eyes and belly distended, stringy feces

[mooman]

My female A. cacatuoides's belly is distended, her eyes seem to be "poping out" slightly, and there is some red coloration behind the gills. I also noticed some stringy feces today. It's not as bad as the obove description sounds however. she is eating and swiming normally, and showing normal submisive/breeding behavior with the male that shares the 29g aquarium with her.

ph-7.2
ammonia-0
nitrites-0
nitrates-7
gh-6
temp-78
diet- mix of several dry foods, several frozen foods, live bbs, live mosquito larva (could it be a parasite?)

The male, and a second female (currently in a seperate tank raising fry) were both purchased from the same lot at a reputable lfs, and are not showing symptoms.

I was planning on using half of the "sick" females tank as a grow-up tank for the other females fry (who are quickly approachng release stage). I need suggestions on treatment (if any) and it's effect on fry in the same tank. In a pinch the female can be medicated in a bucket with an established filter, but that would still leave the fry in a "contaminated tank"

Sorry for the long post, suggestions welcome.

 

[Randall]

Sick Apistogramma cacatuoides

Hello Moo,

If I were you, I'd keep the sick fish in its tank and treat with Metronidazole and a powerful antibiotic like nitrofurazone. The later should kill any harmful bacteria in the tank that could potentially harm other fish.

Good luck!

Randall Kohn

 

[fishgeek]

defintely dont put the fry in there to grow on

i woud be inclined to combine something like metro with a antinematodal(levamisol-flubendazol-piperazine etc)
the swollen belly and eye's could have a low protein(hydrostatic casue)- ascites or dropsy
equally you could have a bacterial fermentation problem and increased gas production

edwardsiella is most likely to ferment in fih and produce gas and vague recollection suggests it is anaerobic and should respond to the metro
internal worms may cause slowly progressive changes to fish with gut changes and albumin losses

at a worst case mycobacterium maybe implicated and this would be potential disastourous to have spread through your fish

 

[Mike Wise]

Since she is eating, you will get better results by mixing the medicines with food. She will get more into her system that way.