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Hey guys.

My little Cherry Barb at work is sick with something.

I've had him for 7+ months his tank mate died about a month or so after I got both of them.

Early last week he stopped eating much and got very skinny.

Ammonia: 0
NitrItes: 0
NitrAtes: Under 5ppm

He's got a heater kept at 76 degree's, and a Tetra Whisper Internal Filter.

I treated him with Mardel's Maracyn Plus (antibacteria).
On the first day of treatment he was looking a little better started eating some (found a food he liked to eat).
On the 2nd round of treatment he was looking better gaining some weight and swimming around well.
Today on the 3rd treatment I didn't see how much he ate, but he seemed intersted.
But he's doing his verticle bobbing, goes up to the top in a verticle manner and then just quickly falls to the bottom of the tank, over and over, can't seem to swim very well, little control over his tail fin it seems.
He's even more skinner now then he was before!

That was his last round of treatment, tomorrow I'm going to do my usual water change and put the carbon back in the filter.

What should I do now?

I have no introduced any new plants or fish to this tank.

It seemed to me that he might have injured his tail... If you have a smaller tank, try putting him in that. I don't know what you're current tank size is. But, a smaller tank will make it easier for him to find his food, and less area to swim in.

As for an infection. I would switch to Maracyn-Two. It just works better in my opinion. I have Maracyn and it really didn't help and as soon i switched to Maracyn-two, my betta starting getting a lot better.

Try depositing some food into an end of a straw(like a drinking straw) and cap the other end with your finger. While still capping the end of the straw let all the food you put in there fall back towards your finger, then put the straw into the tank where the Barb is, then uncap your finger and the water will shoot up into the straw, break up the food, and it should fall right where you angle the straw. That way he'll get some food near him and he won't have to struggle.

HTH...

-pamela

Last edited by pammy at 15-Dec-2005 12:37