Tiger Barb Has Become Super Fat Over Night And Can't Swim Well?

[SecretlyaZombie]

Last night i'm pretty sure Creep the tiger barb was fine but this morning she looks huge and swimming very oddly. She can't swim fast and she seems to be angled downwards, (not sure if she's trying to keep herself from floating?) She trys to keep up with the other barbs though. Could it be swim bladder or something else?

She looks as though she's exploding from the back and I have noticed one of the other barbs picking at it. Should I move her to her own tank or would this stress her?

She's still very much interested in food, well she is a tiger barb...

A few more photos...

My first thought was that she had eaten the pleco's food but I doubt that now..

Is there anything I can try doing??

Thanks for any help!

 

[Tizer]

you could leave off the food for a week, it really wont do any harm to your fish if they dont eat for this period of time. Sounds like you know a fair bit about barbs and their greedy nature, so that would be my advice.

 

[This Old Spouse]

Try feeding some cooked and deshelled peas. She looks a bit constipated and the peas would help.

 

[onidrase]

Tiger barbs are greedy and love to eat, it might have just ate a bit too much, as suggested. Try not to feed them too much, they may devour their food super quickly like they haven't eaten in months, but that's totally normal. They do that no matter how much food you give them.

 

[This Old Spouse]

+1

I call mine the little pirhanas. They really do act like they're starving, but just like any fish you need to feed them just a pinch. I do feed mine twice a day with a tiny treat before bed, but I learned after the first few days of having them that they're PIGS!

 

[KISSfn]

Before I knew better I overfed my Barbs and they acted and looked stuffed. Excellent photos by the way.

 

[SecretlyaZombie]

Thank you for all your replies, looked at the tank this morning and he looked normal and well! I was worried I'd find him floating so that was a nice suprise.. I'm going to try and cut down on the feeding anyway. But the tanks right by my bedroom door and their 'starving' little faces are always watching me when I walk pass!

try saying no to this face!

Could I try the cooked, deshelled peas anyway? I'd like to give them something new.

 

[This Old Spouse]

I usually give mine the peas about once a week. It's not any kind of food substitute, just helps with their digestion.

I also give mine a daily treat of freeze dried bloodworms, which they love.

That face is the same one I see multiplied by 14!