Acarichthys Heckelii

[Xaviersmum]

My chiclid is unwell can some body help. I have an Acarichthys Heckelii who is about 3 years old, he last week started to swim strange with his bottom down as if heavy, the aquatic shop said he maybe constipated and to give him lots of red blod worm, we did this and also put some medicine in the tank as intructed for internal parasites. Over the week he is acting as if he is getting heavier and heavier and now hardly is able to move from the bottom of the tank. He today has sstayed there all day, only to move a little when food arraived. His colour is not bad - most of the time high, and he also has two large boil types things appeared on his pectral fin. I have pictures of him and his boils. He does look slightly bloated. We have 300 litre tank and have always struggled with nitarte and currently are trying to bring as low as possible. No one appears to know what is wrong and we are very worried as he is our baby. PLEASE CAN SOMEONE HELP!!!!!!! Thanks

 

[KathyM]

I can't believe the fish shop advised you to give bloodworm for constipation - they sound like right muppets. It's just it's well known for causing constipation and should only be given sparingly as part of a varied diet. The other problems I can't help with and will leave for people far more qualified than me, but best of luck!

 

[Xaviersmum]

I can't believe the fish shop advised you to give bloodworm for constipation - they sound like right muppets. It's just it's well known for causing constipation and should only be given sparingly as part of a varied diet. The other problems I can't help with and will leave for people far more qualified than me, but best of luck!

Thanks for your reply. Do you know what I can give him - should he be constipated. Someone said peas? Can they be constipated for a week and find it hard to swim?

 

[Nevergone815]

I can't believe the fish shop advised you to give bloodworm for constipation - they sound like right muppets. It's just it's well known for causing constipation and should only be given sparingly as part of a varied diet. The other problems I can't help with and will leave for people far more qualified than me, but best of luck!

Thanks for your reply. Do you know what I can give him - should he be constipated. Someone said peas? Can they be constipated for a week and find it hard to swim?

well here are my suggestions (from what i know to do). try fasting him for a couple of days (like 3 or so) to see if he can clear the blockage himself. if you're having troubles with nitrates you might be overfeeding and that is a major cause for constipation. try fassting him and see if he clears up. if that doesn't work, feed him cooked shelled peas (dont know how this works as i've never done it sucessfully and the fish never ate them, idk why ) but i think you might want them to cool a bit. let him eat those, they act like a laxative for the fish. dont feed them anything else until it's cleared and you should be fine.

constipation can last a while and since the well... i cant put the words of what i think of the guy at the lfs that told you to use bloodworms, they are a blockage waiting to happen, it will take a bit longer. as kathy said they should be fed as a "treat" sparingly everyonce i na while. the most i ever gave my fish bloodworms was once a week and that was a day they ate nothing else.

good luck and i hope the fella pulls through for you. . i think i covered everything...

 

[Xaviersmum]

I can't believe the fish shop advised you to give bloodworm for constipation - they sound like right muppets. It's just it's well known for causing constipation and should only be given sparingly as part of a varied diet. The other problems I can't help with and will leave for people far more qualified than me, but best of luck!

Thanks for your reply. Do you know what I can give him - should he be constipated. Someone said peas? Can they be constipated for a week and find it hard to swim?

well here are my suggestions (from what i know to do). try fasting him for a couple of days (like 3 or so) to see if he can clear the blockage himself. if you're having troubles with nitrates you might be overfeeding and that is a major cause for constipation. try fassting him and see if he clears up. if that doesn't work, feed him cooked shelled peas (dont know how this works as i've never done it sucessfully and the fish never ate them, idk why ) but i think you might want them to cool a bit. let him eat those, they act like a laxative for the fish. dont feed them anything else until it's cleared and you should be fine.

constipation can last a while and since the well... i cant put the words of what i think of the guy at the lfs that told you to use bloodworms, they are a blockage waiting to happen, it will take a bit longer. as kathy said they should be fed as a "treat" sparingly everyonce i na while. the most i ever gave my fish bloodworms was once a week and that was a day they ate nothing else.

good luck and i hope the fella pulls through for you. . i think i covered everything...

Thanks for that - hoping he pulls through

 

[Nevergone815]

no problem

i have every part of my body crossed that he pulls through for you (i'm sure he will, but jsut for that added insurance ya know? )