Thin/emaciated Oto

[lizard]

Hello all.

Last night, I noticed that he was rather lethargic and just not acting like a normal Oto. He's still lethargic and staying in pretty much one spot. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that he is much thinner than the other Oto (who's quite round ). I have a little floating breeding/fry container that I put him in (he's still in the 29-gallon). I put a leaf in there, so he has something to hide under, and also gave him an algae wafer and some of tropical granules (or whatever they are) that I feed. I was thinking that perhaps he hasn't been getting much food, hence me separating him out and giving him his own food. He hasn't been interested in the food though - he just sits there. He doesn't have stringy or mucous-y poo. Oh, I also put some Stress Coat in the tank.

All other fish in the tank are happy and healthy. They get fed Tetra Tropical Granules and Variety Wafers, with freeze-dried bloodworms and tubifix worms as occasional treats. Cucumber is given on occasion to (as evidence by the pictures I recently posted). The cucumber was grown in my husband's grandparents garden, so I don't think there were any chemicals on it. I checked ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite levels a few days ago and they were all fine. I did a small wc last night. Tank has sand substrate and live plants. The fish were treated with Maracyn 2 at the beginning of the month (they still resided in the 10-gallon at the time), 'cause the Panda Corys had dropsy and popeye.

I'm guessing that since he's thin, it probably isn't something like him having eat too much cuke yesterday or something.

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

Pamela
aka Married Lizard

 

[Wyld-Fyre]

Hi Lizard,

I've got the same 'problem' as yourself with one of my Oto's. I've got three to start with, but while two have grown rounder and larger, one for some reason stayed small, and as such became the runt.

I did consider putting him/her into another tank, but the last thing I wanted was it to get lonely, so left it. It looks healthy, and I've seen it eat. I wonder could it be a psychological thing where the least dominant naturally stays smaller?

I've noticed this with my Kribs, Tiger Barbs, and Dwarf Gourami's. I wonder if this is fact or fiction?

 

[lizard]

I've attached a picture of the Oto in question. I let him out of his little "sick box". He was just hanging out and didn't seem interested in eating (the reason I put him in there, mostly, to see if he wanted to/would eat without competition). He swam around a little and then went back up to the corner of the tank he's been hanging out in.

How does he look? Need a picture of my "round" Oto for comparison?

Thanks again.

Pamela
aka Married Lizard

 

[Wyld-Fyre]

Oh my gosh!

He looks in a bad way. I'm judging this on his clamped fins, and the red patch beneath/behind the eye. He could also be unhappy at being trapped in the floating breeder/fry hatchery.

Could be an internal infection/parasite that's causing the Oto not to eat. Has he been like this for a little while? You've mentioned Dropsy and Popeye which I think can be internal infections/parasites.

Do you happen to have a hospital tank?

 

[lizard]

Oh my gosh!

He looks in a bad way. I'm judging this on his clamped fins, and the red patch beneath/behind the eye. He could also be unhappy at being trapped in the floating breeder/fry hatchery.

Could be an internal infection/parasite that's causing the Oto not to eat. Has he been like this for a little while? You've mentioned Dropsy and Popeye which I think can be internal infections/parasites.

Do you happen to have a hospital tank?

That's pretty much what I was thinking. That picture was taken after he was let out of the hospital "box". As far as the clamped fins go, I noticed that when my other Oto sits the same way, his fins are sort of clamped like that too, but he's not sick.

I just noticed him being really lethargic and such the last few days. Obviously if he's skinny like this, it's not something that happened overnight.

Yep, one fish had popeye and one dropsy (I think/suspect) at the beginning of August. Entire tank was treated, as I didn't have a hospital tank at the time. I do now, though, and I'm sure my husband would be thrilled to have a second tank set up in our tiny apartment (When I explain why, he'll be fine with it.)

<sigh> Poor sick fishy.

Pamela
aka Married Lizard

 

[Wyld-Fyre]

Fish psychology?

This is probably a psychological matter. If the fish had been sick recently, and was isolated, treated, then freed, then isolated again because it 'didn't fit in.' It may compound the problem.

Don't laugh. It may be feeling a little rejected, from its peers, and its 'owner'. Its become shy in front of its peers and wary about feeding while they're looking.

Try this. Keep the fish isolated until you get your hospital/quarantine tank, and continue to give it food. It'll have to eat sooner or later, and when it does you'll know it may be its own shyness letting it down.

 

[lizard]

Update on the sick little guy: I moved him to a hospital tank. He's in there alone - no other fishies with him. I've been treating with Maracyn 2. This was the second day of treatment. His gill-area looks less red, I think he may be clamping his fins less often - not sure though He's been swimming around a bit, but mostly he just sits there. I have yet to see him eat - the algea wafer I put in there yesterday is still sitting there (although it's a bit mooshy now). So, I guess it's a wait-and-see thing now. Perhaps after being on the meds a few days he'll start to perk up. That'd be good.

Oh, and husband has no problem with the sick tank being set up He just doesn't want two tanks set up all of the time Understandable - our apartment is kinda tiny and we do have lots of stuff.

Pamela
aka Married Lizard