whats wrong with my cardinal?

[CT_]

I've had this tetra about a year now and it has always had a kind of sunken belly.  but lately its been swimming "up" like its trying not to sink.  The flow in this part of the tank in minimal so he's not fighting that.  I also noticed that its adipose fin as kind of white.  2-3 others (out of ten) also have that white spot but otherwise look healthy. 

 

Here's a video of the fish swimming

https://streamable.com/b6in3k

 

[nabokovfan87]

On 3/3/2023 at 8:34 PM, CT_ said:

Here's a video of the fish swimming

https://streamable.com/b6in3k

It looks like a bit of spinal damage to me.  The body is bent.

[CT_]

 

On 3/3/2023 at 9:02 PM, nabokovfan87 said:

It looks like a bit of spinal damage to me.  The body is bent.

yeah okay I was wondering about that too.  I think the spine bend may have always been there and is why its always looked sunken on the stomach too.  If its deformed then I assume that could cause a bad swim bladder too 😕

[nabokovfan87]

On 3/3/2023 at 9:58 PM, CT_ said:

yeah okay I was wondering about that too.  I think the spine bend may have always been there and is why its always looked sunken on the stomach too.  If its deformed then I assume that could cause a bad swim bladder too 😕

I don't know that the fish has any other issues beyond the spine injury.  It could explain the erratic swimming and lethargy. Especially in a higher flow tank with a deformed fish, it's just struggling a little bit.