Problems with Barbouri

pfan151 · 09/12/2016, 10:40 AM

I have had a female for about a month. It had been doing great until now. It last ate on Friday. It has been breathing heavily. It still hitches but it's activity level is way down. It used to swim around the tank very frequently but now it basically just sits in the same spot all day. Eyes still seem reactive. It's started shaking it's body randomly every once in a while. So far I have done a formalin dip and a freshwater dip. It did seem to react to the freshwater when I first put it in so I was thinking it may have had parasites in the gills but I have not noticed an improvement after the dip. It can from ORA but ORA apparently doesn't actually breed them.

Tank is at 71 degrees. All parameters are good aside from barely readable nitrate level. I do a 20% waterchange 2 times a week. Kind of out of ideas right now.

nutbar29 · 09/12/2016, 11:09 AM

What are you feeding her

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nutbar29 · 09/12/2016, 11:13 AM

Was she captive breed or wild caught

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pfan151 · 09/12/2016, 11:30 AM

It was eating PE and hikari mysis well. Now nothing interests her. I've tried live ghost shrimp and brine in the last couple of days to see if that interested her but no luck. She is captive bred.

nutbar29 · 09/12/2016, 12:36 PM

Does she have any white spots, ulceration, blisters, cloudy eyes, scratching on rocks, washed out coloration, weight loss, anything protruding from anal opening

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nutbar29 · 09/12/2016, 12:45 PM

Any swelling or what looks like a bubble

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pfan151 · 09/12/2016, 01:05 PM

No outward signs of any issues. Just seems weak.

nutbar29 · 09/12/2016, 04:01 PM

Could it be weak snick where she might not have enough muscle strength to suck in her food

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pfan151 · 09/15/2016, 12:00 PM

So it's activity level has returned to pretty much normal over the last couple days but it still won't eat and it is still breathing rapidly. It even turns down live brine. It still shakes it's body every so often. I'm wondering if it may have impacted stool. Do Barbouri's like the temperature warmer? I had her at 70 but bumped it up to 73 last night to see if that makes a difference.

So far for treatments I've just done a formalin bath and a 12 minute freshwater dip. It did react to the freshwater dip and it's possible that I saw parasites coming of the gills but I may have just been seeing things.

nutbar29 · 09/15/2016, 04:15 PM

They prefer water temperature from 72-77 degrees

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pfan151 · 09/23/2016, 11:20 PM

Finally started eating again yesterday. Not nearly as aggressively as before but I'm hoping she'll be back to normal soon. Never figured out what the issue was but hopefully she managed to fight off whatever was affecting her.

nutbar29 · 09/24/2016, 10:09 AM

I'm glad

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bluekoi · 10/04/2016, 08:42 AM

Glad to hear she started eating again.

Be careful on your water temps. I'm sure they prefer it to be a bit warmer, but the risk of bacterial infections grow with higher temps. I kept mine at 72-73 (I am definitely not an expert or guru), higher and you are risking bacterial growth.

09/12/2016, 10:40 AM	#1
pfan151 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: FL Posts: 1,897	Problems with Barbouri I have had a female for about a month. It had been doing great until now. It last ate on Friday. It has been breathing heavily. It still hitches but it's activity level is way down. It used to swim around the tank very frequently but now it basically just sits in the same spot all day. Eyes still seem reactive. It's started shaking it's body randomly every once in a while. So far I have done a formalin dip and a freshwater dip. It did seem to react to the freshwater when I first put it in so I was thinking it may have had parasites in the gills but I have not noticed an improvement after the dip. It can from ORA but ORA apparently doesn't actually breed them. Tank is at 71 degrees. All parameters are good aside from barely readable nitrate level. I do a 20% waterchange 2 times a week. Kind of out of ideas right now.

09/12/2016, 11:09 AM	#2
nutbar29 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Austin TX Posts: 83	What are you feeding her Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

09/12/2016, 11:13 AM	#3
nutbar29 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Austin TX Posts: 83	Was she captive breed or wild caught Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

09/12/2016, 11:30 AM	#4
pfan151 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: FL Posts: 1,897	It was eating PE and hikari mysis well. Now nothing interests her. I've tried live ghost shrimp and brine in the last couple of days to see if that interested her but no luck. She is captive bred.

09/12/2016, 12:36 PM	#5
nutbar29 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Austin TX Posts: 83	Does she have any white spots, ulceration, blisters, cloudy eyes, scratching on rocks, washed out coloration, weight loss, anything protruding from anal opening Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

09/12/2016, 12:45 PM	#6
nutbar29 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Austin TX Posts: 83	Any swelling or what looks like a bubble Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

09/12/2016, 01:05 PM	#7
pfan151 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: FL Posts: 1,897	No outward signs of any issues. Just seems weak.

09/12/2016, 04:01 PM	#8
nutbar29 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Austin TX Posts: 83	Could it be weak snick where she might not have enough muscle strength to suck in her food Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

09/15/2016, 12:00 PM	#9
pfan151 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: FL Posts: 1,897	So it's activity level has returned to pretty much normal over the last couple days but it still won't eat and it is still breathing rapidly. It even turns down live brine. It still shakes it's body every so often. I'm wondering if it may have impacted stool. Do Barbouri's like the temperature warmer? I had her at 70 but bumped it up to 73 last night to see if that makes a difference. So far for treatments I've just done a formalin bath and a 12 minute freshwater dip. It did react to the freshwater dip and it's possible that I saw parasites coming of the gills but I may have just been seeing things.

09/15/2016, 04:15 PM	#10
nutbar29 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Austin TX Posts: 83	They prefer water temperature from 72-77 degrees Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

09/23/2016, 11:20 PM	#11
pfan151 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: FL Posts: 1,897	Finally started eating again yesterday. Not nearly as aggressively as before but I'm hoping she'll be back to normal soon. Never figured out what the issue was but hopefully she managed to fight off whatever was affecting her.

09/24/2016, 10:09 AM	#12
nutbar29 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: Austin TX Posts: 83	I'm glad Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

10/04/2016, 08:42 AM	#13
bluekoi Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 63	Glad to hear she started eating again. Be careful on your water temps. I'm sure they prefer it to be a bit warmer, but the risk of bacterial infections grow with higher temps. I kept mine at 72-73 (I am definitely not an expert or guru), higher and you are risking bacterial growth.