A Number Of Beginner Questions/problems...

[CFC]

Thats not a tinfoil barb, i dont know what it is but it looks like some kind of selectively bred mutant much like balloon mollies

This is a tinfoil barb

 

[msing]

Well I was told it was a "longfin tinfoil"... I think. At any rate I assume it's some kind of barb closely related to the golden/rosy/odessa given the spot on its tail (which appears on the fish of those breeds that I've seen). So I know it's not a regular tinfoil anyway I guess. Can you tell me something about its health?

 

[rabbut]

Definately not a tin foil....but unsure asto what exactly it is. A mutant is posible, or also swelling of internal organs. I'm not aware of treatments for either. Can't realy see much of the tiger barbs aliment on the lip, but possible a fungus of some sort. Is it like a cotton wool growth?
The corry doesn't look its best, but this may just be due to the salt, since it is perking up now you are removing that...I don't think treatment for him/her is needed.

The loach is some type of botia. Botia Kubotia or Botia Striata if my memory serves me correctly. The spelling may be off though....

HTH
Rabbut

 

[msing]

Well the longfin barb (whatever it really is) has only gotten that fat in the past couple of weeks, before that it looked (as far as body-shape) just like the other barb. Are eggs even a possibility? The thing is, if it's a giant belly of fungus/parasites/infections, I'm going to want to move that barb into its own tank ASAP.

The tiger's nose doesn't look like cotton wool. It was originally just a small bump, the same color as the rest of his nose, but now the end of the bump seems to have kind of "erupted" into what looks like an open sore that's kind of pinkish in the worst spot.

 

[msing]

It took a lot of patience and a couple sore arms from holding the camera nonstop, but here is a collage of views of the tiger barb. Again, he acts normal, but this sore doesn't look very good, and I don't know if there's anything I can do to help heal it, or at least try to disinfect it. BTW, I'm making this picture (and my previous ones) just a link and not embedded pictures to save us all some bandwidth.

http/www.mattseng.com/personal/images/pe...enose/combo.jpg

Also BTW rabbut, good eye on the loach pic, according to the pictures at loaches.com its definitely either a botia kubotai or botia histrionica, which look almost identical as juveniles... botia striata is a zebra though. I guess I'll have to wait to see which one I have ;]