Tiger Barb

Question
Hi,

We have 4 tiger barbs, along with many other (about 12 total) semi-aggressive fish. About a week ago, my husband noticed one tiger barb had doubled the size of the 3 other tiger barbs. She was not longer or bigger - let's say she was much thicker and basically fat, especially in her stomach area. I took her to a pet store and the manager believed she was pregnant. So, I bought a 'fish crib' and separated her from the other fish. She was exhibiting all the signs of pregnancy (hovering behind a plant, big belly, staying away from the other fish and eating good) but, now I am not sure...

Don't see any eggs yet, and she doesn't seem too content now. Actually, that started the night I separated her. Anyway, she seems more 'swollen' and her scales look to be very very stressed, almost discolored and it looks as if she as bubbles or blisters popping out on her scales. Also, her whole entire body is swollen, not just her stomach. All around the upper part of her body - all over, except where her mouth and eyes are...that part is still 'small' and still the same normal color as our other barbs.


Is it possible she is pregnant? Could she be really sick? :(

Please help!

B

Answer
This does not sound typical of pregnancy, though I am more familiar with Livebearer pregnancy than tiger barbs, to be honest. It sounds as though she may have dropsy, or some similar disease currently affecting her. I recommend medicating both her and the main tank (just in case) with some natural, gentler cures, such as a combo of melafix and pimafix. If she starts to recover, continue that treatment up until a few days after she looks completely healed. If not, you'll need to more on the the chemical treatment - which I always use as a last resort. If she does have dropsy  - you might compare some ill fish pictures to her first - treat with tetracycline. Though, it may be too late at this point and sadly dropsy is almost always fatal.
You'll definitely want to keep an eye on your water quality. Weekly water changes and testing are a must. Keep that ammonia level down, and the pH balanced. Also, if you have more than one tank it really is a good idea to always quarantine your new fish for a few days before adding them to your main tank, that way if the fish is ill, the problem will develop outside of your tank and prevent the possibility of your other fish getting sick.
I am sorry for the delay in my answer and I do hope I was not too late in getting to you, but hopefully this resolution will be beneficial to you in some way, regardless of the outcome. One last thing I'd like to warn you about, is the addition of live plants to your tank. These can carry parasites as well, so many fish keeper's actually soak them in bleach for about 5-10 minutes, then rinse off completely prior to adding them to your tank. Anything that might have been on those plants  - from parasite to snails - could not survive a thorough bleach soaking.
Best of luck to you!