Tropical Fish Forum

Tropical Fish Keeping Help and Advice => The Emergency Room => Topic started by: gerd1986 on August 01, 2016, 09:32:11 AM

Title: Hole in belly Barb
Post by: gerd1986 on August 01, 2016, 09:32:11 AM
After clearing up my tank for all disease I had earlier in the month this morning I found my Barb floating at the top of the tank this morning.

All levels are 0 and everyone else is OK.

Any ideas?
Title: Re: Hole in belly Barb
Post by: Sue on August 01, 2016, 09:46:40 AM
That looks horrible. However, one distinct possibility is that the hole happened after death. Fish will eat dead fish, and the belly is the softest part. I suspect the damage was caused by the other fish starting to eat it after it died.

But as for what the fish died of, it is very hard to say  :(
Title: Re: Hole in belly Barb
Post by: Paddyc on August 01, 2016, 09:59:34 AM
How sad, especially after thinking you had successfully cleared up any diseases in the tank.  :(
Title: Re: Hole in belly Barb
Post by: Littlefish on August 01, 2016, 11:16:36 AM
So sorry to hear about your barb.  :(
Title: Re: Hole in belly Barb
Post by: Matt on August 01, 2016, 08:06:03 PM
Looks like an ulcer to me... I had a neon that went in a similar way...

Sorry to hear of this gerd
Title: Re: Hole in belly Barb
Post by: Fiona on August 01, 2016, 11:11:34 PM
It's probably too late but I would have opened up the dead fish to see what was going on. Fish can carry parasites that can erupt through the skin but it is fairly uncommon and the fish would have been unwell beforehand. But like Sue says fish will eat dead fish and its very hard to tell from the picture.
Title: Re: Hole in belly Barb
Post by: gerd1986 on August 02, 2016, 10:04:55 AM
Thanks for all the comments! Well no one else is sick or looking ill so it's a mystery.
Title: Re: Hole in belly Barb
Post by: Paddyc on August 02, 2016, 10:07:05 AM
Well at least that's something. I've got both eyes on my tank as much as possible just now with one cherry barb having finrot so I share your apprehension at having a potentially sick aquarium. Best of luck  ;)