Sunken Belly

[Jellyfish521]

I bought 2 electric yellow from a pet shop. I realised when I got home it has a sunken belly. I read on a forum that this was caused due to a parasite. I went back to pet shop and spoke to the owner about this, he said it was a breeding default. So my question is how do I find out if it is a parasite or a breeding issue?

 

[Roz]

Could you try treating for parasites and then see what happens?

 

[Berylla]

I would take it back. It's not really fair that the minute you buy a fish, you need to treat.

 

[Jellyfish521]

Return Fish

Hi - Yes i should have returned the fish straight away. I did go back to the store to ask the owner and he said that it was a breeding deformity. He then got a little angry at me for suggesting the fish had a parasite. And no I dont really want to treat unless I know as I have other fish in the tank. Do you know if the other fish are affected if I do decide to treat.

 

[Berylla]

I'm sure he became angry. He doesn't want to take responsibility for his livestock. If you just purchased the fish, your fish are probably safe for now. I would take back.

 

[SonicsDC25]

Try feeding them to see if their stomach is still sunken in and what color their waste is, in addition to whether or not it's stringy. If so, definitely a parasite and should be taken back and tell him the results of the feeding. If he still gets angry, then you know you're better off at another LFS who actually knows what they're talking about.

 

[Berylla]

I don't think there is any point keeping the fish. They will only contaminate your tanks and cause problems. A sunken belly is a very good sign there is something terribly wrong. It's not your job to fix this fish.

 

[Jellyfish521]

Fish Hospital

Thanks for all the advice. I have bought a fish hospital and placed the yellow in the hospital. He has been getting more food as he is separated from the rest of the tank, hes eating more than usual and it looks like his belly is filling out. Not 100% sure. Now he in hospital I can monitor the excretions from the fish.