Synodontis Questions

[Kittiee Katt]

Hi all, I have a synodontis nigriventris (sp?) in a 120ltr community tank that I've been fasting for 24 hours, and I'm a little confused because the syno has a big, swollen belly. It wasn't swollen last night or this morning and he's not big enough to eat his tank mates - I done a head count regardless of this, and no one is missing.

My question is, what could he have eaten?

There's a fair bit of algae on the driftwood he lives under, could he be eating that? I've not read anything about them eating algae.

The tank has pond snails in it that I feed to my goldfish, could he be eating these? Again, I've not read about them doing this either.

There is never left over food, if I see uneaten pellets after feeding, I net them out.

Could he be sick?
His tanks specs are: Ammonia: 0ppm, Nitrite: 0ppm, Nitrate: 10ppm, pH:6.8, Temp: 25°c, I don't have GH and kh test kits yet.
Tank mates are: x1 ct betta, x1 small cae, x2 kuhlli loaches, x5 cloud minnows.

Should I move him to a hospital tank for better observation?

Is there be anything I'm overlooking?

Unfortunately I can't get pictures, I've only got my phone camera and he blends in to well with the wood.

Thanks in advance.

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

Sorry to hear but a pic would be of tremendous help to us to help you. The lighting is what's needed, not so much a better camera.

If it hides, get him in the net and bring him in the net to the front glass and then take pics, all in water, minimum stress.

Or you perhaps can draw it up

You could find a pic of a similarly big-bellied USD syno on the net and post it too, but needless to say, the helpfulness of an answer you'd get is crucially dependent on the quality of the question you ask.

 

[predatorkeeper87]

my eupterus cat always looks like a chubby little guy. Does your syno look unnaturally fat? like uncomfortably? and agree with above post a pic is a must in this situation. If you have to shake him off the driftwood

 

[Kittiee Katt]

Thanks heaps guys, sorry about not getting pics up, I went to get the net to get pics and noticed his belly has gone down this morning. But I'm going to move him to a quarantine tank for a few days anyway, just to be sure because I still don't know what actually happened, and the hospital/quarantine tanks don't have snails or algae or anything at all that he could eat in them, so if he swells up again without being fed, I'll know that there's a bigger problem.

The way he was swollen looked like it does after he bashes the cae away from the wafers, he looked like he had eaten to much but as mentioned above, there was nothing he could/should have eaten.. Unless he's a weird usd cat that eats algae and snails.. I'll find out in the next few days I guess.

Is it a bad idea to fast him for a few days while he's in the small tank? Is three days to long without food? I don't want to starve him, but I don't want to many variables if he swells up again..

Thank you both.

 

[convict360]

He'll be fine for 3 days easily

 

[predatorkeeper87]

Thanks heaps guys, sorry about not getting pics up, I went to get the net to get pics and noticed his belly has gone down this morning. But I'm going to move him to a quarantine tank for a few days anyway, just to be sure because I still don't know what actually happened, and the hospital/quarantine tanks don't have snails or algae or anything at all that he could eat in them, so if he swells up again without being fed, I'll know that there's a bigger problem.

The way he was swollen looked like it does after he bashes the cae away from the wafers, he looked like he had eaten to much but as mentioned above, there was nothing he could/should have eaten.. Unless he's a weird usd cat that eats algae and snails.. I'll find out in the next few days I guess.

Is it a bad idea to fast him for a few days while he's in the small tank? Is three days to long without food? I don't want to starve him, but I don't want to many variables if he swells up again..

Thank you both.

my guess is he snuck a snack from under the driftwood that maybe you didn't scoop out in time. If the stomach is flat today he's fine. I wouldn't even quarantine if I were you.

 

[rodger]

I consider a catfish that doesn't have a swollen belly as sick / underfed.

 

[Kittiee Katt]

I consider a catfish that doesn't have a swollen belly as sick / underfed.

Hi, if his belly is swollen after feeding time I don't worry about it. I don't think he's underfed, as he's quite a chubby little guy compared to when I got him They get 3-4 meals a day, and no one is treated as 'clean up crew', meaning I put enough food in for everyone to get something to eat and remove anything that hasn't been eaten after a 5-10 minute period. It was worring me because they had been fasting and he shouldn't of been able eat anything, so I wasn't sure why he was swollen. But now I'm starting to think that I may have missed a bit of food and he's found that when I wasn't looking..

Thanks

 

[thebiggerthebetter]

I fast all my fish 1-2 days a week. No food at all.

1 week without food for your fish is equivalent to a human skipping one meal in the same period of time, I'd say. Doctors say it may even be healthy

 

[rodger]

Hi, if his belly is swollen after feeding time I don't worry about it. I don't think he's underfed, as he's quite a chubby little guy compared to when I got him They get 3-4 meals a day, and no one is treated as 'clean up crew', meaning I put enough food in for everyone to get something to eat and remove anything that hasn't been eaten after a 5-10 minute period. It was worring me because they had been fasting and he shouldn't of been able eat anything, so I wasn't sure why he was swollen. But now I'm starting to think that I may have missed a bit of food and he's found that when I wasn't looking..

Thanks

I only feed my fish once a day on the days I feed them. I usually only feed 4 days a week. Less food means slower metabolism and a longer life. The only negative is slower growth, but if you are planning on them being with you for decades what does it matter? I have always skipped a day or two a week. A few years ago I went to once a day. I think they are healthier that way. Now if I could get myself to skipping meals, I would be as healthy as my fish!