Very Fat Lemon Tetra

[xgillian89x]

I just noticed one of my lemon tetras is extremely fat. It's swimming about fine and eating normally but has a perfectly round belly. Anyone know what this could be?

 

[looking-glass]

is your water ok? have you been feeding a lot lately could just be full

 

[star4]

Could be constipated, try a little de-shelled cooked pea see if it goes down any. I have a single neon that is an absolute pig at feeding time that always has a rounded belly, the other neons are normal.

 

[xgillian89x]

Yeah my waters all fine, it was just as I was about to feed them that I noticed it, unless it's ate an algae wafer my plec maybe hid in the plants. I'll give it a pea just now and see how it is in the morning. It's acting fine otherwise. Let you know how it is tomorrow, thanks

 

[DoubleDutch]

Gravid female ??

 

[xgillian89x]

I really don't know, today one of my other lemon tetras was almost white, I went out, came home and it was back to normal. The other one is still really fat, I'm going to give it another pea. They're all still swimming about quite happy so maybe it is pregnant? Only ever dealt with live bearers before so I wouldn't know how to tell with tetras, don't even know if they are male or female. I only have 3 left as 5 have died but they are coming up 5 years old so I think that's a good age for them.

 

[looking-glass]

would you be able to upload a pic? someone on here might be able to advise better then

 

[DoubleDutch]

Crushed garlic is often advised too up their immune system.

 

[xgillian89x]

I don't have access to a computer and I borrowed my friends phone to take a pic but it's too large to upload and my ipad takes terrible pictures. I have 2 pictures here so I'll try figure out photo bucket, I'm not very technical lol

 

[xgillian89x]

<iframe width="480" height="360" src="http/s908.photobucket.com/user/xgillian89x/embed/slideshow/Mobile%20Uploads"></iframe>

Don't know if I've done it right or not?

 

[star4]

Is the bulge the same shape both sides? the second picture looks like there is a dark patch, but to me it looks to be in the wrong spot to be eggs, but I have not kept lemon tetra so I could be wrong on that. Keep trying with de-shelled peas, as DD suggested you can soak the peas in garlic which has antibacterial properties and will help boost the immune system. If the peas do not work it might be a tumour.

 

[xgillian89x]

Yes it's the same at both sides, and there is a dark patch on both sides. It's hanging about down the bottom of the tank now which isn't like it so I don't think that's a good sign. Will get garlic later and give it a try.

 

[xgillian89x]

Well my tetra is still alive, I have given it peas and garlic but it still hasn't went down any. It has been doing the toilet so not constipated. It hung about at the bottom of the tank for a day but swimming about as normal again and still eating fine. Fish are a mystery sometimes lol. I don't know what a pregnant tetra looks like so might well be eggs if it's in the right place? I really don't know, I'm still keeping an eye on it anyway.