervous system and cause the fish’s body to break down. Keeping aquarium fish in water conditions that aren’t ideal for their species or that differ significantly from the conditions in which they were originally raised can cause severe stress. In the home aquarium, however, these fish are frequently kept in freshwater. Fancy mollies, for example, are typically bred overseas in brackish conditions where both the pH and general hardness (GH) levels of the seawater are high. Some experts suggest certain livebearers are predisposed to shimmies due to the way they’re bred and raised. Livebearing tropical fish like mollies, platies, swordtails, and guppies are especially prone to shimmies, while other species like platies and swordtails may also be affected. There are, however, some fish who appear to be genetically predisposed. For example, fish who are stressed by high ammonia levels may also exhibit red streaks on the body and gills or cloudy eyes.īecause shimmying is a neurological response to stress, any fish can develop shimmies. clamped fins (aka holding their fins closer to their body than usual)Ĭhanges to the fish’s physical appearance may also occur, but these can vary depending on the underlying cause of the shimmies.You may notice other behavioral changes such as: Shimmying is an indication that the fish’s nervous system has been compromised. Affected fish may shake, twitch or rock their body for short periods of time and otherwise swim normally. This behavior may not be immediately noticeable in active species, like tetras, and it may come and go. Mollie Newton, DVM, in Columbus, Ohio, says shimmies are characterized by shaky swimming. Fish shimmies are a symptom rather than a disease.
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