Senegal Birchir ... Please Help!

[CPQ]

Hi,

I've had a young senegal birchir for about 3 months now and I think there's something seriously wrong with him!

For a few weeks now he's been getting really really fat. I was worried but noticed it got worse when he ate so thought maybe I was just overfeeding him. I cut down his food but it doesn't seem to have made a difference. If anything, he's got bigger.

Today I cam home from work to find him lying at the surface of the tank on his side. He's breathing ... but really doesn't look good. His belly also seems to be a bit bloodshot maybe (although it might always have looked like this and ive just never seen his belly that close up before!) Can anyone help???

MY lfs is open til about 7 so i can go get any medicine that might help up until then!

erm ... a bit of information that you might ask for ...

he's in a rio 180 at the minute with an approx 8 inch plec (was told he was golden nugget but suspect he might be a common), an app 4 inch BGK, a 3 inch kissing gourami, a 3 1/2 inch 3 spot gourami and a synodontis petricola.

The only illnesses I've ever had in that tank are a spate of fungus but that was cleared up before i even got my birchir and, more recently, some white spot - but only effected my new duo of clown loaches who have been taken back.

I did an approx 40% water change on saturday

IT's a well planted tank with lots of caves and hidey holes that he likes to play in and I've not noticed any aggession between any of the fish. Him and the plec were a bit aggresive toward each other to start with but after about the first week they just ignored each other!


PLease please please help me .. any advice or suggestions appreciated!!

crystal

 

[geo7x]

What are your water parameters?

Is there any redness around the anus? Does it have stringy poo/ worm like poo? Either of these could mean internal parasites.

The bloating with redness under the skin could indicate a bacterial problem but I'm not too sure.

Have you seen the fish go to the toilet? It could also be constipation, I would tell you to feed peas but I know that a senegal wouldn't eat this.

 

[CPQ]

No - no redness around the anus.

His belly isnt so much red ... its just that you can see all his veins very clearly in his belly - it looks a bit like bloodshot eyes. The front part of his bloated belly looks almost silvery/white underneath and the back part is almost clear.

I havnt ever seen him go to the toilet that i recall. but this didnt concern me as i very rarely see any of my fish go. He's not very responsive so i dont think i could get him to eat anything even if it would help!

I thought maybe dropsy but no scales are raised (Another reason why i wasnt too concerned when he started getting fat - i presumed he was just growing and filling out) and today is the first sign of illness in terms of behaviour.

 

[Azaezl]

This may be a long shot but do you have large gravel in your tank? I lost a frog recently that ingested gravel from the shop I purchased it from and they have the same 'suction / vacum' type of feeding as a bichir, does it have any obvious lumps that you can see?

As already asked what are your water parameters? Any other symptoms? Do any of the other fish appear ill? Any chance of a picture?

 

[geo7x]

Redness around anus is another sign of dropsy besides bloating and raised scales, I don't think it's this as from what you've said it sounds like he doesn't have any other symptoms of dropsy besides being bloated and it's been like it for a while and dropsy is fatal pretty quickly.

Could you possibly get a picture of the veins? A picture of him generally would also be helpful.

To me it sounds like he's constipated, I wouldn't feed him for a few days and see if he gets better. It would explain him laying on his side a bit. Senegals do 'float' at the top of the tank sometimes, particularly juveniles. But if he looks in a really bad way then we may need a rethink.

As I say post some pictures if you can.

 

[CPQ]

The tank has really fine gravel. There's no gravel type lumps that I can see and I quite often watch him feed and havnt noticed him doing anything that might risk him ingesting the gravel. He tends to just grab lumps of food from the side and then take them somewhere quiet to chew on.

I'll go check my water parameters quickly but like i say they should be ok cos i only just did a big water change. I'll get back to u on that in 5 mins.

Mo other symptoms and the other fish seem absolutely fine. He's not had any symptoms (other than the fatnes) until today!

I'll go take a pic but I'll have to load it up on my laptop so i might be a few minutes!!

thank you for your replies so far guys1 I'm really worried im guna lose him!!!

 

[geo7x]

Doesn't sound like gravel then- there would definitely be lumps visible.

You describe "other symptoms", what are these? I know you said he doesn't look good but in what way? The laying his his side a bit would probably be a result of constipation if that's what it is.

Don't worry about it too much.

 

[CPQ]

He's just very lethergic. He's not responding if i wiggle my fingers in the water near him when he would normally either swim up to me (looking for food) or run away - depending on his mood. He looked like he was gasping a bit earlier but he's not now - he's not breathing any faster or slower than normal either.

If it is contipation is there anything i can do to get rid of it? his diet consists of prawn and bloodworm and he gets fed every few days (although il admit i do tend to overfeed as the plec gobbles things up quite quickly and i like to give the birchir and BGK a chance). i do put cucumber in there quite regularly and ocassionally peas but iv never seen him touch either of those!

 

[geo7x]

He doesn't sound too bad, just as lethargic as you would expect if a fish has constipation!

To be honest I'm really not sure what you can do apart from not feed him, don't worry about the other fish they can go without food for a few days.

Are you still getting some pictures? They will really help so I can actually see how severe it is.

I'm just waiting for someone with more expertise on fish disease than me so we can get a further opinion

 

[CPQ]

I've taken some pics ... just trying to lay my hands on the cable to post them.

He's trying to swim now and it seems to me thatthe back bit of his bulge (the bit i said was see-through) is full of air. He keeps trying to swim down and that bit of his body wont go below the surface. and when he tries to turn himself the right way up he keeps rolling over again. its almost like an armband (like u use in swimming). it just wont stay below the water surface. hes started struggling a bit and flailing and then he just gives up again!

Anyone know what that is? really severe constipation? or something worse? Is there anything i can do to help him?

Thank you guys

 

[CPQ]

Sorry ... I'm having real trouble finding the cable to upload pictures ... but im still looking i promise.

water's fine - nitrite and ammonia no trace and nitrate barely changing colour (so not even 5).