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 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
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 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