firemouth with bloat?

[dave76]

My smallest firemouth has a large belly at all times. it was starved at first as it was chased by other fish, but it eventually stood up to the others and now eats readily. it has developed a white tuft around its anus. I was concerned that it might have an intestinal blockage but the other day I saw it defocating. And my what a large healthy one it was. Is this just the fish overeating, or could it be bloat? My water parameters are ok. He does not appear to have any behavior issues does not swim near the top or breath heavily. Any help is appreciated. I feed blood worms and earthworms. I do not feed black worms or tubifex.


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[AikidoGuy]

One would think that some once with over 800gallons of freshwater fish tanks filled with rarer cichlids would be able to keep something as common as a firemouth. But, truth be told the firemouth is my trouble fish.
Every time i have gotton my hands a firemouth or the like species they stat out very well and within a few days to a week the dwindle away and die.
I have spoken with Juan Miguel and Don Danko of the Cichlid Room Companion as well as Jeff Rapps of Tangled Up In Cichlids which is where all of my cichlids from.
Turn out the firemouth and in my experiences the Bue Aureum, are extremely prone to catching parasites and viruses that are present in the enviroment but have not been picked up by other cichlids. The main killer of the firemouth happens to be bloat caused by diet. It is the reason why i have lost a Wild Adult firemouth, an F1 Blue Aureum, and multiple LFS firemouths.
I was advised to not feed this species the typical high protien diet (krill, meal worms, raw shrimp) that is given to most of my cichlids and stick to a mainly vegitable diet with alot of spirulina and keep the meaty protiens to a minimum as th efiremouth is not able to digest meaty food properly. I was also told to keep the water a bit cooler more in the 76-78degree range, as compared to the 78-80degree range i normaly keep my large cichlids in. Firemotuh also do alot better when kep tto a pecies only enviroment. Most firemouths although can take some punishment and also can dish it out, are usualyl very easliy stressed by other cichlid tankmates of another species.
Since the tiem i speoke withe the three men i have gotten another firemouth that i have not had a single problem with. Its main diet is HBH soft and moist with spirulina and a basic cichlid flake food, as well as a few other cichlid based verggie foods.

[peifc]

I have a Firemouth too. I got him when he was only an inch. He is still very healthy at 2". And he seems to has liking on certain food. He doesn't touch the cichlid pellets or stick. He will only take the flakes. I fed the tank bloodworm before, my FM would not even touch it.

I was looking through the web just now. I read that bloodworm isn't good for Firemouth. It could cause bloating, blah blah blah.

Anyway, I also read somewhere...I forgot where (been reading alot. All references are crossed :D) that if wanna feed vege, soak the vege (spinach is the best choise) in warm water. Let it cool before feeding the fish.