# pregnant barb



## excalibur08 (Sep 19, 2008)

I have a pregnant albino tiger barbs what do i do now?


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## Guest (Oct 6, 2008)

Barbs don't get pregnant. They're egg laying fish, meaning the females will spawn with males. Why did you think she's pregnant? Is she bloated?


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## excalibur08 (Sep 19, 2008)

well kinda. and you can also kina see through her with the right light behind her and looks like little eggs in her


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## Guest (Oct 6, 2008)

Ok, then she's what's known as "ripe". That means she has eggs, but not that they're fertilized. She'll have to spawn with a male for them to be fertilized.

It's common for female fish to become ripe. Do you know if you have any male tiger barbs? She might lay the eggs, but without a male they won't hatch.


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## excalibur08 (Sep 19, 2008)

i have 3 male albinos yeah


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## fishboy689 (Jul 16, 2008)

Shes swelling up because shes getting ready to lay eggs, As leah said they are egg layers.


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## excalibur08 (Sep 19, 2008)

ok so what do i do next


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## justintrask (Jun 29, 2008)

Google is your friend.

http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/information/breeding_freshwater_fish.htm#barbs

Cyprinids (Egglayers) 
Most Cyprinids, which includes Barbs, Danios, Rasbora, and Black-tailed sharks, are free spawning. This means they will discharge the eggs and sperm into the open water. 
Usually an increase in temperature and feeding plenty of live foods will trigger spawning. The eggs will then adhere to whatever they come in contact with: leaves, decorations, gravel, etc. The eggs hatch quickly, usually within 30 hours at which time the fry can eat finely powdered flake food followed by baby brine shrimp after a week or so.

The parents will eat the eggs and the fry so some means of protecting the eggs is needed. To accomplish this you can use spawning grass, marbles in the bottom of the aquarium, or a grating that the eggs can fall through but the parents cannot. After spawning it is a good idea to remove the parents.


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## excalibur08 (Sep 19, 2008)

so you said a rise in temp could trigger spawning, my tank is already at 80 what is safe for her to trigger spawning


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## excalibur08 (Sep 19, 2008)

also what would be the best live food for the fry and the mother as well


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## justintrask (Jun 29, 2008)

I wouldnt raise it any higher than 82. As for live foods, feed them brine shrimp and blackworms if you can find them. Live food is more expensive, but I highly recommend it. As said earlier though, it is recommended to remove the parents once eggs are laid, because the parents and all of the other tiger barbs and probably anything else in the tank will eat the fry. Adding a bunch of plants, both at the top and bottom of the tank will help with this. Lots of pet shops sell food made specifically for fry, and after a few days the fry can eat finely crushed flakes and fresh hatched brine shrimp


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## excalibur08 (Sep 19, 2008)

would you recommend me putting my 3 males and 1 female in a 5 gallon then take them out after spawning


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## tigerbarbgirl (Oct 15, 2008)

i don't want to steal the thread, but i have a quick question and thought this might be a good place to ask since it relates...about how many fry do barbs usually have, on average? 

again sorry, not trying to steal a thread just wondering and this seemed like a good place to ask


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## fishboy23 (Feb 18, 2006)

tigerbarbgirl said:


> ...about how many fry do barbs usually have, on average?


A whole bunch  (depends on fish, really, CPDs AKA Galaxy Rasboras AKA whatever they call 'em now don't breed as fast as say, giant danios. Tiger barbs would probably have a couple hundred eggs, depending on female size and age. Depending on breeding setup, many of these could be eaten, but that's probably about how many they can produce.


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