# What is wrong with my cherry barb?



## LyzzaRyzz (Dec 18, 2011)

For a few days now, almost a week one of my cherry barbs has been developing a lump on her side. Here are some videos of her..

1. Size of tank? 50 gallons

2. Water parameters
a. Ammonia? ~.05 [a little high, i know, 
b. Nitrite? 0
c. Nitrate? 5ppm 
d. pH, KH and GH? 6.4, i drop, 2 drops
e. Test kit? API Master Test Kit

3. Temperature? 77

4. FW (fresh water) or BW (brackish)? Fresh

5. How long the aquarium has been set up? since spring of this year

6. What fish do you have? How many are in your tank? How big are they? How long have you had them?
one betta, 12 guppies, 10 cories, 9 cherry barbs, a Bristlenose Pleco, a rubbernose pleco two apple snails. They are all full grown, and have had all of them since the beginning. I watch for guppies giving birth and take out all babies, and put them in the fry tank.

7. Were the fish placed under quarantine period (minus the first batch from the point wherein the tank is ready to accommodate the inhabitants)? All seperate QT's in the begining, original cherry barbs were hit with disaster from my boyfriend using the same syphon as the QT [other fish]. Two males survived, i bought more, two died in QT and they were in QT for a month and a half after the second died.

8. a. Any live plants? Fake plants? Live plants
b. Sand, gravel, barebottom? playsand
c. Rocks, woods, fancy decors? Any hollow decors? yes, larger fake log, long straigh driftwood, some lava rock

9. a. Filtration? 70 gallon and 20 gallon
b. Heater? yes

10. a. Lighting schedule? What lights are used? two 36 inch t8 6500k 12 hours a day
b. Any sunlight exposure? How long? no

11. a. Water change schedule? usually 3x 15 % weekly, this week only 1x [recently got another job]
b. Volume of water changed? see above
c. Well water, tap water, RO water? tap water
d. Water conditioner used? API extra strength
e. Frequency of gravel/sand (if any) vacuumed? once a week

12. Foods? NLS small fish formula
How often are they fed? twice a day, a small pinch for the gups at top and the betta, and a pinch in the filter flow to bring it to the bottom for the cories and barbs

13. a. Any abnormal signs/symptoms? female is bigger than normal, ive been thinking possibly pregnant, though she is bigger on one side than the other, and her stomach area has a few red streaks, which im putting as the highish ammonia? 
b. Appearance of poop? normal as far as i can tell.
c. Appearance of gills? my cherry barbs have always had rosy cheeks. im not sure if this is normal, byut the guppies and the cories dont have red gills, thats why im iffy on the red streaks being caused by the ammonia.

14. a. Have you treated your fish ahead of diagnosis? no
b. What meds were used? none

15. Insert photos of fish in question and full tank shot if necessary.
Here is a video of the fat barb with red streaks..
Fat barb, bigger on one side, red streaks on side. - YouTube

These videos are from today, 
IMG 7758 - YouTube
IMG 7760 - YouTube
IMG 7761 - YouTube

No other fish are acting funny or have any signs at all. There is no flashing of any kind, the 'sick' cherries act normal, a little less active than normal, but basically what they always act like.

I havent trreated, i wanted to see what you guys thought first!


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## fish monger (Dec 29, 2011)

The red streaks could be caused by ammonia. I've seen a condition where a fish will have a bulge on one side before, but I can't locate it yet to offer any advice. Your fish doesn't seem to be in any obvious distress. For now, I'd work on getting that ammonia down to zero. I'll keep looking for bulge info. Good luck.


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## LyzzaRyzz (Dec 18, 2011)

Thank you! She seems a lot more melencholy than normal.. It's not just red streaks, though it started that way. It seems as though there is a hole, but on the inside...


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