parrot fish about to explode??

my 2-inch long pink parrot fish looks like it is about to explode. it appears pregnant, but so much so that the one side is starting to have a hole worn into it from stretching out so much.

could it be a tumor or something similar? there are other chiclids in the tank but no other parrot fish, so i'm not sure if it's really pregnant. what can i do? :roll: any help greatly appreciated.

 

it sounds like advanced stages of DROPSY. some of my (former) fish have come down with it, and never recovered. by the time i noticed what was happening, it was too late. they didnt respond to any medication.

 

I'm no expert with disease but that does sound like it could be dropsy Is it only the one side of the fish? If you look down on the fish does it look like its scales are sticking out? Like a pinecone? What are your water conditions for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate? IME dropsy is usually caused by poor water quality and lack of water changes. Also what size is your tank?

Sorry for all the questions but in order for us to help you we need a lot more information.

 

Tina: lol, diseases are my best lol.

Ouch, yes that is dropsy. One of the common diseases found among fish though most common found in bettas, though it is also often seen in other breeds of fish. Your fish looks like it might have a highly formed case of dropsy. The scales in the fish begin to stand up and poke out, the main body becomes bloated beyond comfort level for the fish. This is hard to cure but by the sound it is to far to cure. Dont worry the fish wont really "pop" the fish is likely to die :cry: before it could have a chance. :cry:

 

thank you all so much for responding. i will look for medication for dropsy. so far the fish is not acting any differently, so i'll see if it helps. thanks again!

 

no prob, by the looks of it the fish is far into the disease so idk if it will cure in time. good luck tho!

 

parrots can be very expensive at times too. i used to have over 20( some fry) in my parents 125g they all died to ich(did i spell it right?). a ton of money gone like that. :cry:

 

That does sound like advanced dropsy. Are the scales sticking out (like a pine cone - see pics below)?

Unfortunately, most times when dropsy gets to that stage, the damage has been done and it is very difficult to cure. Personally I've been able to cure a severe case of dropsy in a goldfish by using a syringe to aspirate the fluid, but it is a very delicate proceedure and it is easy to injure the fish so I really wouldn't recommend it to most people. You're only other option is to set up the fish in a hospital tank and treat with antibiotics (Maracyn 2) and if you can get some medicated food (Medigold) that could help.



-Chelle

 

nice photos they give a good idea of how dropsy really looks. Its lucky that the people really had a chance to treat it, If you go to your lfs they usually willhave flakes or water chemicals that you can use as a treatment. Best of luck! keep us updated.