barb spits out food!

Question
Our 3-year-old, 30-gallon tank includes 3 giant danios (3 yrs. old) 3 tiger barbs (3mos. to 1 year old), 2 gold barbs (new in Aug.) and one young pleco.  I don't test Ph at home but it has been fine for the last fish store tests, most recently about 4 weeks ago.  I am worried because the smallest of the tiger barbs (a blue, the other two are regular) is spitting out food.  The other fish seem to be fine but this one is having a problem and starting to hide.  Any advice?  They eat the flake food in the yellow cannister, don't remember the name brand.
thanks!

Answer
Hi Ruth;

He may need to be isolated and watched for awhile. Sometimes fish develop infections or even tumors that prevent them from being able to swallow their food. Set up a little 5 gallon tank with some of your big tank's water, a heater, an airpump with an airstone, and a lid. No filter, no decorations and no gravel. If you need to medicate at some point it will only be absorbed by the filter and the decorations. Let the heater get the temperature correct over about a 24 hour period. Once it's running okay, net the one fish from the big tank into some old tank water in a plastic bag. Let the plastic bag float in the little tank for about 10 minutes. Net him from the bag into the hospital tank. Throw away the bagged water. Don't add it to the tank. Turn off the light in the little tank and let him relax for a couple of hours.

Look at him closely for any signs of lumps, bumps, fungus, redness, etc. He may just need time to rest away from the other fish. You can use aquarium salt and Melafix in the hospital tank water to help with stress and healing too.

Change 25% of the water every day (because it has no filtration). This will help sick fish heal faster too. Fresh water is a great tonic. Your main tank needs a 25% water change weekly too.

Let me know how it goes....

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins