AboutRon Coleman Expertise I am an expert on cichlid fishes, particularly New World cichlids. My broader expertise includes the behavior, ecology and reproduction of fishes in general. (I am NOT an expert on Goldfish. Please do not ask me questions about why your goldfish are sick -- they are almost always sick due to the way that they are sold). Also, please do not use abbreviations, such as "my GT has a swollen
eye" because I don't know what a "GT" is. The more clearly you can explain your question, the better chance I have of understanding what it is that you seek. Thanks.
Experience I teach at the California State University, Sacramento in the Department of Biological Sciences, and I run a website, called the Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>. I also write for many popular aquarist magazines, and I am editor of Cichlid News magazine. I am a scientist and I spend my time teaching fish biology, ecology, behavior and evolution and doing research on the reproductive biology of fishes, particularly cichlids. I do research in the laboratory and in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Mexico. My main interest is understanding the evolution of parental care in fishes. I am interested in encouraging greater public awareness, understanding and participation in science.<BR><BR><B>Organizations belong to</b><BR>American Cichlid Association, Pacific Coast Cichlid Association, American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, etc<BR><BR><B>Publications</b><BR>Cichlid News, Tropical Fish Hobbyist, Freshwater and Marine Aquarium, Science, Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology, Copeia, Canadian Journal of Zoology, Trends in Ecology and Evolution, AUK, Environmental Biology of Fishes<BR><BR><B>Education/Credentials</b><BR>PhD (Toronto, 1993) MSc (Simon Fraser, 1986) BSc (British Columbia, 1983)<BR>
Expert: Ron Coleman Date: 3/22/2008 Subject: fish problems
Question i have 4 4cm tiger barbs in my tank all of which are starting to float up to the top as if weightless.they then flap all fins briskly and turn to point down to the bottom of the tank. otherwise they are completely healthy
Answer Hi Mike,
Really? That is very weird. I assume that you don't have salt in the water -- they are freshwater fish, because too much salt might cause that (but you would have to have a LOT of salt in there).
