Very Fat Skunk Loach!

[Creature Seeker]

I have two skunk loaches in my tank that my brother passed on to me from his rather dirty tank that he no longer wanted to keep.

One was always slightly bigger than the other but within the last 6 months one has got an extremely fat belly and I'm worried that he in harbouring a dropsy epidemic!

I saw another rather fat skunk loach, although not as fat as mine, in a fish store the other day and asked the staff why it was. They said he had just been fed and many fish get like that. They also said that me issue may be the difference between male and females species.

I can try and get an image if needed, but has anyone else experience something similar?

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[WILDER]

Bloating up can be constipation, so what do you feed the fish, as to many dried foods are bad for fish, i would try some shelled peas on him, and if you are over feeding cut it down.
Is he resting to one side and has his colour gone pale or dark, and is he acting his normal self no weird behavour.

 

[Creature Seeker]

Thanks for your reply.

I feed two pinches of flake food one morning and then two cubes of frozen blood worms the next morning and continue this pattern with brine shimp once at the weekend.

His colour is fine and he is as lively as ever (often chases his friend). He sometimes sits a bit funny but it's because of his large belly!lol.

Can a fish be constipated for over 6 months?

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[WILDER]

No i doubt it, i would get some veg into his diet, frozen foods are good as long as there varied, i try to feed a different one every day like bloodworm, daphnia which is very good for digesting there food, brimestrimp, black and white worm etc, plus veg.
I would research the diet needs of your fish.
Check to see what colour it is when he goes to the toilet that can tell you alot.

I think he on the wrong diet and you are also over feeding.
Here is a link to constipation.
If he's been blown up for six months i doubt its a bacterial infection, i would change his diet for now to see if it makes any difference.
http/www.bobstropicalfish.com/constipation.html

Load advice on here to feeding from veg to frozen foods.
http/www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/health/viruses.shtml

 

[Creature Seeker]

Thanks very much for your help.

I really hope it is just constipation as I'd hate it to be dropsy.

The only concern I have is that still shows great interest in eating which I though a constipated fish wouldn't.

I shall seperate the fish from his tank mates as that link suggests.

Thank you.

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[sylvia]

I'd guess it's just a female and the other's a male but a picture could help. The thing is, if it's been like that for so long, it's very unlikely to be dropsy (the symptom termed 'dropsy' often appears in the advanced stages of internal bacterial infections - usualy, at this point, the fish is near death).
It also can't be constipation or bloating unless it changes quite regularly as a fish cannot be constipated for six months . Also, it should have lost its appetite by now!
Having said that, varying the diet is always a good idea - whether the fish is healthy or not. On the other hand, loaches aren't usualy big on vegetables so live/frozen foods - especialy daphnia - are more likely to get it interested.

 

[Creature Seeker]

I managed to take some photos of him this evening as he was being very lively.

Excuse the quality as my camera phone doesn't take pics to well.

Whatcha think?

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[WILDER]

They just look tubby to me, i would cut down on there feeding abit, i have a tubby goldfish.