# Possible Harlequin Rasbora Problem



## Kaitbug93 (May 8, 2012)

Hi all, 
Everything has been going swimmingly in my tank, hardy har har. I was teaching my fish all about classical and operant conditioning today to help me study for my upcoming psych exam. (I talk to them, they don't talk back, makes reviewing my stuff a good time). I noticed that two of my harlequins have a bloated belly, which looks very strange. I'm not sure if they're sick, or if I'm going to have youngsters in my tank soon. The other four harlequins look completely normal. Einstein the guppy is doing great, and Otto is very happy on his driftwood. No one is lethargic or swimming sideways/upside down. 
They get fed once a day, and once a week they get given a frozen supplement. This weeks supplement (which is tomorrow) will be veggies. I tested my water to be sure, and the parameters are fine. My pH is a little high (about 7.6), but it always is because of my well and I always put conditioner in it before I add it to my tank during water changes. 
Any idea as to why my rasboras look like this?









Sorry its a bit blurry, they're speedy little guys and I got lucky and grabbed a pic of him/her while it was briefly separated from the school. 










The protruding belly is a little clearer in this pic, and the other fish with it is a bit blurry but their bellies look basically the same. 
All the other rasboras look completely normal. 

Thank you!


----------



## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

What I see are two females that are full of eggs.
Getting them to lay the eggs would be a good idea for their health, although getting babies from Rasboras is a lot harder. Ideally, if you have Cryptocorynes growing in your tank, or in a pinch another broad leafed plant, and your water isn't too hard and a little acidic, you may get them to lay.
They turn up their basic colours by several notches - it is quite beautiful to see them. They spawn on the bottoms of leaves by swimming upside down, in a really flashy little spawning ritual.
The eggs rarely hatch though, as they need very soft, mineral poor water to have a chance.


----------



## Kaitbug93 (May 8, 2012)

Okay, thank you very much for advice. If I can't get them to lay their eggs, will that cause a problem with their health?


----------



## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

Sometimes if a female can't drop ready eggs over a longer period, she develops what breeders call egg binding. She can gain so much girth that she ceases to be able to function normally, and her life is shortened.
I kept Rasboras many times for many years, and usually, they manage to unload their eggs eventually.


----------



## Kaitbug93 (May 8, 2012)

Thank you very much for your help.


----------

