Can Someone Help?

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can anyone tell me what's wrong with my snakehead? His belly has gone like this overnight and his head is a bit bigger than normal. The other 2 snakeheads are fine. They are in a 450 litre (rio 400) with dim lighting, sand bottom and lots of hiding places. I feed every 2-3 days. Either frozen bloodworm, krill or shrimp

 

[gasmask]

Poor Bleheri!

Keeping to warm?
Otherwise it looks like it could be:

A: Internal parasites
B. Compaction from swallowing gravel or something similar.

Compaction is very serious, can SOMETIMES be cured using Epsom salts.
If it is compaction (and sorry to say, it looks like it to me) and Epsom salts don't work, I would serials consider euthanasia.
Death from compaction is a really horrible experience.

Good luck!


On a side note, that tank isn't dimly lit enough, and looks to have no where near the plantation/foliage needed for a comfortable Bleheri.

 

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Temp is at 19 degrees c. Sometimes can go up to 21 at max (room temp). I use sand on the bottom of the tank so cudnt of swallowed gravel or anything like that. It has gone down a little since posting this thread, let's hope it continues that way. I love these fish and don't want anything bad to happen. What lights should I use and i only have fake plants at the moment, iv been looking into real and should have some very soon. As in within a week

 

[gasmask]

Temp is at 19 degrees c. Sometimes can go up to 21 at max (room temp). I use sand on the bottom of the tank so cudnt of swallowed gravel or anything like that. It has gone down a little since posting this thread, let's hope it continues that way. I love these fish and don't want anything bad to happen. What lights should I use and i only have fake plants at the moment, iv been looking into real and should have some very soon. As in within a week

Hi could have eaten gravel or something similar before you got it?
Compaction can take a long time.

The other scenario, is internal parasites.
I will say it looks very under weight.
At that age, you should be feeding more than once EVERY DAY.
Needs some hi proteins etc, so you need to supplement the blood worms, krill etc with a good staple pellet such as Hikari Carnivore, then eventually Massivore.

It may take a while for them to take to pellets, but you need to keep at it.
Soaking pellets in the liquid from defrosted bloodworms can help.

A pic of one of my old Bleheri juveniles at around the same age as yours:

 

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I will get some of those pellets. 1 of mine is getting a much darker colour much like yours. The other 2 are lighter in colour. Also il start feeding more often

Oh and the belly has almost completely gone down back to norm now

 

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All 3 now much darker in colour and Belly now back to norm