Fish Swimming Vertically

[pauly]

Hi,

Bizarre occurances are going on in my tank

Firstly, one of my tiger barbs has simply vanished into nowhere. I was told that if he died, he may have been eaten by the other fish within an hour, is that possible?

Secondly, a couple of my tiger barbs have started to swim vertically (up and down) usually really slowly, and then do a gambole type thing where they slowly do a 360deg turn.

This to me seems like strange behaviour, or is it normal?

Ph 7.4
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10

Cheers,

Pauly.

 

[pauly]

No opinions?

 

[ajbettle]

sorry my fault, u have got stats, errrrrrrrrrrrrrmm..

 

[docbanzai]

Hi,

Bizarre occurances are going on in my tank

Firstly, one of my tiger barbs has simply vanished into nowhere. I was told that if he died, he may have been eaten by the other fish within an hour, is that possible?

Secondly, a couple of my tiger barbs have started to swim vertically (up and down) usually really slowly, and then do a gambole type thing where they slowly do a 360deg turn.

This to me seems like strange behaviour, or is it normal?

Ph 7.4
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 10

Cheers,

Pauly.

Hi,

I'm not trying to freak you out, but I had a similar occurance recently (last week) you can read it here...

I'm NOT trying to panic you. I still haven't got a definative diagnosis. Is this just effecting your Tigers? I would suggest quarantine, failing that stop feeding and keep a close eye on things.

Is there some kind of Tiger Barb pandemic in the offing?

I had seven Tigers and lost five of them. I still have two left, and they seem OK along with their tank-mates (seven Zebra Danios) but I'm still paranoid about them. I've decided to buy a UV steriliser just incase it's some kind of bacteriological problem and, hopefully, this will protect the survivors.

I'm sorry that I can't give you a definative answer or cure, but prepare for the worst. I am extremly fond of my Tigers, and the loss of them has been a severe blow.

If there's anything I can do just ask.

DB.

 

[pauly]

Thanks for the reply. All I have in the tank is 7 tiger barbs (was 8) and a shark. The shark seems fine.

I have no other tank to quarantine.

Why should I stop feeding them?

 

[docbanzai]

Thanks for the reply. All I have in the tank is 7 tiger barbs (was 8) and a shark. The shark seems fine.

I have no other tank to quarantine.

Why should I stop feeding them?

Hi,
Just in case it's a swim-bladder problem. It won't hurt them to go without for a day or two, plus if there is a bacteriological problem it can reduce (or at least not add to) the amount of waste in the tank. It's always suggested to feed cooked, shelled peas to help with swim-bladder disorders, so perhaps it would be a good idea to starve them for 24 hours then feed peas.

I'm very sorry that I can't give a solid answer to you original question. I've been in the same position and I know it's very frustrating!

UPDATE; It's been suggested to check your pH again as this could be due to a pH crash. Sudden changes in pH can cause these symptoms. Adding way too much O2 can cause this...

Good luck,

DB

 

[pauly]

Cheers DB. I did a test last night and all seemed fine. I'll keep a close eye on it though.

How do you add too much oxygen?

 

[docbanzai]

Cheers DB. I did a test last night and all seemed fine. I'll keep a close eye on it though.

How do you add too much oxygen?

Weeellllllll... I've done it before yonks ago. Some air pumps put out too much pressure and if you add that to a very fine air stone it wil produce a very, very fine mist of bubbles. It looks like the tank has a bacteria bloom with a fine white heavy cloudy look. If you leave this too long it can decimate your fish . Again, this is only my personal experience, so don't panic! Honest!

DB