Tiger Barb Question...

[dcarmor927]

A few of my tiger barbs have been scraping themselves against some slate i have in the tank...they swim side ways then quickly rub their side against the sharp edge of the rock... Can someone explain this to me?

 

[Corleone]

Sounds like flicking, which is a sign of irritation. It can be from a parasite, or from water quality, or a good few other things. What are your water stats?

 

[Lateral Line]

Got to agree. Flicking is a sign that the fish has somethng irritating it's skin, it has an itch and flicking is it's way of scratching it. It is usually caused by water conditions. It can also indicate the presence of ich or other parasites, but frequently the "it must be a disease" gang will get the medications out when in fact what they really needed was a water change.

 

[dcarmor927]

thanks for the answers, and since you asked Corleone, i have some questions in regard to yours...My water is now between .5 and .25 ppm ammonia and i know .25 is when youre supposed to get some new water in there, but i didnt do a fishless cycle for my tank so how do i go about doing this any help would be amazing, as i dont want my fish to die


also pH is 7.2 Nitrate 0 ppm Nitrate 0 ppm

 

[Lateral Line]

Ammonia is bad. Your bacteria convert ammonia->nitrite->nitrate each being less dangerous then the preceding. You should always aim for 0 ammonia and 0 nitrite, since nitrates are the end result, these accumulate until it is time to do a water change. However you cycle your tank, this is what fishkeeping is about - bacteria.

You need to take some water out, say 20% of it, and put some fresh water in. The water you put in should be treated with a tapwater conditioner to remove any Chlorine or Chloramine, and should be roughly the same temperature as that you took out.

If you are doing a cycle with fish, you will need to do this often as ammonia causes lasting damage to fish. Barbs are very sensitive to pollution, they are very far from a good choice to cycle with. Your shop, or whoever, has not advised you well.

 

[drobbyb]

I agree. Doing a fish in cycle is a little more delicate. It requires lots of testing and lots of water changes. There really aren't any suitable species for this, but if I had to pick one I would use black phantom tetras. You can't kill those things with a hammer. Also during this time do not use any antibacterial medicines at all. This will set you back on your cycle and you have to start over. During this cycle only use 1 fish per 10 gallons of water.

 

[dcarmor927]

You need to take some water out, say 20% of it, and put some fresh water in. The water you put in should be treated with a tapwater conditioner to remove any Chlorine or Chloramine, and should be roughly the same temperature as that you took out.

If you are doing a cycle with fish, you will need to do this often as ammonia causes lasting damage to fish.

what does the latter entail, retardation or something? i was also advised to do 50% percent water changes, is that too much?

 

[Corleone]

Nitrifying bacteria live on surfaces, not freeswimming, so even 100% water changes aren't too much provided the filter is turned off and water is kept in it to keep the media wet, but they create all sorts of logistical problems like disturbing substrate or decor when refilling and what to do with the fish in the interim, so they're generally not advised.

Ammonia damage mainly strikes the gills, and causes potentially permanent damage. Long term exposure to relatively low levels (like insufficient filtration or unfiltered tank) can be just as bad as short term high level exposure (like poorly managed cycles). Fish that have been badly hurt by ammonia generally don't live their full lifetimes, though once water quality is stabilized they will often recover and be happy and healthy for their lives nonetheless. In extreme cases, particularly prolonged exposure, you'll see ammonia burns, which will be black discoloration or spots (some fish, including discus, show black spots simply as a stress response, though).

By retardation do you mean physically slowing down or mentally impaired? Stress related to ammonia can cause fish to become less active. Short term exposure can cause fish to become more active, as their first natural reaction is to move out of the harmful environment. In an aquarium, there's nowhere to go, and eventually more traditional symptoms from flicking to gasping to listlessness will start to show up. If you mean mental impairment, well, stupidity is normal for many fish. With a few exceptions, most of them are pretty dumb animals. Tiger barbs aren't going to show you any great feats of intellect, so it's hard to say if they're any dumber for ammonia damage. I wouldn't worry about it.

From the readings you've posted, you shouldn't be at the point of ruined gills or ammonia burns, and you should be able to keep the cycle in hand from this point forward, which will greatly boost your tiger barbs' chances. You mentioned in your other thread that the flicking has subsided, that's also a very good sign that water quality is looking up from the water changes. Keep water changes up and water stats down until you get reliable 0/0 readings for ammonia and nitrite and I don't think you'll have caused your fish serious lasting harm, particularly comparing to many other beginner experiences.

 

[Jallen]

Mine do this very occasionally, but I haven't had any problems, and they've been in my tank for about 2 months now.

 

[Corleone]

Some people get flicking after water changes or anything that stirs up gravel, it usually goes away in a couple hours.

 

[dcarmor927]

thanks for the help all, i have another question but didnt want to start a new topic, so...i have 6 tiger barbs, 3 green 3 regular, all but 1 are males. the lone female swims alone on the opposite side of the tank from the males, should i get more females for her?

 

[Jallen]

thanks for the help all, i have another question but didnt want to start a new topic, so...i have 6 tiger barbs, 3 green 3 regular, all but 1 are males. the lone female swims alone on the opposite side of the tank from the males, should i get more females for her?

If you don't she will die most likely. It happened to mine. She swam stationary at the back of the tank for ages, not eating, then i just found her at the bottom one morning.

 

[Lateral Line]

Before you consider any more fish, you need to get your tank stable.

When that is done, then a solitary female with 5 males is likely to get hounded. We don't know how big the tank is or what stocking plans you have, so what to advise is difficult.

 

[dcarmor927]

yea i understand that i need to wait to add more fish, just asking now so i can figure it when i do get more fish...also, she fends for her self, she chases the others in what looks like play, and she always gets to the food, getting her share.