Mandarin Looks Sick

[RiversideGator]

All,

I have a Mandarin that looks like it is going to pop. I doesn't look fat; it looks bloated. It is eating well and is not exhibiting any symptoms of being sick except for it appearance. Please see the attached pics.

Thanks!

Matt
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[Newsmyrna80]

Hard to tell from the pics. How long have you had him? How long has he been like this?

[snorvich]

Swollen Abdomen could happen because of Bacterial or Viral infections, often carried in contaminated water or infected food, the fish comes in contact with.

There are various cures available according to the different stages of the fish with the Swollen Abdomen condition. Antibiotics are helpful in treating the early stages to help counter this condition.

It is possible, if you are feeding supplied food, that the fish is constipated or there may be some blockage in its Intestine. A cure here is Peas, which can help relieve constipation in fish but I am not sure how to administer this to a mandarin.

Another situation that can be mistaken for Swollen Abdomen can arise due to overeating. Therefore, if the fish starts refusing food as stated above, it reflects a loss of appetite and may be the case of Swollen Abdomen. If however, this does not happen then, the fish is likely to be healthy. The resolve here is not to give food to the fish for some time and allow its bloated abdomen to resume its original shape. If you are feeding the mandarin supplied foods, this is a possibility; if you are letting it eat copepods, this is unlikely.

[RiversideGator]

I have had it for about a year and noticed this about a month ago. It only eats copepods (from what I can tell) so a specific food won't be an option. Someone at the LFS recommended that I catch it and give it a fresh water dip for 10 minutes but I have been unable to catch it. It looks so slow and deliberate but can really scram when a net is in the water. Does anyone recommend Melafix Marine?

Thanks all for the responses.

Matt

[Newsmyrna80]

No to the dip...won't do anything for internal parasites/diseases. As for Melafix I wouldn't use it.

[snorvich]

Someone at the LFS recommended that I catch it and give it a fresh water dip for 10 minutes

Matt

Seriously?

[RiversideGator]

Yes, it's true.

[snorvich]

Yes, it's true.

Wow. A fresh water dip is used to confirm flukes and provides temporary relief from amyloodinium ocellatum (velvet), Brooklynella hostilis (brook) and Uronema marinum (uronema). It is in no way even remotely relevant to a dietary related issue.