Tiger Barb Problem! Help!

[Jenste]

I have a shoal of 12 tiger barbs.....well 11 now - I died last night. I have not noticed anything odd in their behavior or eating habits, but upon closer examination I noticed what almost looks like teeeeeny white "bubbles" on a couple of their tails.....

what is this?
I tried taking a picture but you can't notice anything...


is this fresh water ich?!

I thought that Ich didnt really thrive in high temps.....my tank is currently at 81*F

 

[KittyKat]

Ich is white spots, not gas bubbles.. what you might have is "gas bubble disease". Did you do a very large water change or use cold water for a water change recently? If it is gas bubble disease, add an air stone to the tank and switch the lights off.. gas in the blood stream (which you obviously won't be able to see) can potentially cause death.

 

[Jenste]

would gas bubble disease result in tiny bubbley things on the outside of their tails?
and I haven't done any larger or a water change than usual and I let the water sit for 24 hours in the same room before hand with a heater to get it up to the right temp....

 

[KittyKat]

would gas bubble disease result in tiny bubbley things on the outside of their tails?
and I haven't done any larger or a water change than usual and I let the water sit for 24 hours in the same room before hand with a heater to get it up to the right temp....

It could result in that, yes.

Ok, describe your normal maintenance please.. including frequency and quantity.

 

[Jenste]

ok it is a 35 gallon tank, the tiger barbs share it with a juvenile blood parrot cichlid.

every 3 days I do a 10% water change, siphoning up debree from the sand bed, and replacing it with water I have set out the night before with decholrinator and a heater. There is also a thermometer in the bucket to make sure it is within 3 degrees Farenheit of the tank water before I add it....I have done it this way for years, with or with out the heater depending on the tanks needs.

I have only had the tiger barbs about three weeks and have added them to this tank less than a week ago...(they were quarantined in another tank and I slowly raised the temp over two weeks to match the temp they are now in for the blood parrot.



help? I just came home from work and I haven't lost any more, and they all eagerly ate their dinners but two of the eleven barbs still have the things on their tails...

 

[KittyKat]

Hmm, odd then. Try a general anti-bacterial treatment/conditioner/*something like that*, I normally use eSHa 2000. It could potentially be a virus, but unusual in tropical fish (usually seen in coldwater fish, eg goldfish). If it is viral, then it is probably highly contagious and extremely difficult to cure.