Bloated congo tetra

[shellyx]

Hi I have a bloated female congo tetra, all other fish are fine , no new fish had these guys for nearly 3yrs. Can these get egg bound? No pine coning.
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrite 5
Ph 7
Can't upload pic any help appreciate

 

[Andy Sager]

Are you sure it's bloated or is it just full of eggs? Yes, a picture would help. Here's how:
Under the section where you are typing your post, there is a section called " additional options". Click on the button that says "manage attachments". There you will see " Choose file". Choose your picture file to attach and either double click or hit open. Once you see the file listed in the box, click " upload at the bottom of the box.
That's all there is to it.

Another option is to use an outside picture source like Imgur or Dropbox where you would follow their directions for posting photos and then copy the link of their file in your post.

Be aware that there is a limit to how many pictures you can post in threads but I have used this workaround for that. Once I hit my limit, I added photos to an album on my profile page and then post the URL to that file in my post. ( like this: https://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/members/41382-albums3036.html or this: https://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/members/41382-albums3036-picture70550.html )


Hope this helps.

 

[shellyx]

https://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/members/47381-albums9253-picture73253.html

 

[shellyx]

Thanks Andy let me know if this works

 

[Andy Sager]

Thanks Andy let me know if this works

It worked just fine.
If you are talking about the top fish in the picture ( the female), that's a normal looking gravid female. She's loaded with eggs and ready to spawn. Unless she has stopped eating, I would do nothing different from what you have been doing.

Just an FYI, egg laying fish can go a whole lifetime carrying eggs and never spawning so no extra care is necessary.

 

[shellyx]

Thanks Andy
Sh doesn't seem interested in eating at the moment should I be concerned

 

[Andy Sager]

Thanks Andy
Sh doesn't seem interested in eating at the moment should I be concerned

Watch her behavior. Is she being harassed by a male or other fish? Is she staying with the school or isolating herself? Are the male Congos " dancing" for her? ( Dancing is how Tetras get the females to want to spawn.)

 

[shellyx]

She's not harrased, staying with the school and the boy's aren't dancing for her.
She does seem to be breathing more heavier than normal but I thought that was due to her size.

 

[Andy Sager]

She's not harrased, staying with the school and the boy's aren't dancing for her.
She does seem to be breathing more heavier than normal but I thought that was due to her size.

If you can upload a 1 minute video of the fish breathing heavily, that would help.

 

[shellyx]

If you can upload a 1 minute video of the fish breathing heavily, that would help.

Tried uploading video and it isn't working, I'll keep trying

 

[Andy Sager]

You may need to upload the video to Youtube or similar and them post the link to it here. I don't see an acceptable format for videos in the Manage Attachments portal.

 

[shellyx]

Hope it works ill delete after you've watched

 

[Andy Sager]

Hope it works ill delete after you've watched

This is why a video even beats a picture for diagnosing. From the side, she looks " normal". From the bottom however, she's obviously not " normal". This could be eggbound or the beginning of Dropsy.
If you can get antibiotics where you are, I would start her on Kanamycin ( Sold as Seachem's Kanaplex) or Minocycline ( sold as Maracyn 2) in a separate Hospital tank. ( Because your Ph is 7.0, if you can get Nitrofuracin Green, a Kanamycin/ Nitrofuricin green combination will be a more broad spectrum treatment.) In the mean time, start her on Epson salt baths to try and relax the muscles. If she is eggbound, that can help her be able to push out the bad eggs. If it's dropsy, it can help reduce the swelling. Either way, the antibiotics can help address any bacterial issues that can arrive from being eggbound or organ failures in the case of Dropsy.

 

[shellyx]

This is why a video even beats a picture for diagnosing. From the side, she looks " normal". From the bottom however, she's obviously not " normal". This could be eggbound or the beginning of Dropsy.
If you can get antibiotics where you are, I would start her on Kanamycin ( Sold as Seachem's Kanaplex) or Minocycline ( sold as Maracyn 2) in a separate Hospital tank. ( Because your Ph is 7.0, if you can get Nitrofuracin Green, a Kanamycin/ Nitrofuricin green combination will be a more broad spectrum treatment.) In the mean time, start her on Epson salt baths to try and relax the muscles. If she is eggbound, that can help her be able to push out the bad eggs. If it's dropsy, it can help reduce the swelling. Either way, the antibiotics can help address any bacterial issues that can arrive from being eggbound or organ failures in the case of Dropsy.

How much epsom salt should I use, haven't had to do this before. Could I do the baths in a separate tank or bucket?
Thanks for the help

 

[Andy Sager]

How much epsom salt should I use, haven't had to do this before. Could I do the baths in a separate tank or bucket?
Thanks for the help

The dosage is 1 tablespoon of Epsom Salt per gallon of water. Your tank water is clean enough that you can use tank water in a separate container for this. Dissolve the E. salt and then place the fish in the container for 20-30 minutes. ( less time if the fish gets overly stressed, as in laying down.) You'll want to keep her in a separate tank for ease in capturing since you should do the baths 2-3 times per day. By using your tank water, there will be less stress due to a different water parameter when she goes into and out of the bath.

 

[shellyx]

The dosage is 1 tablespoon of Epsom Salt per gallon of water. Your tank water is clean enough that you can use tank water in a separate container for this. Dissolve the E. salt and then place the fish in the container for 20-30 minutes. ( less time if the fish gets overly stressed, as in laying down.) You'll want to keep her in a separate tank for ease in capturing since you should do the baths 2-3 times per day. By using your tank water, there will be less stress due to a different water parameter when she goes into and out of the bath.

Thank you for the help Andy
I'll let you know how it goes

 

[shellyx]

I've gave her 3 baths, I think she's not as big but not 100% sure.
How many times can I do this?

 

[Andy Sager]

I've gave her 3 baths, I think she's not as big but not 100% sure.
How many times can I do this?

Continue daily until you get the meds. If the organs are damaged, she will be intaking water daily so you need to help her get rid of it daily. At this point, the saving grace is that she isn't pine coning so there's still a chance of recovery. The issue is not knowing for sure if the organs are damaged beyond repair. That you won't know for sure until she either recovers and stops swelling or she passes. Sadly, this situation is a long term recovery, not a quick fix.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Continue daily until you get the meds.(

Both the medications you list won't be available to shellyx without a vets prescription.

 

[shellyx]

Continue daily until you get the meds. If the organs are damaged, she will be intaking water daily so you need to help her get rid of it daily. At this point, the saving grace is that she isn't pine coning so there's still a chance of recovery. The issue is not knowing for sure if the organs are damaged beyond repair. That you won't know for sure until she either recovers and stops swelling or she passes. Sadly, this situation is a long term recovery, not a quick fix.

Thanks, I'll keep doing the epsom salt baths. Can't get the medicine here In the uk sadly.
My husband thought she looked like her scales were sticking out yesterday, I haven't noticed that myself.
Keeping my fingers crossed she gets better