Velvet?

[pinkdolphin_113]

I have alot of tiger barbs but some are swimming nose down and stretching their fin's out. Most of them are normal and fighting/sorting the pecking order most of the time but I'm abit worried about the ones swimming nose down.
They don't swim like it all the time, just every so often.
Is this velet?
If so, wot can I do??

 

[love_fish]

Are they swimming like that or just staying still?

 

[Marcos]

High amonia?

 

[pinkdolphin_113]

They are acctually just staying still.
What does that mean?

 

[love_fish]

Actually, that can mean 2 things.

1. You're overfeeding
2. Climbing nitrite levels

If water stats are normal, then you're just over feeding, thats all. Nothing to worry about.

 

[tttnjfttt]

The position can mean several things. Tiger barbs go nose down when they are sleeping, with poor water quality, when they have been over fed, or when they are stressed. Did you just feed them? Does it look slightly bloated? Check your water stats. Look for any sign of illness, such as rapid breathing, fungus, sores, cratching, red inflamed gills, very pale gills. Watch their behavior, are they constantly bullying one fish?

Hopefully that gives you a few more ideas.

 

[pinkdolphin_113]

ok thanks. They do scratch, but only the ones that aren't swimming on standing nose down.
The scratch on the leaves. The water has always been crystal clear coz of the set up my step dad has.
How would I stop these silly fish from eating so much because they eat and eat until everything is gone!?
They don't seem to be bullying any other fish and there doesn't seem to be any fungus on them at all.
Their breathing is normal and their gills aren't pale however the fish itself seems to be a tiny bit pale.
I can easily tell because it is only 2 GREEN tiger barbs that seem to be affected by what ever it is.
Does anyone know if that narrows it down abit?

 

[tttnjfttt]

I'm thinking maybe some sort of parasite, simply because its not everyone is affected yet, and also the scratching. How long has the tank been set up for? Also, test your water, knowing ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH would be very useful.

 

[pinkdolphin_113]

ok right. Ive just been watchin them and some of them have whitespot.
Wot do i do now??

 

[tttnjfttt]

How big is your tank and what fish are in there? This is important to know before randomly telling you what to do. Also, you NEED to get your water tested for ammonia and nitrite. Fish often get sick when they are stressed, and bad water quality is a major source of stress. If you don't own your own test kit (which is STRONGLY recomended) take a water to the LPS.

 

[love_fish]

Raise the temp to 85*, but only 2* per day to not stress the fish further. Then treat the aquarium with some white spot meds.

 

[WILDER]

Plus increase aeration as the high temp and med will reduce 02 in the water, good luck.

 

[tttnjfttt]

Raise the temp to 85*, but only 2* per day to not stress the fish further. Then treat the aquarium with some white spot meds.

Their profile says they have a pleco, but i'm not sure if all those fish are in one tank. Plecos have a hard time with higher temps, i think 82 is the highest recomended for them.

 

[pinkdolphin_113]

How big is your tank and what fish are in there? This is important to know before randomly telling you what to do. Also, you NEED to get your water tested for ammonia and nitrite. Fish often get sick when they are stressed, and bad water quality is a major source of stress. If you don't own your own test kit (which is STRONGLY recomended) take a water to the LPS.

Well my step-dad says the tank is always "stablised" because of the set up and he just says its stress. The water contains only a little nitrite for the plants coz they need nitrate or summat (all confusing for me).
The tank is 250Gal. There were 30 tiger barbs (mixed), Male and Female dwarf Gourami, an Angel, only one female platy and loadza corydoras.
The sick are in quarentine at the mo...

Oh yea, and I have a plec. (edited bit coz i forgot about her lol)

 

[WILDER]

You need to treat the whole tank with whitespot, plus plecs same as ttnjfttt has said plecs don't tolerate high temps.