White Cloud with swollen belly! Please help!

[mel_20_20]

Hey, I'm glad he seems to be somewhat better. This may mean that he was constipated and had a lot of trapped gas in his gut. At least, I'm hopeful.

I've used the minced garlic in a jar that you can get at the grocery store, but I think the fresh pods of garlic, peeled and smashed and minced, that is to say, chopped very finely.

Smash and mince on something non-porous, like a plate or one of those plastic chopping blocks, so the juice will be available to smear the pea mush around in it. (A wooden chopping block will soak up quite a lot of the juice.) If you get teenie bits of garlic in with it that's OK, too.

The garlic is really good, as Piranha86 stated. In fact, it has an anti-parasitic effect. Allicin, the compound in garlic that is efficacious, is added to many kinds of fish food for it's anti-parasitic action. Also, it makes food very enticing to fish: they love the taste.

You can also buy this gadget, in the housewear department of many stores, that is called a garlic press. It's a small hand-held device that looks a bit like a pair of pliers with an enclosed area that the garlic pod is placed into and then squeezed. I usually just smash and mince the pods, myself.

 

[NilsBaees]

He's been around for a while and i've gotten quite attached to him. don't even get me started on my peruvian laser cory, she's so adorable and is best friends with my peppered cory.

Here are some pics. as you can see, the shape is less odd-looking (as compared to two days ago) but he still looks very fat. last pic, i think he wants more peas.

 

[BettaFishMommy]

if the abdominal wall is herniated you'll see that big lumpy belly every time the fish eats, since the muscles are no longer in position to hold the internal organs in their correct place.

i'd say as long as the fish is swimming ok, pooping ok, eating ok, and generally looks alright then just keep a close eye on it and keep the feeding light (to avoid a large amount of swelling outside the abdominal muscle wall).

 

[mel_20_20]

Wow... those pics really do look like herniation. I would do as BFM says and try to feed lightly.

 

[NilsBaees]

Thanks, ladies! So do I still need to feed peas and/or garlic? Also, does one flake or one pellet a day sound alright?

 

[mel_20_20]

I think the pea/garlic is still a good idea, but I would try to fast the fish for another day or two since you've fed pea. Let's see if his tummy goes down a bit.

Keeping the fish from getting constipated is very important, I would think, with the abdominal muscles separated like that.

Trouble is, I don't know how you can keep him from eating as much as he wants if he is in the tank with the others at feeding time. If you can control how much he actually eats then I'd think one flake, or pellet, or bit of pea daily, though I hope BFM will chime in on this with her opinion.

 

[NilsBaees]

I have a separator I can use, so I think feeding will go as planned

 

[mel_20_20]

Excellent. Keep us posted. Wishing you the best for your little guy.

 

[BettaFishMommy]

i'd trim down his feed from what you usually give. maybe feed a teensy tiny amount (smidgen of a flake or a crumble or two off a pellet if you can) twice or three times a day as opposed to one meal daily. we don't want that belly bloating up too much, and itty bitty feedings will hopefully keep that from happening. start with two feedings per day and if you find he's getting skinnier (not including the belly bulge), bump up to 3 tiny feedings per day.

peas could be a good idea once or twice a week, to help keep him regular. a backed up fish with this condition isn't a happy fish. a couple bits of pea, teensy tiny, should work well.

 

[NilsBaees]

He is back to normal!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!