johnsmith Posted November 12, 2004 Report Share Posted November 12, 2004 I'm afraid one of my labs has bloat since his stomach looks a little swollen and there's a little lump in the anus/genital area. All the fish seem to be eating fine, but I have noticed some flashing going on. When my friend dropped these four labs off a couple of weeks ago he said he had a hard time catching them so they would probably be very stressed out. I looked up cures at cichlid-forum.com and it seems metronidazole is the best medicine since I don't have a qtank, unfortunately. I haven't been able to get out to a LFS yet, but am wondering if there are medications here in Calgary that contain metronidazole? I looked up big al's online and they didn't seem to carry anything with this medication. I've looked at the articles on cichlid-forum.com but if you have any other suggestions I'd be happy to hear them. Hopefully this won't wipe out my tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallisneria Posted November 12, 2004 Report Share Posted November 12, 2004 Big als carries metronidazole http://www.bigalsonline.ca/catalog/product...id1=2233;pcid2= I have used the seachem stuff. I would soak my pellets in it and have also sprayed it onto flakes before. Sorry can't help much with the bloat though. Thankfully i have never had it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnsmith Posted November 13, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2004 Great, that's the stuff I was looking for. Hopefully they have it at the store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyasa Posted November 13, 2004 Report Share Posted November 13, 2004 Are you certain your fish are sick? Females labs can often develop swelling around their genitals. I think this is related to egg production. I would hold off on medicating and continue to observe closely. Just keep up with the water changes and only medicate if you absolutely feel you need to. Using medications when they are not indicated can also really stress your fish. Just my 0.02. If this is "Malawi bloat" from what I've read it is difficult to treat. David. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RD. Posted November 13, 2004 Report Share Posted November 13, 2004 I agree with David, if this fish is eating, it's "lump" is not related to internal parasites (which cause bloat), and there's a good chance that it's a female that's getting ready to drop some eggs. Metronidazole is a rather safe med to use, and overall causes very little stress on a fish, but from what you've described it would be a total waste of money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnsmith Posted November 13, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2004 No, I'm not certain my fish is sick. This lab has been digging pits, chasing others around, and eating a lot, so based on the articles I read it doesn't sound like this fish is dying of bloat. However, I didn't really want to wait around and find out for sure since the articles indicate this disease acts quickly causing internal damage. My impression from what I read at cichlid-forum.com was that the medication wouldn't hurt them if they weren't sick. If fact, some people treat all their new fish in a qtank. EDIT: wow I didn't realize anyone else was on at 8:30am. Well, that's definitely good to hear. Hopefully you guys are right. I'd be much happier to see a female dropping eggs, than a male with bloat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RD. Posted November 13, 2004 Report Share Posted November 13, 2004 (edited) What most people fail to realize, is that "bloat" is a symptom, not a disease itself. If a fish has internal parasites to the point that it causes an overload on their system, "bloat" is usually one of the final stages of the disease, at which time most fish cannot be saved. (as there is now internal organ damage) If in fact your fish was bloated from internal parasites, it would not be eating, and would most likely be hiding out behind a rock etc, looking pale & very sickly. It's been my experience that with regards to "bloat", yellow labs are one of the least affected Malawi fish. The ones you really have to watch out for are the fish that are strict herbivores (due to their stomach design), as well as some strains of peacocks which have weak immune systems. With these fish, any amount of stress (such as improper diet, aggression, poor water conditions, etc) can cause the internal pathogens to multiply at a rapid state, which in turn brings on the bloat conditions. Edited November 13, 2004 by RD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnsmith Posted November 13, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2004 Well, hopefully I'm not becoming a fish-hypochondriac. I did get the impression that once a fish experiences bloat it was pretty much on its death-bed. On the other hand, I read that you can soak their food in the medication, which would mean sometimes they will still eat. Either way, I'm glad to have a 2nd & 3rd opinion that lean toward egg dropping rather than bloat. If that's the case this could end up being my first holding female. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RD. Posted November 13, 2004 Report Share Posted November 13, 2004 (edited) The Met soaked food is usally recommended for the fish in the main tank that are still eating, as any fish showing early signs of bloat are usually refusing food. (often times accompanied with long clear stringy feces) The idea is that the Met will save the pathogens from spreading to your healthy fish, as entire tanks can be lost if the pathogens spread to the rest of the fish. Any fish with a sore gut, full of parasites, will not be eating, in which case the best course of action is to remove the fish to a QT tank, and treat it with Clout. At the same time you want to treat the healthy fish with Met soaked food (just in case), as well as keep the substrate clean to avoid contamination form any pathogens that remained with the sick fishes feces. Edited November 13, 2004 by RD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishmanCalgary Posted November 14, 2004 Report Share Posted November 14, 2004 Hey K You just picked up those fish from a local breeder/friend. What are you feeding them. Some cheaper quality foods swell when ingested, thus the big concern of bloat. Might be the diet? I've seen it too many times, people having multiple cases of bloat. Then presto change-o, new/good food, no more bloat. I find good tank maintenance should eliminate most problems, and I try to avoid the use of medications if at all possible. Only as the Last resort! Most fish will still perish with severe problems. By the time you notice the problem it is usually too late, unless it's ich then heat 'n treat. Try to save the fish you have left. Good Luck, let us know. Dave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RD. Posted November 14, 2004 Report Share Posted November 14, 2004 Some cheaper quality foods swell when ingested, thus the big concern of bloat. Unless a fish gobbles up their food & swallows it whole (which most labs don't do) there will be no swelling of the food "inside" of the fish. Even large pellets are broken up long before they reach the digestive tract of a fish. Having said that, an improper diet can bring on bloat conditions, which is caused by a sudden increase of internal pathogens. (ie sudden stress) Too much food, the wrong type of food (such as frozen krill/shrimp for strict herbivores), etc, can cause gastrointestinal problems, but floating foods that contain large amounts of air, fed in moderation, will usually not cause any issues with Africans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.