# Tiger Barb issue



## jshank (Aug 16, 2008)

I have 5 tiger barbs that I bought yesterday. Three of which are, the only way to describe it is they are swimming down. If they quit they start floating twords the top. I thought it might just be a water flow thing, but they seem to do it in different parts of the tank and not the same place. I noticed 3 of them (one that wasn't doing the swimming down thing) scrape up against a plant, so I thought it might be ich but they arent showing any other signs and they only did it once each in the 10 minutes I watched them. I dont know if this is normal for barbs, I havent had them before. I didnt know if maybe after they eat they get bloated or something. I also noticed the two that weren't doing the down swimming to go the top of the tank once in awhile and break the top of the water. I didnt know if they suck in air so they do the floaty thing for fun or something? Sounds crazy but I have no clue.

I just know when I first put them all in the tank they chased each other around a lot, now they arent doing it so much while they do this. 

Any help would be appreciated.


----------



## jshank (Aug 16, 2008)

There seems to only be one doing it now but he is doing it pretty aggressively.


----------



## jshank (Aug 16, 2008)

I woke up this morning and they all are acting normal again and playing with each other. Still curious if anyone has and thoughts. When I went to bed last night it looked like the one was trying as hard as he could to not float to the top.


----------



## Tim mckinney (Oct 10, 2008)

Maybe he sucked in some air , or his bladder got out of wack, I do not know myself, but if all are ok now just watch them real close over the next day or two. If nothing happens then probably what I said or something to that effect.


----------



## jerrybforl (Aug 15, 2008)

it was probably stress. did you float the bag for 20 min. and you also have to exchange small portions of water from the tank water into the bad so they can adjust to the pH of the tank water.


----------



## Tim mckinney (Oct 10, 2008)

when you float the bag, it has been found if you do not open the bag gasses that are not good for the fish develop, so I always open the bag while floating and adding small amounts of water to get the fish acclimated. Have they all stoped now?


----------



## jshank (Aug 16, 2008)

Yes, they seem fine now. I did float the bag and add water from the tank. I am pretty careful about that because the first time I added fish to a tank I did a bad job of it. I think they almost died because they just went to the bottom of the tank and didnt move and were breathing really hard for awhile. I dont want to make that mistake again. Thanks!


----------

