Rummy Nose Tetras...dropsy?

[MrsM]

hi all, im worried 3 out of 5 of my rummy nose have dropsy...their bellies are more swollen than the other two, i also know that these 3 are the newest ones ive added....ill attatch a pic pls tell me how to help them....all of the rummynoses still have a very red face...
all water levels are ok, 0 for amm and nitrite and 30(ish) for nitrate....
tank inmates..3 cory 5 rummynose, tank is 80L, no plants..
currently having a diatoms outbreak....
the 2 lowest on the pic and the one higest....dropsy....the 2nd fish down has a smooth tapered belly, the 3 in question have an obvious bulge

 

[fluttermoth]

Are their scales sticking out, MrsM?

 

[MrsM]

no, not that i can see, just look pregnant! i know they are most probably not, but it gives you the idea of how big there bellies look compared to the others....they eat fine, still shoaling, faces red(pic is crappy quality, in reality there faces are very red)

 

[fluttermoth]

I would hazard a guess that you're overfeeding. It's very easily done, and fish have no mechanism to tell them they're full, unlike mammals, so will carry on eating until they run out of food. I would not feed them for a couple of days and see if their bellies go down again before you start panicking.

A good, large water change would also be a good idea; that should always be the first thing you do, if you ever see fish that don't look 'right'.

 

[MrsM]

im doing 40% Wcs every other day to deal with the free floating diatoms....i did a 40% WC yesterday, should i do another today...and how large is large? 75%??...fish will be fasted unti lthe weekend

 

[fluttermoth]

Yes, a 75%, or above, is what I'd call a large water change. Might do some good and certainly wont do any harm.

 

[KittyKat]

It does indeed sound like overfeeding or inappropriate food. Do not feed at all for at least the next 24-48 hours, then reduce feeding amounts to 1/4 and work from there.

On an unrelated note: I highly recommend that you get your schooling fish into nice schools: the behaviour is so much more interesting and they look much better that way too.

 

[MrsM]

On an unrelated note: I highly recommend that you get your schooling fish into nice schools: the behaviour is so much more interesting and they look much better that way too.

thanks im still stocking my new tank hoping to have more rummy and more cory....ie..bigger schools

 

[MrsM]

I would hazard a guess that you're overfeeding. It's very easily done, and fish have no mechanism to tell them they're full, unlike mammals, so will carry on eating until they run out of food. I would not feed them for a couple of days and see if their bellies go down again before you start panicking.

A good, large water change would also be a good idea; that should always be the first thing you do, if you ever see fish that don't look 'right'.

think you were right the 3 rummynose have a more normal looking belly today....when should i feed them again.? Ive only skipped one days feeding......

 

[fluttermoth]

I would leave them today and feed again tomorrow (but with less food, obviously!).

 

[MrsM]

yes indeed

 

[Flute]

I'd try feeding them cooked, deshelled and smooshed up pea tomorrow, which should aid their digestion after being a bit bloated

 

[fluttermoth]

^ Yes, great idea, Flute.

 

[MrsM]

Got peas from town...theyre frozen....how do i do this properly please? I have 2 small cory 1 adult and 5 rummy nose tetras, how much will i feed them

 

[sadguppy]

Put them in a mug with boiling water for a minute or two, then strain it and when they're cool enough squidge them to remove their shells, chuck the shell away as they can't digest it well, and then squidge the inside of the pea between your fingers into the tank. No more than a half pea per fish is necessary.