Chichlid About To Explode

[doc matt]

Evening all. I have a 5 foot aquarium housing about 40 odd variants of Chichlids who are in impeccable health. Deaths are about one or two a year, usually the old ones just die suddenly overnight.

Here is a pic, sorry about the poor quality shots

The tank is filtered by two mahoosive eheim external filters as well as an undergavel filter run by an airpump.

the whole thing is decorated with rocks and plastic plants. The wide range of hiding places ensure they bone like the clappers and each month I see plenty of offspring which is satisfying.

However there is one fish who is ballooning like mad, he is clearly stressed and looks as though he needs to take a serious dump. He cant stay upright as his stomach seems to be making him float sideways.

He is not eating and is in the corner of the tank in a flotation thingy so is protected. My camera is at work so I can't take a pic.


Request Help


pH:7.5
ammonia: 0.0
nitrite: 0.0
nitrate: 0.0
kH: don't know
gH: don't know
tank temp: 72



Volume and Frequency of water changes: 1/4 every 2 months

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: none

Tank inhabitants: Chichlids and one big plec

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): none

Exposure to chemicals: none

TIA

 

[WILDER]

How many gallons is the tank as you have alot of fish in there.
Also can't believe you have a nitrate reading of 0.
Unless you have a tap nitrate reading of 0, and live plants.
I wouldn't feed the fish for a few days.
Have you been feeding bloodworms to much.

Cook frozen peas for a few minutes, let cool down, pop out of shell, mush between fingers and add to the tank.

You should be doing a gravel vac and water change one a week, not every 2 months.

 

[mustrum]

Have you been feeding bloodworms to much.

Too much bloodworm can cause your fish to bloat? Can you explain ?

(forgive my ignorance)

ta

m

 

[WILDER]

Because they are hight in protein.
http/www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/malawi_bloat.php

 

[doc matt]

Ok. I'll water change and gravel vac more often. No they haven't had bloodworm. Thanks for helping, cheers