Malawi bloat or just plain fat

[gadazobe]

I have a malawi tank with some marble aulonocaras amongst other fish. They are getting really big and have huge appetites - gobbling up as much as they can as quick as they can As a result of this they are getting pop-bellied. Or could they be suffering from malawi bloat. They seem fine, swimming around, no other visual problems - just fat. Do I have a problem or am I just imagining things - being the over protective mother that I am

 

[Macquatic]

They're just fat!! Beware though, feed a varied diet. Bloat can easily be caused with the exclusive use of flake. I actually use goldfish pellets for the Malawis I look after, high in veggie matter and low in protein. Mac.

 

[cichlidmaster]

First of all...what do you feed them?

Second...how often do you feed them?

It is wise to feed no more than twice daqily and only small amounts at that.

I usually let my fish fast every Sunday....no food at all. This helps aid the fish in purging their digestive tract.

Feed a varied diet and you can't go wrong. Include some veggie matter such as a good spirulina flake or veggie flake.

 

[gadazobe]

Their main food is TetraDiskus - small granules of mixed veggie protein (I think) Twice a week they get a piece of either cucumber or courgette (they love both) and maybe once every two weeks frozen bloodworm or tubifex. I feed them once a day, every evening and they all go crazy for a couple of minutes, especially the featherfins and marbles and after 2 or 3 minutes I can't see any food lying around - if there is, then the bristlenose and featherfins polish it off when the rest are sleeping.

 

[semper fi]

what temp do you keep your tank at? i find that in the lower temps the fish tend to look fatter since their metabolism is slower.

maggie