# Tiger barbs swimming upside down??



## Eddie80 (Oct 29, 2010)

Hello, me again...this is bothering me...i have 9 tiger barbs in a 70 G tank...

This afternoon i feed my fish, they share the aquarium with a pearl gourami, 3 boeseman's rainbowfish, 6 gold barbs, 6 checkered barbs 3 cherry barbs and 4 young SAE's.

I fed today on both sides of the aquarium, so all fish can eat, of course tiger barbs are very greedy and eat it all, on both sides...


That was about 6 or 7 hours ago. I go to turn off my lights and i see 2 of them swimming nose down ( but i know this is normal) but in circles and even upside down, like they can't control what they do.

Was this caused by excess food? is this a sign of constipation? Both of them exhibit bloating...they were just fine this afternoon


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

What did you feed them?

Sounds like intestinal problems.. Don't feed them for a few days to see if it gets any better.


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## Eddie80 (Oct 29, 2010)

just tetra color flakes...


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## yetti82 (Feb 22, 2009)

also considering they are tiger barbs I would suggest moving them to an isolation chamber because tiger barbs will pick off the weak when they see them.


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## Eddie80 (Oct 29, 2010)

Yup, you're right, althought they seem to be doing fine now. I won't feed them in a couple of days to see.

I fed them tubifex a day before thsi happened...


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

live or freeze dried tubifex?


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## Eddie80 (Oct 29, 2010)

mistergreen said:


> live or freeze dried tubifex?


 
Freeze dried, you know, those cubes. I feed them to my fish as a treat.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Next time soak the tubifex to completely waterlog them before feeding. Tiger barbs are particularly prone to overstuffing their stomachs, and freeze dried foods can be dangerous to them for this reason- since they will swell with water once in their stomachs. 

The stomach is right next to the swim bladder, which controls a fish's bouancy in the water. When the stomach is too full it can push against the swim bladder and interfere with it working properly.

Tiger barbs have been known to eat so much so fast that they actually ruptured their stomachs.


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## Eddie80 (Oct 29, 2010)

lauraleellbp said:


> Next time soak the tubifex to completely waterlog them before feeding. Tiger barbs are particularly prone to overstuffing their stomachs, and freeze dried foods can be dangerous to them for this reason- since they will swell with water once in their stomachs.
> 
> The stomach is right next to the swim bladder, which controls a fish's bouancy in the water. When the stomach is too full it can push against the swim bladder and interfere with it working properly.
> 
> Tiger barbs have been known to eat so much so fast that they actually ruptured their stomachs.


 
I always do that, soak the tubifex tubes in water before feeding fish.

And yup, these guys are VORACIOUS. Only the gold barbs can stand a chance cuz they are as voracious as the tiger barbs. The checkered and cherry barbs and nowhere near that greedy.


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