Constipation?

[shtinkypuppie]

My large red cap oranda is ailing. He's laying on the gravel, fins clamped, slowly opening and closing his mouth. He can swim, but only along the bottom of the tank like a cory. It doesnt look like he's incapable of getting to the surface, just unwilling to try. I put a tiny amount of food in and he went for it eagerly. He then settled again into his laying position. I suspect cosntipation mildly, as his lower abdomen is swollen slightly and his anal opening is very large and red. His belly does not seem inordinately large, however, which leads me to suspect something else. What else could cause these symptoms?

 

[wetwetwet]

Could be tricky

are you sure its a male?

 

[shtinkypuppie]

nope, i've no idea what sex.

The crazy sob is all better today though. He's always had some trouble with his equilibrium...

 

[wetwetwet]

I was just thinking that if it was a female then it might have been similar to a problem I had with my leopard danios - apparently in hard water conditions they can become egg-bound with the eggs calcifying inside and the fish unable to pass them - looks very painfull and distressing though in these fish their bellies did get very large and the vent very sore looking