# Harlequin Rasbora with swollen belly swimming eratically



## black_fairy (Jun 6, 2013)

UPDATE: Things are getting even weirder. He started going belly upside down on flat objects in the tank(leaves, parts of the filter, wood) and when he does that, the other ones start rubbing against him or something. I am so confused right now.


----------



## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

Why did you treat a tank before adding fish? This is why a quarantine tank is imperative for newcomers, so you can observe them before adding them to your display tank. And in case you need to medicate. Hard to say what it is, can you get a photo? Do you know what dropsy looks like? I would start with testing the parameters of your tank. Rubbing on things in the tank can be ich,flukes,anchor worm,chilodonella,costia,black spot, fish louse,or velvet.


----------



## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

As for the swollen belly, it can be caused by a swim bladder disorder, which can be genetic, or caused by poor water quality. Overfeeding or poor nutrition.It can be dropsy as I mentioned earlier. The fish can be constipated. Bacterial infection, parasites, cancer and even fish tuberculosis. The latter is contagious to you.


----------



## I<3<*))))>< (Jun 10, 2013)

Could possibly be breeding/mating behavior. Check this thread out, it has two videos linked as well so you can compare it to how yours is behaving.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=151961


----------



## black_fairy (Jun 6, 2013)

I think I found the cause: they are mating. After the swollen fish goes upside down on a surface, the other ones come and squeeze the eggs out. They then fall to the bottom. That also explains why my always hungry betta has been scanning the bottom of the tank all morning.


----------



## black_fairy (Jun 6, 2013)

I<3<*))))>< said:


> Could possibly be breeding/mating behavior. Check this thread out, it has two videos linked as well so you can compare it to how yours is behaving.
> 
> http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/showthread.php?t=151961


Yup, that's what they're do. :red_mouth I thought rasboras were hard to breed. Good to know she is not ill. I think most of her eggs are out by now, because she's almost skinny again. I really don't understand why everyone seems to mate in my tank. My nerites started mating about 20 minutes after I put them in, although they were supposed to be inactive for hours or so. At least their eggs won't hatch in freshwater.


----------



## Noahma (Oct 18, 2009)

black_fairy said:


> Yup, that's what they're do. :red_mouth I thought rasboras were hard to breed. Good to know she is not ill. I think most of her eggs are out by now, because she's almost skinny again. I really don't understand why everyone seems to mate in my tank. My nerites started mating about 20 minutes after I put them in, although they were supposed to be inactive for hours or so. At least their eggs won't hatch in freshwater.


provide good conditions and anything will mate lol.

I constantly find rainbowfish eggs scattered about the fine leaf plants in my tank.


----------



## flukekiller (Jun 4, 2013)

well i try to mate as much as possible ;-)


----------



## black_fairy (Jun 6, 2013)

My school is back to normal. I managed to save 9 eggs that weren't eaten and placed them in a spare tank, done research about breeding rasboras and raising fry and I'll go to a LFS that belongs to an experienced breeder to get some small live food tomorrow. This is my first (micro)attempt at breeding fish, so wish me luck  I hope this won't turn out to be a complete fail.


----------



## thelub (Jan 4, 2013)

Good luck on the breeding! Glad to hear it turned out well and not some disease.


----------



## waterfaller1 (Jul 5, 2006)

Good luck. Hope you get some babies.


----------

