Swollen Baby Bns

[LakeyGal]

I'm concerned about some of my Bristlenose babies, had a batch of fry bout 2 months back which I grew to an inch and then distributed round my community tanks to grow a bit more.

Tank 2 - cycled 2 months, no recent media change levels fine - ALL BNs about 1.25 inches normal spritely confident younguns.

Tank 1 - cycled & mature by 18 months, no recent media changes levels fine - half the young BNs about 1.25 inches normal etc but the other half seem to have really swollen bellies and aren't growing. No other fish show problems it's just some of the babies seem to be growing in the middle rather than proportionally....could it be a parasite of some sort - If so are there any UK products that are best?

Have given up trying to take pictures as the pesky little b*ggers have too many hidey holes - (both tanks get weekly water changes - using tapsafe as per norm)

They get algae wafers, sinking tablets, courgette and occasional bloodworm - tho not all at once, initially I thought they were just piggin' out but the fact they are different to their brothers/sistes is a puzzler...

Shouldn't be genetic either as parents are an albino & a common.

Any ideas gratefully absorbed..

 

[dylema]

I am having a problem with some fry being very bloated. I can't give you any answers sorry but here are a couple of pictures of one of my fry. Do they look like this?

On another forum two guys said they have recently had the same problem but as yet no one cant say why or how to fix it.

Just because their parents arn't related doesn't mean it is not a genetic problem. Yeach parent may still carry a copy of a deleterious reccessive gene which when a baby gets two copies the gene is expressed and causes a problem.

Dylan

 

[nurglespuss]

This is just a theory, but dried food could be the problem, as this can swell in the stomach, especially if some do consume a lot of it...

You could try some shelled peas, to see if this helps the digestive process. Also keep an eye out if any more start to swell, If they do, you could try removeing the healthy ones to a seperate tank if at all possible.

It could also be a bloat related to a vitamin deficiency, but I doubt this seeing as you are giving them a varied diet...

 

[LakeyGal]

I am having a problem with some fry being very bloated. I can't give you any answers sorry but here are a couple of pictures of one of my fry. Do they look like this?

Yeah, exactly like that.Will try them on some peas then. Strange fishes.

 

[-germ-]

Just a thought, i could be completely wrong, is bloodworm suitable at this early stage of their development?
High protein stuff like this is commonly linked to bloat and dropsy in other fish.....
I agree the dried food could certainly be a problem, are sinking pellets the same as catfish pellets?
What diet is reccomended for young Bns?

 

[LakeyGal]

Just a thought, i could be completely wrong, is bloodworm suitable at this early stage of their development?
High protein stuff like this is commonly linked to bloat and dropsy in other fish.....
I agree the dried food could certainly be a problem, are sinking pellets the same as catfish pellets?
What diet is reccomended for young Bns?

Well they are in a community tank so they mostly miss out on the bloodworm anyway as that gets snapped up, I thought the courgette & algae wafers were recommended but now I'm all confused.

I have decided not to feed anyone for a few days to see if that helps, if not I'll do a major tank sort and they will get removed

 

[dane261]

i have mine in a nano feed them on courgette and tetra algae waffers have put the nano in the range of sunlight coming through the window which gives them a good supply of algae all seem fine

cheers dane

 

[dylema]

I doubt it is from dry food alone. This may not help but I am fairly sure it is not the cause. I don't feed mine much dry food (maybe a quarter of their diet). Too much high protien food may be an issue. I fed some shrimp pellets (only a few though) and there is flakes every day. My BN generally get vegies almost every day. It is still a mystery to me.

 

[LakeyGal]

I doubt it is from dry food alone. This may not help but I am fairly sure it is not the cause. I don't feed mine much dry food (maybe a quarter of their diet). Too much high protien food may be an issue. I fed some shrimp pellets (only a few though) and there is flakes every day. My BN generally get vegies almost every day. It is still a mystery to me.

Other than being stupidly fat do yours seem happy enough.

 

[dylema]

No they are dropping like flies. I see them struggling to get a grip on anything and just rolling around on the gravel then I find them dead. . I was going to try and put one into a small bucket of tank water with epsom salts and see if it passed anything. This may also kill the little guy but I think they will all die anyway with no intervention so it can't hurt to try. I will let you know what happens.

 

[LakeyGal]

No they are dropping like flies. I see them struggling to get a grip on anything and just rolling around on the gravel then I find them dead. . I was going to try and put one into a small bucket of tank water with epsom salts and see if it passed anything. This may also kill the little guy but I think they will all die anyway with no intervention so it can't hurt to try. I will let you know what happens.

Thanks, just makes no sense to me vey confuzzled

 

[-germ-]

Sounds like dropsy....
Do they receive any vitamins? Are the pellets you feed; catfish pellets?
I'd seperate the bloated ones, on the off chance it may be bacterial.
Put them on a no protein diet, keep the water perfect (whats your PH by the way) and see how that goes....
Epsom salt bath may help (draw off the liquid) but remember never treat a dropsied fish with a true salt bath.

 

[LakeyGal]

Sounds like dropsy....
Do they receive any vitamins? Are the pellets you feed; catfish pellets?
I'd seperate the bloated ones, on the off chance it may be bacterial.
Put them on a no protein diet, keep the water perfect (whats your PH by the way) and see how that goes....
Epsom salt bath may help (draw off the liquid) but remember never treat a dropsied fish with a true salt bath.

Dropsy you say....will be googling that in a minute... edit: there doesn't seem to be any pineconing on them but being small fish I guess that's not conclusive.

I have now realised that I shouldn't have put the fry in my big tank yet as I just cannot get them all out again, managed to remove all but one of the bloated fellas into the hospital tank but the last one will not be caught, I even emptied eveything out and couldn't get the blighter so I used the Interpet general tonic as a precaution in the tank

Pellets are the Nutrafin complete sinking food tablets for bottom feeders and Tetra algae wafers, PH 7.5

 

[-germ-]

Can do a little post on dropsy for you in the emergency version of this post if you like?

 

[LakeyGal]

Can do a little post on dropsy for you in the emergency version of this post if you like?

Would probably be handy - thanks for all your help, are you turning into the Dr Hilary of fishes???