Harlequin Rasboras - Full of eggs, or parasites?

[totalnoob]

Hi everyone.

I have 6 harlequin rasboras in a 20g tank (they are in with 5 corys and 2 otos), and I have noticed over the last couple of days some of them look really fat and bloated. One of them is REALLY bloated and swims sort of..off kilter? It's still active and darts around with the others. However, I noticed that during feeding time last night and tonight it didn't eat. Just swam around like it was trying to chase food but didn't actually get any (and didn't try either). It also sort of looks like there's something fuzzy on its anal fin? But they are so fast it's hard for me to tell whether it's the light or my eyes playing tricks or there's something there.

I did a 25-30% water change on Sunday, and my water parameters right now are as follows:

pH: 7.4
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 10 ppm
Temperature: 77F

I have noticed that a number of them keep flipping upside down and rubbing the bottom of some of my silk plant leaves with their bellies. They are also doing the same on top of the plant leaves, only they are not upside down. As I understand it, this is mating behavior (and is probably why my poor oto is sulking, as that is HIS plant)...However, the fat swollen fish is not the one flipping upside down or going on top of the plant leaves. So I am not sure what is going on. I have been watching them for about a half hour now and the bloated one has not gone by the plant. It just swims around the plant in circles, or swims alongside the others that aren't busy being upside down on the plant.

I was also slightly worried that rubbing against the leaves (for the ones that aren't upside down, but are just rubbing their bellies along the top of the plant leaves) might be cause for worry, since fish can rub stuff when they are uncomfortable/have parasites?

I tried to get a picture of the fat one, but they are fast little suckers. So I apologize for the relatively lousy pictures. I tried to get pictures of them doing whatever they're doing on the leaves but they stop when I get too close so I've had to just sit at my desk and watch them from across the room. Little buggers.

Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[trennamw]

I've had rasboras for over a year and some are always gravid. Bellies look lumpy but very shiny and yeah they swim off kilter.

The rubbing on plants and fuzz aren't normal however.

My danios rub on plants a lot but the rasboras don't.

That does look to me like a normal gravid rasbora.


Sent from my iPhone with three hands tied behind my back.

 

[Dallascowboys16]

The large fish look very gravid. Any spawning behavior really?

 

[totalnoob]

The large fish look very gravid. Any spawning behavior really?

I have noticed that some of the others are flipping upside down and putting their bellies on the undersides of my fake plant leaves, which I have read is spawning behavior.

I haven't seen this particular rasbora displaying any of that behavior, however two or three others are doing the flippy on the leaf thing. They are also displaying the same behavior but on the top sides of leaves and right side up.

I have watched some videos of spawning behavior, and the only similarity is the upside down on the leaf behavior. I have not seen any of them pair up or swim belly to belly or anything. =\

I guess I'll just keep an eye on them?

 

[Matt68005]

Were the white patches on their body there before? Sorry i don't know much about rasboras, but they may have a bacterial infection if those white spots are skin lesions.

 

[totalnoob]

Were the white patches on their body there before? Sorry i don't know much about rasboras, but they may have a bacterial infection if those white spots are skin lesions.

There aren't any white patches, just what looked like a maybe (I can't really tell) fuzzy edge on one of the fins on the fat fish. But they move so quickly I honestly couldn't tell if it was the light or if it was fuzz. I watched them more last night and didn't see anything? So now I have no idea.