help with barbs!

[tetra girl]

okay, yesterday i resuced 2 tiger barbs, 2 cherry barbs and 1 collie loach from a guys tank i know. he hasnt't feed them for about 2 weeks (god knows how they lived) he had no light (he even had his curtains closed the whole time), no plants and no where for them to hide. He has never done a water change or treated the water and now they dont look too good *thumbsdow .

they hardly eat, 1 of the cherry's refuses to eat. I have to make the flake sink before the others will even go near it! Is there anything I can do to help them recover? there colours are very pale at the moment and are scared of everything

 

[depthC]

Just give them sometime to adjust there really isnt a whole lot you can do to get the fish to eat again unless maybe live foods would work. They may just be picky. Also thats horrible how the guy left his fish but since he doesnt care ask him for the tank .

- depthC

 

[tetra girl]

cool thanks - i might try some brine shrimp or mossie lauva

 

[Leopardess]

Also, I might think about the shock of the different water parameters. Granted, they will be different because I am assuming you clean your tank (!) and all that, but if he had no heater, which I might assume, and his tank was, say 70, and you do, and your water is 78-80, that might mess with them a little too. Maybe a gradual change into a better condition would help them. Other than that: time....

 

[tetra girl]

the 2 tiger barbs have now recovered. thei colours are really striking now and they eat heaps. 1 of the cherry's also has its colours but one is still quite pink and doesnt have the red fins like the other one. is this just differences between sexes or is it still freaked out?

 

[depthC]

Its possible, males are usually more colorful. But you cant be sure just wait it out some more and if the colors dont come back but the fish seems to be happy assume its a female because of the dull colors.

- depthC