# bloat in tropheus



## killakam (Feb 26, 2011)

one of my juvie duboisi has bloat *** already isolated him in a 5 gal tank with a bubbler and turned up the temp to 82 and added 1 table spoon of salt, how soon should he be okay? should i turn the temp up add more water? am i doing it right? 
i hope he gets better soon


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Heat and salt is good for treating ich but will not help bloat much. Try metronidazole instead.

He should have a filter and heater though.


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## killakam (Feb 26, 2011)

oh really? hmm well he has a heater.. i just dont have a filter for a 5 gal tank xD walmart here i come.


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## mhuston (May 13, 2011)

Usually once you actually see the symptoms of bloat (not eating, white stringy feces, staying at the bottom of the tank, stressed breathing, etc) it's already in it's later stages and likely to end up in death unless treated right away with an effective med like metronidazole or clout (even then it's far from a certainty). Salt won't work, you need to switch to one of those right away to keep any hope of saving him.


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## killakam (Feb 26, 2011)

Just came back from my LFS their fish expert told me to feed brine shrip to fix it.

he said and i quote "from what you told me it sounds like its at the final stage, you would be wasting money with those expensive medicine"

so either way I am going to try, but I am not expecting much... first tropheus to fall out of 10 in 2 months.


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## mhuston (May 13, 2011)

Was he being serious? Wow, doesn't sound like a guy I'd ever take advice from. Bottom line is if you care about giving the fish its best shot at surviving (albeit slim) you should use the proper medication. If you've already accepted that he's not going to make it and you're not even going to try then don't bother with the brine shrimp idea. Plus if he does have bloat and is not eating then putting brine shrimp in the water will only serve the purpose of polluting the water since he won't be eating them.

In my opinion you should buy some metronidazole and/or clout to have onhand for treatment of future outbreaks anyway so that you can treat it right away and give them a shot at living. They really aren't that expensive, you can get a 5g bottle of metronidazole (treats 1000-2000 liters using dosing instructions on the bottle) for around $8 and 100 tablets of 500mg clout pills for about $15. It all depends on if you feel like the 25 buck investment is worth being able to treat and possibly save future fish at the first sign of symptoms. Just remember that bloat usually doesn't just affect one fish, it's typically a chain reaction and can wipe out a significant portion of your tank if it goes untreated.


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## killakam (Feb 26, 2011)

well? idk he is the shop fish pro and he has given me helpful advice before, and he said he has all types of cichlids and what not. i trust the guy... everyone else said to just buy new fish as if they work on sales or something.

either way there medication was very expensive, over 40 and they did't have metronidazole or clout.. that goes for both LFS in my area.

I will buy some off line to give other fishes a shot in the future... right now he is in a 5 gal looking very white apposed to there dark black with white spots....

also i had 1 frontosa die in my 100 gal from bloat, never treated it.... i saw him once but i didn't think much of it.... i found him 2 days later dead but everyone else is fine..

thanks for the info guys.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

It's true that treating a fish with a food item when he has an intestinal blockage (bloat) does not make much sense. :roll:

Also note that bloat does spread but it might take a month for your next sick fish to show up. How long ago did the front die and was it in the same tank as your tropheus?

I agree that metronidazole is expensive, but also usually less than replacing all your fish. And it's no fun watching a sick fish get worse and die over a period of days. There are places to buy medicines that are cheaper than your LFS.

I've rarely lost a fish to bloat once I started treatment. What are his symptoms that you and the LFS think he is in his end stages?


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## killakam (Feb 26, 2011)

my front was in my 100 gal tank with all my peacocks and mbunas, but i changed out all the water.. left barley any for the fish to be in and re-filled with new water, so i don't think ill be seeing all that again.

I don't know how to determine any illness other then ick and fungus and bloat... as far as stages go i have no idea how far it is but he died either last night or thing morning because he is gone..


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Sorry for your loss. 

Keep an eye on the other fish for a month or two. The other fish can ingest the bloat organism while in the tank with the sick fish, or while digging in the substrate. It's not just in the water.

Then the organism lives in the fish's body without causing harm unless the fish becomes a little stressed for some reason. When defenses are lowered, they multiply out of control causing intestinal blockage.


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