Disorientated Tiger Barb PLEASE HELP

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jonstinton

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Oct 19, 2003
Messages
68
Hi, we've have noticed that one of our 3 tiger barbs, a male one, is looking very skinny and seems to be disorientated.

It swims up to the top of the tank and then simply falls to the bottom when it does it over again. Its only a small tank, 6gal, and there are only 2 male and 1 female barbs in it. They have got on very well in this tank and have seemed to be very happy.

This particular fish, when it is around the pump it almost appears to be sucked into it, like it hasn't got the strength to hold its own weight. Also this evening it got stuck upside down, behind the pump. I had to dislodge the pump to get it to swim out.

I have noticed that the water feels slightly colder than usual, but the themometer is at the normal level, approx 25C.

Done the usual tests:
Nitrite - clear
Nitrate - slightly pink
Ammonia - clear
pH - 4.5 which is very abnormal.

Have since changed 60% of the water and made the water slightly warmer, and have put the poorly barb :cry: in a nursery tank as we do not have a 'hospital' available.

Can anyone please help us. We are desperately worried as it has come on so quickly. Can it be simply the acidity and will the fish get better having done such a large change, or can it be something else? We do not have realy plants in there as it was very tricky to maintain them in such a small tank so we have plastic plants.

Any help is very much appreciated.

Thank you for reading, i hope you can help us.

BTW For photos of the tank, and the fish (in better times) see my gallery.

Regards,

Jon & Liz
 
Well, having done the 60% ish water change and re-tested the pH level, it is now back to normal at 7.

Although the poorly barb now tends to stand on its tail and then just falls on its side. I do hope that it recovers now the water has been changed by so much.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

Jon&Liz
 
Done the usual tests:
Nitrite - clear
Nitrate - slightly pink
Ammonia - clear
pH - 4.5 which is very abnormal.
Can you give numbers that correspond to the colors?

When is the last time you changed the water? That pH is way too low (I know you know that). Have you added anything to the tank lately?
To keep the guppy away from the filter intake, place a piece of sponge on the intake.
 
Guppy?

Anyway, pH 4.5 is way too low for fish. Probabily you need to get a new pH test kit.
You could also try general antibiotic but if the fish is wasting away then there is not much you can do right now.

HTH
 
Well, i'm very sad to report that the Barb in question died over night :cry:

Somehow, probably in its last gasp, it managed to jump from the nursery tank into the main tank where we found it this morning.

Having done another pH test, its is at 7.5.

The other two Barbs seem to have cheered up and are playful yet again :) But now we are just left with these 2 fish in a six gal tank. Is this too little, do they need more company or will they be ok?


My LFS store this morning said they would be ok, and they the death could of been caused by numerous things, which i knew anyway. The barb lost some colour in its black stripes and had pinkier gills than normal. Also it was quite skinny along its back, maybe from not eating, but it did appear to do this. Couldit just of been a weaker less dominant male, as they have been seen to fight in the past?

Thanks Menagerie for the hint about the spong, I'll get onto that right away.

Thank you for you help peeps, just unfortunate that we lost the fish, of which we are very sad. But on the other hand, we have another tank with 3 adult plattys and pprox 25 fry almsot 2cm in length so they are doing REALLY well.

Thanks again.

Jon & Liz
 
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