whats goin on with my fish?

Question

its just swiming in curcles and its fat... is it dying.. tiger barbs..i just feed them not a lot and all my other biger barbs are okay!

I feed my fish blood worms,Brine shrimp,tetramin tropical flakes, and some veggies.
my PH is 7.6
my ammonia is oppm
my high ph is 7.4
my nitrite is .25

my tank is 36 gal. and the temp. is always at 78.0

Answer 1

Based on the information you have imparted, there is no way to say it has dropsy or the begining of dropsy. Swimming in circles sounds more like a bloat or swim baldder problem not dropsy. It is also possiable that your fish is with eggs. Do you know if it is a female or not? Are the other fish bothering it at all?

Firstly I would feed your fish greens. Any green veggie will do and it doesn't have to be boiled or cooked or peeled in any way. Small pieces enough to fit in their mouths. Don't worry this won't hurt your fish in any way. See if this clears him up first You then may want to go to a medicated fish food.

If for some reason you see his scales lifting I would remove him frm the tank. Dropsy isn't a disease but a condition caused from poor water quality. however it doesn't sound like dropsy to me.

Answer 2

I agree with FIVESPEED 302. If your nitrite is at that level then your ammonia level Will probably be Higher. Ammonia is the MOST deadly chemical in the cycle. The order of the cycle is as follows, it is also the order of toxicity, the first is the worst and so on. Ammonia turns into nitrite which is turned into nitrate. I would recommend that you follow fivespeeds advice then get AT LEAST an ammonia test kit and a nitrate test kit.
Why?
Ammonia is the first to appear(fish pee it out and so do you and I). You can monitor and catch a problem early with this test. Depending on your bacteria colony condition, filters, and number of fish test approximately weekly, daily if there is cause.
A nitrate test is also important because ammonia turns into nitrite which turns into nitrate. Nitrate does not turn into anything. It slowly builds up until it reaches a poisonous level for your fish. This is why changing your water regularly is so important.
Remember that everything in a tank is related. As your knowledge grows you will be able to accurately know what a problem is sometimes with one test or even by sight. Fish are amazingly strong animals yet at the same time they are weak. Small changes will affect them greatly. Bad chemicals weaken their body's and make them susceptible to disease.

I have been doing this for almost 20 years, with many tanks and a few hard to care for species.

Answer 3

Temperature has nothing to do with your problem. That is a horrible suggestion. Your fish has dropsy. Do like the others said, have your water tested. I bet ammonia, nitrite, and/or nitrate is very high. Get a siphon, clean your tank once a week, taking out 25-50% of the water, and you will notice that your fish aren't dying any more. The fish that already has the dropsy is probably a goner.

Answer 4

you should first start off by checking your water for any in perfections . start right at your kitchen sink first. check your water , if you use it in your tank. then check the water in the tank . you can buy the materials at any pet store. you can even take a clean plastic baggie with at least 1/4 of the water from the tank to a pet store and they can check your ph levels for you . Does the fish have any white spots or discolorisations on it? If it does you will want to remove it from the tank ASAP it could have whats called Ick. which is treatable but can kill the fishes that are with it .good luck on your friend.

Answer 5

Well how much have you've been feeding it is it more than 1 once a day that's why . Or mabe the type of fish food pond flakers is the best the brand is wardley.To make sure you're not feeding it to much get a measering cup and fill it 1 once

Answer 6

Intestinal parasites possibly.

Change 50% of the water and put in some ParasiteClear if you want him to have a chance. Also, what are the pH, ammonia, and nitrites?

Answer 7

i don't know that much about taking care of barbs, but it's probably how it's eating. the same happened with my sister's goldifsh. goldfish and tiger barbs are classified the minnow family anyway...
if it's eating too much, the head will point downwards. besides, what are you feeding it anyway?

they eat much like humans do. they are omnivores. they say that some boiled vegetables are good. (e.g. cucumber, zucchini, broccoli) along with some brine shrimp, blood worms, and flake foods as a dietary supplement

Answer 8

If it's really fat and the scales on it's sides and belly are sticking our then it has dropsy. Once it gets bad enough to affect the way the fish is swimming there is very, very little chance you can save him even with the very best medications and care.

MM

Answer 9

Thants normal! Some fish do that!

Answer 10

maybe the tank is too small or the temp. in the water isnt rite