Who Gives A Fish Forums

Hi,
I'm having trouble figuring out what's going on with my fin-tanks - they have these weirdly swollen stomachs (check the attached pics). It's strange, but they're behaving normally, eating well, and swimming actively. No fin rot or other issues. The swollen stomachs are throwing me off, though. This seems to mostly affect females, but some males get it too. Luckily, no deaths so far.
What's causing this? Any ideas on what I can do about it?

I'm going to take a guess here, but it's possible they're overeating, leading to those swollen stomachs.

Females could be full of eggs or just fat from overfeeding. Males can also be overweight.

What's their poop like?

If they're eating well but producing stringy white poop, I'd say intestinal worms are a strong possibility.

coltin wrote: ↑Tue Apr 26, 2022 9:20 am Females could be full of eggs or just fat from overfeeding. Males can also be overweight.

What's their poop like?

If they're eating well but producing stringy white poop, I'd say intestinal worms are a strong possibility.

Their feces look perfectly normal and they eat without hesitation as soon as feed is given.

They're kept in cement tanks, lots of algae. Maybe they've eaten too much algae and it's built up in their bellies. I don't think it's dropsy, their scales look fine and they're swimming actively.

If they're outdoors, it's possible they're snagging insects or larvae that land on the tank, or maybe there's tiny crustaceans in the water. Algae isn't typically a problem, it's just extra fiber. If they've been eating a lot of algae, you'd usually see green poop. Since they're eating well and their poop looks normal, I wouldn't stress too much about it.

I'm inclined to think it's bloat. I've had success with relieving constipation in my fish by feeding them mashed, deshelled peas. It seems to work wonders.

coltin wrote: ↑Tue Apr 26, 2022 9:20 am Females could be full of eggs or just fat from overfeeding. Males can also be overweight.

What's their poop like?

If they're eating well but producing stringy white poop, I'd say intestinal worms are a strong possibility.

It's possible that the fish are eating the larval stages of those water insects present in the tanks.

Considering a mild salt treatment, see if that makes a difference.