Pregnant? Constipated?

[nork]

I stocked my tank this past Saturday, and the biggest acei has been hanging out in the caves for the most part. Doesn't really eat much, doesn't explore the tank like the rest of the fish, it just swims from cave to cave.

The first day I brought them home, this was the first fish I noticed that pooped. Today I notice its belly is pretty big.

Looking at the fish from the top, there's some obvious bulk about this fish, and especially in the side view. Its belly from about the pectoral fins to the anal fin is considerably larger in comparison to the other fish.

If this fish is sick, possibly constipated, should I try feeding it peas? Otherwise, it doesn't come out much to each, so I'm a little worried about its health. Other than that, it looks like a healthy fish. Nice colors, it swims, just rarely out in the open.

Edit - Ok, I did 10-15 minutes of research before I posted this, as I hate to be "that guy", but it appears the fish may have malawi bloat.
Edit 2 - According to this: http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/malawi_bloat.php, I'm getting the idea that it's too late.

I'm going to look and see what I can do, I'll try anything to save it.

 

[karin]

Hi Nork.
You might want to move this over to the cichlid section or the emergency section for more replies.

Did your tank settle down after all the water changes? Since we have the same tank, feel like we are tank siblings so watch your posts carefully. Never got what filter you are using. I drilled a hole in the shelf in the cabinet so it can accommodate a canister filter (Eheim 2215). Other than that I wait for those #40## bacteria.

Best,
Karin

 

[nork]

I actually meant to post it in the emergency section, I guess I was just a bit panicked and in a rush and by habit came to this section.

It appears this fishy may have "malawi bloat", all signs point to this. I'm not sure how to deal with it, either, as Clout is recommended but I'm having a hard time tracking any down.

It also appears that if this is the case, there's no solid proof if this is contageous or not, but right now all other fish seem happy and healthy. None of them hide in the caves, they're always out and about and have a pretty fierce appetite. So if it is contageous, I hope the rest of these guys hang in there, as I don't have a hospital tank setup.

Edit - Also, yesterday's nitrite test resulted in a .25 ppm reading, which obviously isn't perfect, but it's much better than the 5 ppm reading I got after the first 24 hours and then the .25-.5 reading I got the day before yesterday. So if this trend keeps up, the nitrites will continue to go down per each 24 hour period. Let's hope!

The ich/white spots disappeared 24 hours after the first dose of Rid Ich, but the instructions say to continue for 3 more days after no signs, so today will be my last day of ich treatment.

Things aren't perfect, but they're much better than they were when that first 24 hour settling in period ended, except for my poor acei with possible bloat.

I'm using 1 Penguin 350 filter, but will soon be buying another one since they're inexpensive and effective, or I might check out the Hagen Aqua Clear. As my filtration as of now will not be sufficient when these guys are full grown.