Bloated Syno Catfish.

[elizabethcarolyn]

Well, this is the first time I've actually posted something here - although I use this site quite regularly for fish help, or if I decide to try a route with a new fish. So here goes nothing!

I'm currently keeping up a 75g - in it is a Dinosaur Bichir (12"), an upside-down Syndodontis catfish (3"), a sucker fish (13"), two juvenile Managuense Cichlids (3-4"), and a 7" red-tailed shark (which yes, is risky with the Jaguar Cichlids, ).

My current issue is kind of iffy, as I can't tell if my Syno Cat is SUPPOSED to have a bloated looking belly or not. This is the first Syno I've ever had, so I'm not exactly experienced with him. The first few months I had him he was fine - he would swim up and down the side of my tank on his side of the tank, eat on a regular basis, etc.. then, I gradually made some huge changes in my tank (swapped substrate, upgraded filters, new driftwood) and suddenly he's become anti-social, and 90% of the time he's sitting in the bottom corner of my tank just breathing (picture below), the other 10% of the time he drifts through the water as if just the current is pushing him.

I haven't wanted to resort to medication, as I don't want to throw off any of the other fish in my tank - so I've tried to wait it out a week or two, but at this point, I'm genuinely worried. I spent a nice chunk of change on this guy, and as with any of my fish, I'm incredibly attached.

 

[Andrew McFadden]

Yikes that belly looks big! I'd say its bloated or something not sure if it will eat peas but it may be worth a try. Also try using Epson salt for a little while and see if it improves.

 

[bkiggy]

Mine looks the same. I don't know what's wrong? Pregnant maybe

 

[Crawdaddy]

Mine looks like that Austin Powers character Fat B***ard. Even my juvenile is getting his paunch. In my limited experience, it's normal. Her is a picture of my "big boy".



He is even bigger now, this was from 6 months ago or so.

 

[elizabethcarolyn]

Growth rate?

I'll try not feeding them for a day or two and see if my cat's belly goes down - if that doesn't help I'll try the Epson. Thanks!

Also, I wouldn't be so worried about the belly if my cat did more than sit on the bottom of my fish tank leaning against the glass for 20 hours of the day.. as it is, I rarely ever see him move from that exact spot (see picture in OP).

 

[Andrew McFadden]

I'll try not feeding them for a day or two and see if my cat's belly goes down - if that doesn't help I'll try the Epson. Thanks!

Also, do upside-down cat's grow to a different size vs a regular syndodontis? Mine's teeny tiny and I've had him for quite awhile now. At least 6 months.

No problem anytime
I've never owned one but the ones I've seen at stores normally have kinda a belly but in your pic it looks to me to be kinda over sized. But not sure on that

 

[Convict2161]

This happens to mine every now and again. I read somewhere that it would be constipation. I don't really do anything different and the stomach always just goes down. I swear it looks like its gonna blow!!

Still have them and there fine.