FishProfiles.com Message Forums

Yesterday i came down to my 35 gallon tank to add some new fish to the tank. Purchased 2 more cherry barbs and a tetra. Anyways I found one of my gold barbs had a damaged fin on the lower part of his body towards the rear and he seemed to be bloated and what looked to almost have a bulge coming from the bottom of his belly. My wife thought the fish was pregnant.

After closer review of the fish i found that the fin was damaged, there was blood all around that area and what looked to be an area of flesh protruding from the fish as if the skin and scales had split open like a hole and the flesh was coming out.

So i immediately went ahead and dosed melafix and prima fix to stop any fungal or baterial infections. I came back down today and found the fish dead. He wasnt floating but was at the bottom, of the tank. It must have been recent or something else because there was no real damage to the fish like you normally find apart from a little tail fin damage.

Any ideas on what might have caused this?

I know the water was clean as i had done a 30% water change the day before from the crackers being dumped into the tank. The tank has been setup for about three weeks, no cycling as i had the filter and some gravel and water from my old 30 gallon tank and the param's had already settled the week before.

Current Stocking.

4 Bolivian Rams
1 Gold Barb (previously two)
5 cherry Barbs
3 Cory Pandas
1 BN Pleco
2 Black Skirt Tetra
2 Sword Tail Platies
3 other tetras.

Should i keep up with the Prima and Melafix or not?

Thanks for your input as always, Shane
http://thetanklog.blogspot.com/ - [ Thanks to ScottF ]
http://www.natureaquariumclubofutah.com/main.html

Probably a secondary bacterial septacaemia from the bites, melafix was a good idea, but if other fish go down with the same symptoms , try furan. Watch for swollen stomachs over the coming days.