i've having trouble keeping danios - they seem to inflate when i have them.

i has some zebras when i first got the tank, the last two of which died after something seemingly burst through their skin

the same thing looks to have happened now with my really rather plump goldens

any ideas what will be going on?!
the golden i've just found now was swimming erratically around the tank for the last couple of days (not brushing against things, but just darting around, up, down a lot more than the others)

this sounds like an absolutely insane post, i know but... it's a bit weird that i;ve only ever lost danios like this

Dont want to come across as being rude but what on earth are Danios?????

they're a species of tropical fish

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en...meta=&aq=f&oq=

Thanks! They look pretty.

Unfortunately I cant help as I dont know the first thing about fish!

Don't fish swell up when they get dropsy? I'm not an expert, but that might be the reason?

they do, you could be right there, however, these show no other symptoms whatsoever of dropsy

no raised scales, eyes were normal, definitely not lethargic and still eating like a horse

internal parasites maybe? How many have you lost? The only time i.ve had anything like that was when a guppy i had ate far too much bloodworm and she erupted! What do you feed them and how often? How big is your tank? Water peramiters? All your answers will maybe help get help.

another thought. What is their poop like? Do you have snails in the tank? Have you tried giving them shelled peas mushed up?

i've only lost the one

the last one before that was... can't remember exactly, but i know it was before october last year. it's not a regular thing, just seems to be the way they go when they go.
i've never done water tests, just regular water changes.
they're on king british flakes daily and they get daphnia every so often (however not for a while as the shop's had none in)
it's either a 60, or a 65L tank

there are a few snails, but as i got new plants lately, i'm removing them as i see them so they'll hopefully last a bit longer
i'm going to try them with peas tomorrow, as i thought of that today, but didn't have time to do them any
also, i never actually see any poop from the fish in that tank, thinking about it

Following and adding to gonnae's train of thought...

Too much flake in the diet could be a contibutor - it can swell up in the gut - like the ducks-and-bread principle! If there's a food blockage either your peas or garlic (if they'll take it) may clear it out. As a last resort, Epsom salts.

If not a food blockage, it could be worms and there are meds available for them.

Otherwise internally it could be a tumour of some sort.

The other possibility I can think of quickly is an osmotic problem. Could you post basic water parameters if you have them, as gonnae suggests: GH, KH, pH. Oh - and the temperature of the water, too.

They're quite tough critters normally, so it's a bit strange.

EK

[edit: would be good to know the nitrate conc. too]

i don't have a testing kit, i've never done it other than at college


the temp is at 24°C though

they are like this, is this a true average of what a female danio will be shaped like?
http://aquariumfishparadise.com.au/i...ebra_danio.jpg

i must have had all males in the past as these look huge! compared to the old zebras

Egg bound ???

mmmmm. Have you got a separate tank you could put the fish in? If not try stopping feeding them for a few days to see if it goes down. It won't do them any harm for 3 or 4 days. Come back and let me know what you think of doing that. She could have eggs because she doesn't look too massive in that pic. Can you get a head on photo or one from above?

that's not my fish honey, just an example of what mine looks like shape/size wise - i have goldens at the moment, not zebras

i can try getting pics but they're rather quick moving little beggars and it's quite difficult!

i've not got a separate tank that would be suitable - no spare filter/heater

i'm not too worried about the ones that are left, they're all acting normally, the only difference is they're plump like the fish in the photo
which, looking at photos seems like the regular shape of a content female

i'm just really confused why they all seem to have died in the same way in the past

i think she probably is a happy female then. Just keep an eye on her for any changes. Might be worthwhile investing in test kits for your water quality. It actually makes keeping fish 'more' interesting

got a pic for you to have a look at anyway

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v502/XDOW/danio.jpg

this is one of them, probably the most plump of my remaining three or four

on comparing it to the zebra i posted the other day, they look pretty normal

what a lovely looking little fish. Plump but looks healthy enough to me. Can she still swim fast?

it took me over half an hour to get a clear picture!

they're very quick still, yes

i.ve been trying for over 2 months on and off to get a picture of a synodontis so as someone can identify him. He's 17 and has people scratching their heads and arguing over what he is.