rainbow fish with pinkish belly?

[Mark Z.]

I am wondering if anyone can identify this problem with my young boesmoni rainbow fish. His lower belly area is pinkish and seems a bit sunken in. He is eating fine and has plenty of energy. I removed him from a 55-gallon with five other rainbow fish to a 10-gallon quarantine tank. I imagine he has some sort of internal parasite? I have had him about six months and he was the last new fish added to the tank. All others have been in there for years.
Thanks,
Mark

 

[Colin_T]

It looks like the scales have come off, which is odd.

It could be the start of an ulcer.

Intestinal worms don't normally cause that.

Is there any other fish in the tank besides rainbows?
Maybe a cichlid grabbed it.

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I would try adding salt (1-2 heaped tablespoons per 20 litres of water). Keep salt in the tank for 2 weeks and see if it helps.

If it gets worse or changes in any way, post more pics.

Make sure the fish get plenty of plant mater in their diet. Rainbowfish need at least half of their diet made up from plant based foods.

 

[Mark Z.]

Thank you! I will add the salt. I do actually add duckweed to the aquarium each week and the rainbow fish eat it all.

There are two tapajo cichlids in the tank also. They seem to not bother with the rainbows at all, but I guess it is possible that one grabbed him.

Thank you!

 

[Sgooosh]

Thank you! I will add the salt. I do actually add duckweed to the aquarium each week and the rainbow fish eat it all.

There are two tapajo cichlids in the tank also. They seem to not bother with the rainbows at all, but I guess it is possible that one grabbed him.

Thank you!

wowww
do you think madagascans will eat duckweed too?
theyre the ones that i like the most and if they have this benefit i will love them in my tank

 

[Colin_T]

There are two tapajo cichlids in the tank also.

Unless the Geophagus cichlids are big enough to eat the rainbows, it is unlikely they did anything.

Add the salt, keep feeding them duckweed (my fish would clear a tank in a few days) and monitor for any change.


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do you think madagascans will eat duckweed too?

Some do and some don't. Try them and see how they go. My Madagascans learnt to eat different things from the other types of rainbowfish in the tank. If you have one fish that eats the duckweed, chances are others will try it too.

 

[Mark Z.]

Thank you again!!!

 

[Sgooosh]

Unless the Geophagus cichlids are big enough to eat the rainbows, it is unlikely they did anything.

Add the salt, keep feeding them duckweed (my fish would clear a tank in a few days) and monitor for any change.


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Some do and some don't. Try them and see how they go. My Madagascans learnt to eat different things from the other types of rainbowfish in the tank. If you have one fish that eats the duckweed, chances are others will try it too.

dang, the only thing that tries to eat duckweed is my mystery snails
they shall learn from the wise masters of S N A L E
will they learn how to filter sand from the cories, because when i added the cories, my guppies filtered sand for like 2 months