bloated afra, some questions. please help

[joel618]

Thursday I noticed that one of my cobue was acting bloated but wouldn't come out of hiding. I had to leave town Friday so they have not been fed since Thursday. The light has been out but my windows were open so they got some light. I came home tonight and she is still hiding out alot. One pectoral fin is moving fast and the other hardly at all. However, she has been a little more active, but still not acting quite right. She is showing darker barring than I have ever seen her display.

Should I try to feed her blanched peas? if so immediately? ( i will drive 20 minutes to super walmart if it means saving my fish...).

Also should I add epsom salt? if so how much? (I have read many different opinions on this. unfortunately I don't have a QT tank.)

I don't understand why this keeps happening. I feed them NLS thera-a formula and blanched zucchini. I feed them once a day at most. I try to skip every third day. I give them a variety of foods. Maybe once a week i will give them a hikari algae wafer.

My water is good, I keep up with my pwc's. I have 13 large cichlid stones (along with other things) piled in the middle of the tank so cover shouldn't be an issue.

idk why in the past month Ive had 2 omnivores get bloat (the lab died), but my herbivore Acie have been thriving. .

thank you all in advance.

 

[joel618]

Forgot the pics

 

[joel618]

I fed them some blanched deshelled peas this morning. She still has no interest in eating and is looking worse. Im going to add epsome salt tonight.

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

yes, add some epsom salt.
i think its not bad atm, so u can do this jic.
imo its just not very hungry, sometimes my old kenyi wuldnt eat and was quite a fatty lol.
how does it behave? x

 

[joel618]

yes, add some epsom salt.
i think its not bad atm, so u can do this jic.
imo its just not very hungry, sometimes my old kenyi wuldnt eat and was quite a fatty lol.
how does it behave? x

Has been hiding out alot. Not swimming to great me like normal. Today she looks bloated for sure. One pectoral is moving fine and the other is being held out and barely moving. How much salt should I add? I've read a couple different things.

 

[joel618]

Now she is in her cave kind of swimming on her side, I think she is about to die.

 

[joel618]

Still alive, looking a little better today. Still not excited to see me but out of hiding. It has been hanging out by my hob in the top 3rd of the tank. That is still unusual behavior. No one may care but I will continue to update. Lol

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

i think it is a swimbladder issue, maybe even worms. can u do a checklist:
1) colour of body compared to normal
2) area it stays in usually
3) breathing rate
4) poop colour/ consistency
5) what symptoms did the labs show?
thanks for updates, its all helps!

 

[joel618]

i think it is a swimbladder issue, maybe even worms. can u do a checklist:
1) colour of body compared to normal
2) area it stays in usually
3) breathing rate
4) poop colour/ consistency
5) what symptoms did the labs show?
thanks for updates, its all helps!

The belly seems to be lighter colored than usual, it was showing really dark barring yesterday.

It usually occupies all parts of the tank and acts happy to see me. Now it is rather non-responsive.

Breathing rate seems a bit increased.

Havent seen it poop in all this. Some of them have had stringy white poop but I thought it may be from feeding zucchini.

The lab was reclusive, non responsive, sitting in a cave/ on the bottom. Died in about 3 or 4 days.

 

[joel618]

Would it hurt to add Epsom salt and jungle parasite clear tablets?

 

[joel618]

Last night she was acting more normal, I did a pwc and added 8tspn of Epsom salt. Woke up this morning and she was dead.

I don't get it...

 

[joel618]

On the up side I have an acei holding! Will the Epsom salt hurt the eggs?

 

[Mouth-Brooder-Fanatic]

i think the other fish was constipated since it was bloated, didnt want to eat and didnt poop. epsom isnt the normal thing for constipation (i dont think), people use tinned peas (whole or squashed) or brine shrimp and daphnia to act as laxatives while cutting out pellets and/or the flake food til the fish is back to normal.
i think you should leave it personally, especially since the tank is that happy that an acei is now holding - and btw, congrats!!! x

 

[joel618]

What you think? Sorry pics suck. She hasn't been eating, but her jaw is puffed a bit. She isn't in a cave but hanging out around some driftwood in the corner.