Marbled Hatchet Sick Or Pregnant Or...?

[AnonyMissJ]

This morning I noticed one of my Marbled Hatchets' stomach is very rounded, sticking out on either side of his or her (I have no idea how to sex them) body. It's swimming around fine and looks normal otherwise, but has anyone heard of this before?

Basic tank info: 20g FW planted; water parameters great (don't have current numbers, but I did a dip stick and that came out as 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and 0 nitrates, which means probably 5 nitrates--dip sticks are a bit unreliable, as we know); tank mates are 1 Otto (awaiting two others in the QT tank), 1 other Marbled Hatchet and 2 Silver Hatchets (awaiting another Marbled and another Silver in the QT tank), 3 Striped Kuhli Loaches and 3 Ghost Shrimp which were added last night (just the shrimp and the loaches). I have not seen anyone bothering each other at all; the Loaches and Shrimp have stayed mostly on the sand and not gone up top. Is this some sort of stress response to the new tank mates?

Photos:

side view

front view

 

[AnonyMissJ]

Anyone?

 

[Zekumi]

It looks pretty severe.
My guess would be that it's dropsy.

I can't imagine what else would make him/her pop out to quite that extent.

 

[WILDER]

Are scales sticking out.
Being bloated can be constipation, dropsy, swim bladder, internal parasites.
What do you feed the fish.
What does it look like when the fish goes to the toilet.
Is the anus enlarged or red and inflamed.
Can the fish maintain its balance in the water.
Epson salt baths to help draw the fluids out.
Try some peas aswell.