Bristlenose Catfish

[skyfox]

Hi Folks.
I have an eight week old set up in a Rio 300 community set up with 30 small fish. Put a couple of small (3cm) bristlenoses in a couple of weeks ago and they were fine for about 10days feeding an scuttling about.
In the last 3 days they have both gone into hiding and when I have managed to see them, they are both blown up on the underside and appearing to have difficulty laying flat . Looks as though they may have eaten far too much
Can anyone tell me what the problem is the best course of action..?? All other fish and the 5 corys are fine and active and water tests out fine.....to the best of my limited knowledge.
I don't think I have overfed them !! The tank was cycled for two weeks and water checked before putting some starter fish (pristella tetras.black widow tetra and danios in as first fish. Since then only 4 Dwarf Gourami and corys. Then the two small bristlenoses.

 

[Bloo]

Did you do a fishless cycle ? or did you cycle with fish ?
What are your readings for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate ? Did you test it, or the shop.
Just saying it's "OK", doesn't really help.
Those are very important to know if your water is toxic or not.

They might just be constipated or it might have some internal bacterial infection. Hard to say at the mo and I would not recommend any treatment yet - until you know exactly what you are dealing with.
Any other signs of illness ? Any chance at all of a photo ? (Even if you can try and catch one and put it in a clear glass dish with some tank water).

 

[skyfox]

I worked on the shop's recommendations and set the tank up, running it for two weeks without fish. Used Nutrafin Aquaplus to treat first water. As I am a 'newbie' I could only believe what was suggested and the water test was carried out by the shop at that time (two weeks) before purchasing first fish. hence the "OK" to water test.
Actually one of the Bristlenoses is mobile again thisevening and the bloatd belly has reduced although haven't seen the other one, which was the worst of the two and slightly smaller fish

 

[WILDER]

I would feed them some veg it could be constipation, try some shelled peas.