Help! Newbie with pregnant Siamese Algae Eater???

[jamykids]

Got a tank in Nov. for 4 year old son. Picked up a dozen Neon, and 2 Siamese Algae Eaters, and a albino bottom feeder. Well, one of the SAE's is suddenly looking really puffed out. I don't think it has bloat because the fins are lying flat and her scales aren't sticking out. I bought a breeding tank insert and put her in there a few days ago. What else should I be looking for? I thought these things weren't supposed to breed in captivity.? I change the water infrequently (about once every 3 or 4 weeks) and it runs around 21 degrees celsius.
Not sure what to do now with this fish. How long should I leave it in there? I can't even get info on how to figure out if she/he is really pregnant (or the gender of the thing). Any help? Thanks...

 

[TCTFish]

First thing you should do is a full water test...ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH. Check temp and you may want to do 15% water change every two weeks. What kind of filter do you have?

Feed frozen pea shells just in case the fish is constipated.

 

[Bearfan]

There are no known incidents of breeding true SAEs in captivity.

I'd look for something else.

 

[jamykids]

I did a water change about 5 days ago... It was more like 35% water change, but I'll try again. I don't have testing stuff for the tank yet as I wasn't really going to get that into it. It was just entertainment for my son, but it's amazing how concerned I am about the poor little thing now.
Constipated? So far as I know, the only thing the SAE eats, is algae. I don't even offer it anything else. Unless it's eating some of the flakes that hit the bottom of the tank.
I have a Penguin Mini filter, which takes Carbon filters. I just changed that about 5 days ago too. I use our well water (not city treated water) which has almost no minerals in it, and certainly not chlorine. The SAE has been in the breeder tank for about 4 days now, and still looking very fat.
Another quiry.... If the neons are pregnant, will they just look fat? Should I separate them from the others or will the fry/eggs survive okay on their own?
As I mentioned, I'm not too knowledgable yet about this stuff. I appreciate the help... Thanks.

 

[Menagerie]

[center:6added9215] Welcome to AA, jamykids!! [/center:6added9215]

I don't have testing stuff for the tank yet as I wasn't really going to get that into it.

It's not a matter of getting that into it, it's a matter of a responsible pet ownership. It's not hard and you will loose less fish by keeping the water parameters perfect. Plus, you do get concerned for the fish, as you found out

Unless it's eating some of the flakes that hit the bottom of the tank.

All fish will eat what is available and this fish is filling up on snacks. You need to feed less, so no food is sitting on the bottom of the tank.

If the neons are pregnant, will they just look fat?

If the neons are gravid (carrying eggs), they will be a bit fatter. I wouldn't worry about the eggs/fry as they will be eaten before you ever see them (your son will never know). If you are interested in breeding them, you will really need a different tank. For now, let nature take its course.

To treat bloat, I use frozen peas, nuke them for a few seconds, peel them and serve. Most fish appreciate some veggies in their diet and this article that I wrote will help.

21*C is very chilly for the fish. Tropical fish like temps of 78-80*F, 25-27*C. Begin raising the temp slowly.

How large is the tank and what is the feeding schedule? Also getting the water parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH) will be helpful. Since you don't have the test kits, bring a sample to the LFS and ask them to test. Ask for the exact values and write them down to let us know. Do not accept, ammonia is fine, nitrites high....

 

[jamykids]

Okay... I'm slowly getting there...

I went out and picked up a heater for the tank. It's now at about 26 degrees. And the fish are way more active. Is that normal? Were they just too chilly?
Oh yeah, tank is 20 gal. and we feed flakes every night... About a nickle sized pinch, crushed up for all the fish... 10 full-sized neons, 4 convicts, 1 bottom feeder and these 2 algae eaters.
I also picked up a ph testing kit. The ph is at 7.4 Our regular tap water is 7.2. Does that tell you anything? I'm not sure where you said to get the water tested... You used a short form that I'm not familiar with. We have one pet store in our little town and a brand new Wal-Mart. I'm not sure if anyone tests waterfor that kind of stuff, but I'll check back with the pet store.
Our tank has been really stable about losing fish. It was new in Nov. and we have only lost 1 neon and that was the day after we got the fish. It has been really clear, not cloudy either. Oh, yeah, we lost an elephant nose fish. (very cool black thing that we picked up at Wal-Mart) but I think we weren't feeding it the right stuff as it only lasted for 3 days. We'll do more research next time.
I'm going to try to take a couple of pics of this big algae eater and see if you guys can properly identify him/her. She/He's starting to look alot different than the other one I have in the tank, in that the color is changing and he's kind of speckled... less gold and more of a grey/brown color. I took him out of the breeder tank as he/she seemed to be kind of freaked out in there being so exposed.
Thanks for the help and advice so far.