# Cherry Barb Quarantine Dilemma



## raven_wilde (Nov 16, 2005)

So, I'm having a little problem with some new Cherry Barbs I bought about two weeks ago...

I purchased 12, had them ordered specially for me at the LFS, 4 males, 8 females. I brought them home and put them in the QT. I also bought another Otocinclus on this trip to round out my school. Everybody looked happy and healthy, in fact, to this day they still look happy and healthy. There are no outward problems apparent, no ragged fins, no red streaks, no spinal deformities, no white fuzzy or sugary spots, no nothing... all the little fishes are swimming about, acting like normal, healthy cherry barbs. 

Problem is, some how along the way, I've lost 4 of them. 2 in the first week, and 2 more sometime in this last week. I've checked up on them everyday and I haven't noticed any signs of trouble... the only problem I have with them is it has been difficult to get an accurate headcount at any given moment as the QT is currenly filled (literally) with a bunch of free floating java ferns I thinned out of another tank... so it's hard to pinpoint exactly when they've vanished and why. The strangest of all things though, is that when I clean the tank, I don't find any bodies... moreover, there are no traces left either, not even a spinal cord or some cartiledge....... nothing, nada.

I guess, since there are tons of cherry shrimp currently hanging out in the QT they could be responsible for body disposal, but I didn't think they could process the ENTIRE fish, and so quickly. WTF is going on here? And what should I do regarding my new fish? My gut says keep them in the QT for another week and continue observing them. I certainly think medicating them seems silly, as there is no indication of what I should be medicating them for.

Please Advise.


----------



## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

Only 3 possibilities:
1. Eaten (dead or alive) by other fish
2. Sucked into filter
3. Jumped out!

I'm sure you have checked both the filter and your surrounding floors....


----------



## raven_wilde (Nov 16, 2005)

vancat said:


> Only 3 possibilities:
> 1. Eaten (dead or alive) by other fish
> 2. Sucked into filter
> 3. Jumped out!
> ...


1. No other fish in tank, only cherry shrimp
2. Impossible, mesh over filter intake, also, cleaned out filter just yesterday, no signs of remains
3. I've checked- No fish on surrounding floors.


----------



## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

do you have a cat?
are his paws wet?


----------



## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

Sometimes those things are a true mystery. 
I suppose between the other Cherry barbs in the tank and the shrimp, maybe they've cleaned them up.

I agree, there's no need to medicate since you have no symptoms or signs of a specific illness.

And you're right, I'd leave them in the q-tank for at least 2 more weeks.


----------



## raven_wilde (Nov 16, 2005)

vancat said:


> do you have a cat?
> are his paws wet?


Ah yes... always blame the cat... 

Actually they are spending the summer 'vacationing' with my parents in the country, were they can lay about in the sun and harass small furry critters to their little-kitty-hearts content. Can't blame them this time!


----------



## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE my cats! and yours too.

Didn't want you to think I was one of those cat-bashers. Cats Rule!


----------



## jstageman (Mar 6, 2006)

Considering how fast my moderate-sized colony of cherry shrimp mow through food, I'm not surprised you aren't finding remains if there are truly "tons" of shrimp in there. How are they eating the bones, though?


----------



## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

Howabout hungry children?


----------



## raven_wilde (Nov 16, 2005)

Don't worry Vancat, I didn't take that as cat bashing! It was a joke, I got it, and it was especially funny to me because when I am alone with them and something is amiss I tend to blame them! Kind of a, "Allright kids, were did you put my shoes??" Usually I get a puzzled look followed by a yawn or two as a response...

Anyway, yeah, the disposal of the bones is what really gets me, even little cherry barbs have bones... two days ago, after which I posted this, I did a THOROUGH cleaning of that tank... removing a lot of the plants (they're mostly floating about), netted the fish- I had been intended to put them in their new home- cleaned the gravel with the siphon (not something I do often in this tank because of shrimplets, but it was due), cleaned the filter, etc. No signs of nothing!

Quite a mystery eh?


----------



## Rod Hay (May 6, 2006)

*Cherry Barbs - big time jumpers!*

Ask me how I know?

I had 7 cherry barbs when I had to break down my 75g tank to change out some bad substrate. I ended up with having just three to put back into the re-scaped tank.

And I thought I had set up a wonderful temporary home; a 25g plastic whiskey barrel raised up on a cinder blocks, moved over the XP filter, put in some of the driftwood w/ java fern.

I had no idea there was anything amiss until I went to feed my fancy goldfish who live in the floor level tank and noticed some tiny, darting red flashes! I thougth "what the ...?" Those were the luck ones who made it into the other tank. I had even kept the water level 3" below the rim and balanced two panes of glass across the top.

Its surprising how big they look when I'm starring into the tank watching their antics; but how tiny-tiny they are dried up on the floor. I felt horrid that I never noticed them, unfortunately they blended in quite well with my braided rug colors and I was busy hauling out 100+ lbs of flourite & gravel.


----------



## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

That could be a good possibility Rod. 
If they jumped, maybe kitty saw them as a delicacy, so there were no signs of them on the floor.


----------



## david lim (Mar 30, 2004)

I've seen similar problems in my fiancee's tank. She'll report that a fish goes missing within a day in her tank, but she can't find a body anywhere (including bones). However, she does have many cherries. I think they've done a good job cleaning up. Good luck, and I hope you can figure out what's up with your cherry barbs!

David


----------

