Tiger Barb. Help?

Question

I just put in 2 tiger barbs into my aquarium on Sunday. The first day the tiger barbs seemed happy as can be. Now the tiger barbs have seperated and have started to grow some kind of weird white stuff on their back fin. It looks as if the end of the back fin is kind of decaying. (It looks as if it is losing its normal shape, but I have not seem any kind of fighting between the fish so I do not think that, that is the problem) The tank is 46 gallons and has all of the proper chemicals added. The tank is heated to around 87-88 degrees and has an external filter system on it. The tank consist of 2 bala sharks, 2 silver dollars, 2 tiger barbs, and 2 fire platys. Oh yeah, one of the fire planties is having the same problem. Can you please help me!?!

one of the fire platys have small whote dots on its fins but no shreading on the fins. I asked somebody but they said they they are just scared. Is that true?

Answer 1

It sounds like a combination of Ick and fin rot. Fin rot is caused by excessive ammonia in the water. Vacuum your gravel with a siphon twice a week until the issue goes away. To cure the Ick, bump your heater up to 83-85 degrees and add 1 cup of uniodized table salt to your tank (for you, 4.5 cups [roughly]). The combination of heat and salt will kill the parasites.

Also, you need to work on your stocking. Balas, Silver Dollars, and Tiger Barbs are schooling fish (they need to be kept in GROUPS of their own species 5+). The Bala Sharks will each get a foot and be hyperactive, so you need to get rid of them (they are not suitable for tanks less than 100 gallons). Get 3 more Silver Dollars and 5 more Tiger Barbs as well. If the Barbs are not kept in a large group, they will become very nippy and go after your Platies and Silver Dollars. Email me if you have any questions.

Soop Nazi

EDIT: The salt will help prevent infection from the fin rot as well as kill Ick.

EDIT 2: "one of the fire platys have small whote dots on its fins but no shreading on the fins." - said by Justin. That is definitely Ick, and it is certainly not true that this occurs when fish are scared.

EDIT 3: The "melting" fins is fin rot, and the white spots are Ick. Using Ick treatment is nice, but medications often wipe out filter media and can affect other things in the tank like plants and inverts.

Answer 2

This doesn't answer your question, but barbs and silver dollars are schooling fish and need at least 6 to thrive. Your tank is big enough for the barbs but 6 silver dollars may be pushing it. Especially with the sharks. The tank is not going to be large enough for the sharks for long!

Answer 3

No, it ISN'T ich. Ich is little white salt-grain-looking spots on a fish.

Sounds like they have fin rot and fungus. Easy to treat. Either quarantine the sick fish in a separate tank (2.5g will do for just those four fish for about a week.) If you decide to keep them in the tank, that's fine.

Add 1 tsp. of salt per gallon of water (in your case 46 teaspoons.) Add some Melafix and TetraCycline according to the instructions.

Also, keep the temp lower--- only 74-80 degrees F.

Answer 4

They have fin and tail rot go pick up some tetracyline and treat according to directions. You will want to do a 50% water change before treating and then follow up with weekly 25% partial water changes to maintain a healthy system.
Do not treat for ick or you will loose your fish. Ick looks like tiny white polka dots a cottony fluffy looking white stuff with the fins shredded is fin rot with a secondary infection. Treat ASAP or you will loose your fish

Answer 5

you may could commerce them in for much less agressive fish- mutually as barbs are nonetheless comunity fish they want to chase one yet another, and 5 galleons would not provide the "victims" plenty room to swim away. you're growing to be to be extra useful success with a small college (3-5) og guppies, neons, mollies, zebra danios or some thing comparable. in case you extremely need to maintain your barbs, attempt is to place some hiding places on your tank- puppy shops sell hollow embellishes with holes for this purpose. In a pinch you may placed some sideways mugs to make "caves" only be helpful there is not any cleansing soap on them.

Answer 6

sounds like fin rot, also barbs are best in groups of 5 or more they are a community fish, they like to be with other barbs , I have 6 barbs and they are doing fine.

Answer 7

Sounds like Ich (Ichthyophthirius multifilis) which is the equivalent of fish lice. Google that and see what you come up with.