cherry barb (fish)

[maggie01]

Can anyone tell me what could be wrong with this fish please. Its stomach seems to have blown up and instead of being a sort of goldfish shape, it now resembles a tiger barb in shape.

[maggie01]

I've just thought. Surely it cant be pregnant. I have had them for about 3 yrs and no babies as yet.

[andyjevs]

If the scales are sticking out and makes the fish look like a pine cone from above, it's almost certainly a bacterial infection called dropsy. From my experience, there's very little you can do except take the fish out and terminate it !!!

[SuperPigeon]

Could you have got the wrong species. it could be a spiny Pufferfish

[Chessman]

If it having trouble staying the right way up, it could be 'swim bladder. disease'.

[maggie01]

No its definately a cherry barb. It is not swimbladder  as it swims perfectly ok. I was thinking on the lines of dropsy. I have some anti bacterial which includes treatment for dropsy which I have put in the tank but I do not know if you can treat it.  I've had this dilema with fish in the past but I just cannot kill them. I have asked my vet in the past and he says he will always put them to sleep if I can't do it. I will see how it goes.

[andyjevs]

If the fish has advanced dropsy, it needs taking out and killing. A short sharp band to the head is usually quick and easy. If it is dropsy and the fish bursts and dies (a slow painful death), there is a chance that it could infect other fish. Go on the web and do a search for dropsy just to make sure. ps...i have 30 years fish keeping experience behind me...half of which is marine reef aquaria. Good luck

[maggie01]

I have looked on quite a few web sites about dropsy. I have just been to have another look at my fish and I cannot see it looks like a cone shape. The back of the fish is exactly like the other barb in their and its eyes are normal. It is just the stomach. It is swimming about as usual. Could it possibly be anything else.

[maggie01]

Sorry its me again. No the scales are definately not sticking out. I have just looked with a magnifine glass.

[maggie01]

Have just looked at fish this morning. The scales are not sticking out. its breathing normally.This one is quite pale in colour compared to the other one which is like a brightly coloured goldfish. Could this be a female and could it be pregnant.