is this fish gravid or sick?

I think my barb is gravid, I thought it took them a while to reach sexual maturity and its a pretty small barb. I also don't know if its a boy or girl for sure so I am worried it may be sick I can't post a pic because my batteries are dead in my camera. any thoughts? there is NO pineconing. that was my first thought and I freaked but it looks normal only very swollen mainly on the under side.

 

Could be constipation. Try fasting for a couple of days. The feed shelled peas.

Really hard to diagnose problems with no picture. Have a cell cam?

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hmm, I fast my fish on Tuesdays. my cell camera is useless I'm fixing to go try to dig up some batteries. It's also hiding in one of my caves. I will feed some peas later tonight. I put some zucchinI in last night, I feed Omega one super color, blood worms, tubifex worms and algae wafers alternated with only the algae wafers being fed regularly.

going by the descriptions they all look like males but this one's nose is pale. I know I have a male rosie, I think my albino is male too but the tigers and greens are a mystery to me

Pics of swollen barb

I'm sorry to make a separate post I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to post it in the reply

Also posted this in Tiger Barbs forum... this one seems more active right now I know I have a male rosie barb and I am pretty sure my albino barb is male. The greens and the tigers are a mystery to me. Today I came home to find this (see pics)

It hides in the cave but comes out and swims around. There is NO pine coning. I fast them on Tuesdays and feed Omega super color, tubifex worms, frozen blood worms, veggies and algae wafers. Everything is alternating but the algae wafers are daily. Any thoughts?

 

Looks like a gravid female to me. Does she eat normal? Does she swim normal?

 

I'm sorry to make a separate post I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to post it in the reply

The threads have been merged.
To add a picture to an on going thread click Go Advanced at the bottom of the text box.
You'll see the option to add a picture

 

Thank you so much!!

yes, she does! wow, spring is in the air in the fish palace!

 

They do seem hard to sex. Apia, I hope someone with Tiger Barb pregnancy experience reads your post. I have 8 in my tank and cannot tell male from female....

 

Chances are very slI'm they will be fertilized or even hatch. Tiger barbs are difficult to breed and even harder to make sure the male doesn't kill the babies.

When she lays the eggs keep an eye on them after a day remove all the males to ensure the babies make it. That's if the water is right enough for them to hatch.

They are incredibly hard to sex. I have tried and failed miserably.

 

I don't figure I will have much success. The males I do have don't seem to have any interest in her. She seems to do a lot of hiding.

, I think I am seeing pineconing I set up a 5 gallon bucket with an air hose and a heater and put her in there. I added some aquarium salt because that is ALL I have on right now. But from the research I have done its dropsy and there is nothing that can be done. I just hope I don't have any problems with any more.

water parameters:

Ammonia: 0ppm

Nitrites: 0ppm

PH: 7.6

Don't have a nitrate test kit I need a new one. bummmer.

I will add that it is still swimming fine, ate breakfast this morning with vigor. I fed before I noticed the pineconing

 

Hmph, that's weird...its whole body doesn't seem swollen. Keep an eye on it, Macryn 2 is the only medicine I know of that can cure it.

 

Even now its still just her lower half just like the picture but her scales are popping out on the sides. I can really see it when I am looking at her in the bucket. She is still very active in the bucket. begging for food having a good time. IDK, I don't want to leave her in the bucket if she is fine but I also don't want to put her back in the tank if she is sick.

I hadn't looked at her for few hours so I went into check on her. The pine coning I was seeing is gone she is still plump and doing well but smoothed out. I really hope that I am not freaking out over a gravid fish

At least if it is then the next time I will have at least gained the experience to know what to look for.

 

Any chance she is just constipated? I know for a Betta it is recommended to feed a piece if frozen pea that has been thawed and had the skin removed, but not sure if that is appropriate for barbsm though I think it is. Also Daphnia works as a laxitive also. You can usually buy freeze dried Daphnia at the fish store (in the fish food section, since it is fish food)

Also after feeding a food that relieves constipation, it is advised to fast the fish for a day, then feed more of the pea or daphnia.

 

algae wafers can really fatten fish!

 

@ goldfishesandguppies,

I didn't know this, however, this seemed to happen overnight. tis a mystery still. She is still plump and my other tiger barb chases her around the tank but I am not sure if it is a male so I am not sure if its mating behavior or the other picking on her because she isn't well. Time will tell I guess. I did feed peas and will fast tomorrow and see what happens. The two barbs I know are males don't show any interest in her so its hard to tell

 

an update, she is still plump maybe a little smaller but still pretty plump but she is acting normally. IDK, I thought she would have scattered eggs by now if she were gravid? IDK, as long as she is doing well I won't freak out too much.

 

A little late, but I'll chime in with my experience with my Tiger Barbs.

I find that algae wafers cause them to have extreme constipation. It has led to the loss of at least one of my Tiger Barbs in the past few years. I only feed the wafers at night for the Pleco.

There is really no way to quickly make them clear their system. Peas work, but at the same rate as just not feeding them for a day. Good luck!

Sexing Tigers is pretty easy. Males when in breeding condition have a bright red nose and more red in their fins. Females always look much more pale in comparison.

 

I agree, tiger barbs are very easy to sex. It can be difficult when they are small though.

Tiger barbs do not get pregnant. I would not feed the tank for a couple days and see what happens.

 

Looking at the pictures that you posted I would go with constipation as the problem. Because Tiger Barbs are egg layers and not livebearers they don’t get pregnant but rather become swollen with eggs. This normally looks more like a bubbled up area in the abdomen rather than how your fish looks. Your fish looks to be bloated due to constipation. I would personally examine how much you are feeding them and what.